Page 10 - AT

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 13 January 2020
Australia turns from defense to offense in wildfire battle

By NICK PERRY was building resilience to
Associated Press the fire danger posed by
BODALLA, Australia (AP) climate change.
— Crews battling Austra- He said the government
lia's wildfires said Sunday was developing a nation-
that they have been able al disaster risk reduction
to turn from defense to of- framework within the De-
fense for the first time in partment of Home Affairs
weeks thanks to a break in that will deal with wild-
the weather. fires, cyclones, floods and
Dale McLean, who is help- drought.
ing manage the response "This is a longer-term risk
to a fire near the town framework model which
of Bodalla in New South deals with one of the big
Wales state, was part of issues in response to the
team that was bulldozing climate changing," Mor-
down small trees and burn- rison said. He said his gov-
ing scrub ahead of the ernment accepted that
fire's projected path to try climate change was lead-
to stop it from reaching a ing to longer, hotter and
major highway by starving drier summers, despite
it of fuel. junior government law-
"This fire took a major run maker George Christensen
about seven or eight days posting on social media
ago, and with the weather over the weekend that
changing now, the weath- the cause of the latest fires
er settling down, the fire has was arson rather than man-
settled down," he said. "The made climate change.
fire behavior has changed. A firefighter keeps an eye on a controlled fire as they work at building a containment line at a Another junior lawmaker,
So we're able to get in front wildfire near Bodalla, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. Craig Kelly, has also public-
of the fire now, get on the Associated Press ly denied any link between
offensive." climate change and fire
Other workers echoed make progress. The weath- could see the wildfires flare The 60-year-old married crisis. State authorities have
McLean's comments, say- er is expected to remain up again. father of two was com- said a minority of fires are
ing cooler temperatures benign for the next week, While battling the blazes, mended in November for deliberately lit.
and mild winds have finally although any deteriora- volunteer firefighting veter- 40 years of service with the "The government's policy
offered them a chance to tion in conditions after that an Mick Stain found some forestry agency. is set by the Cabinet. Our
moth larvae, or "witchetty "Although we do have party room has a broad
grubs," and turned them enormous experience in range of views," Morrison
into what's known in Austra- identifying hazardous trees, said of those within gov-
lia as bush tucker by roast- sometimes these tree fail- ernment ranks who reject
ing them directly on the ures can't be predicted," mainstream climate sci-
fire's burning coals. Hardman said. "Working on ence.
"Bit creamy and nutty, but the fire ground in a forest Morrison also announced
they're all right," Stain said. environment is a dynamic, that 76 million Australian
"They're not spew-worthy, high-risk environment and dollars ($52 million) would
so they're pretty good." it carries with it significant be spent on providing psy-
Meanwhile, U.S. tennis star risk." The tragedy brings the chological counseling for
Serena Williams donated death toll to at least 27 in firefighters and fire-affect-
her $43,000 winner's check a crisis that has destroyed ed communities as part of
from New Zealand's ASB more than 2,000 homes a previously announced
Classic to the fundraising and scorched an area AU$2 billion ($1.4 billion) re-
appeal for victims of the larger than the U.S. state of covery fund.
wildfires, joining many other Indiana since September. "There has been a deep
tennis stars to pledge mon- Four of the casualties have scar in the landscape that
ey, including Ash Barty, been firefighters. has been left right across
Nick Kygrios, Novak Djokov- The crisis has brought accu- our country," Morrison said.
ic and Maria Sharapova. sations that Prime Minister "But I am also very mindful,
Also on Sunday, news Scott Morrison's conserva- as is the government, of
came that another fire- tive government needs to the very real scars that will
fighter had been killed. Bill take more action to coun- be there for quite a period
Slade — one of the few ter climate change, which of time to come for those
professionals among main- experts say has worsened who've been exposed to
ly volunteer brigades bat- the blazes. Thousands of the trauma of these bush-
tling blazes across south- protesters rallied Friday in fires."
east Australia — died after Sydney and Melbourne, While the fire threat is most
being hit by a falling tree calling for Morrison to be acute in rural communi-
on Saturday near Omeo fired and for Australia to ties, wildfire smoke that has
in eastern Victoria state, take tougher action on choked some of Australia's
Forest Fire Management global warming. largest cities is a reminder
Victoria Executive Director The prime minister said Sun- to many urban Australians
Chris Hardman said. day that his government of the unfolding disaster.q