DSE ....... have done it again!

Submitted: Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 12:37
ThreadID: 21720 Views:2989 Replies:9 FollowUps:11
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A so called 'DSE controlled burn" (oxymoron) has got out of control on Wilson's Prom, forcing 600+ campers to spend the night on the beach! Apparently over 600 hectares were affected, when will they learn to check the weather forecasts? Strong winds had been forecast for both late Friday & Saturday!
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Reply By: Member - Jimbo (VIC) - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 13:15

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 13:15
Bloody Dick Smith has a lot to answer for LOL
AnswerID: 104777

Reply By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 13:27

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 13:27
Message issued at 12.22PM.
02/04/2005

CFA is assisting DSE and Parks Victoria at a large grass and scrub fire burning on Wilson's Promontory.

The fire is approximately 700 hecatres in size and is burning south east across the Promontory, but no private property is currently at risk.

Tidal River Camping Ground has been evacuated by Victoria Police assisted by SES, and over 544 people have been moved to the beach at Norman Bay for their safety.

15 CFA tankers have been involved in asset protection in Tidal River, and in assisting DSE and Parks Victoria to construct control lines to try to bring the fire under control.

6 aircraft are also en route to assist with the fire.

The park is currently closed to the public, and the public are asked to remain clear of the area. People wanting to camp or bushwalk are advised to seek further information from the Parks Victoria call centre on 13 19 63.

AnswerID: 104779

Reply By: Glenn (VIC) - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 14:19

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 14:19
When is Thwaites going to get the arse....every bloody year his department cause issues like this...what a d&*khead
AnswerID: 104788

Follow Up By: Shaker - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 14:22

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 14:22
Yep! ..... Like about 3 weeks ago near Licola!
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FollowupID: 362083

Follow Up By: Red Patrol - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 16:36

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 16:36
DSE= Dept of Sparks and Embers!!!!

Red
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Follow Up By: firestang - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 20:47

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 20:47
Oh dear .DSE really stands for Department of Scorched Earth it's at 2000 hectares now at the Prom.
They did a burn in the You Yangs a few months back and guess what? yep you guessed it the lost that one too.
Two trucks got burnt over (no injuries) and they lost a rangers shack after the fire jumped the road.i wasn't laughing at the time but they always seem to stuff it up .

I would dare say that they had lit the fire a day or two before and were just patrolling when the wind whipped up .
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Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 17:52

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 17:52
Why dont the press run with this like a DEADLY 4wd STORY....

????
AnswerID: 104813

Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 18:05

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 18:05
probably bring 10,000 angry pricks out of the closet with matches who love the smell of burning bush a bit too much.
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 18:06

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 18:06


Hundreds stranded by bushfire

A 700-hectare bushfire has left hundreds of campers stranded on a beach in Victoria today.

The fire at Wilsons Promontory National Park began about midnight last night when strong winds whipped up a controlled fuel reduction burnoff being carried out by the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

DSE spokeswoman Alex Fisher said the fire was centred on the Tidal River area, a popular tourist destination about 30km inside the park boundary.

The camping ground at Tidal River had been evacuated and 544 people were now taking shelter from the fire on the beach at Norman Bay.

"They are all safe and well and accounted for," Ms Fisher said.

The police helicopter this morning checked the walking tracks in the area to make sure no bushwalkers were threatened by the fire.

Ms Fisher said 94 firefighters and police were working on the fire and six aircraft were on the way and would soon begin water bombing the blaze.

Rough terrain was making fighting the fire difficult as were weather conditions, with the temperature already heading towards 30 degrees.

[color=yellow]The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a gale warning for Wilsons Promontory and has forecast Northerly winds gusting to 35 knots.[/color]
Ms Fisher said the strong winds overnight had been unexpected and the DSE was always careful about when they carried out controlled burns.

"If the conditions weren't right we wouldn't commence a burn," she said.

Wilsons 'Prom' has a 130 km coastline and contains the largest coastal wilderness area in Victoria.

- AAP
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 18:13

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 18:13
Message issued at 6.00PM.
02/04/2005

CFA is assisting DSE and Parks Victoria at a large grass and scrub fire burning on Wilson's Promontory.

The fire is approximately 900 hecatres in size and is burning south east across the Promontory, but no private property is currently at risk.

544 people were evacuated from the park which is now closed to the public. The evacuation of the Tidal River camping area was achieved with assitance from Victoria Police and SES volunteers.

24 CFA tankers have been involved in asset protection in Tidal River, and in assisting DSE and Parks Victoria to construct control lines to try to bring the fire under control.

12 aircraft are also assisting with the fire.

The park is currently closed to the public, and motorists and campers are asked to remain clear of the area.

People who are concerned for family and friends camping at Wilson's Promontory, can contact the Austalian Red Cross call centre on 1800 727 077 to obtain information.

People wanting to camp or bushwalk are advised to seek further information from the call Parks Victoria centre on 13 19 63.

ENDS
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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 18:18

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 18:18
'People wanting to camp or bushwalk are advised to seek further.......'

........ because all the bush has gone.
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Reply By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 18:30

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 18:30
Looks like Tassie has its problems as well

--------------------------------------------------
A series of fires in southern Tasmania yesterday has reignited the debate over Forestry Tasmania's use of regeneration fires.

A fire off Arve Road, near Geeveston yesterday, burnt at least 25 hectares but is now under control.

Three other fires were reported at Esperance, in the Weld Valley, and the Picton Valley.

The Wilderness Society's Geoff Law says escaped burn-offs put an enormous strain on firefighting resources.

"It's really playing Russian roulette with our natural environment and it also poses a threat to tourism assets and private property, because you often have a case where a cluster of these fires is on the loose all at once," he said.

"It puts enormous strain on firefighting capacity around the state."

AnswerID: 104818

Reply By: sean - Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 21:09

Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 21:09
WHY would any sane person think that the best time to burn is at the END of summer.

Sean
AnswerID: 104835

Reply By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 07:27

Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 07:27
Shaker DSE also stands for dick smith electronics .
So what does the other DSE stand for.

All the best
Eric
AnswerID: 104865

Follow Up By: Shaker - Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 09:17

Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 09:17
Department of Sustainability & Environment.
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Reply By: GOB & denny vic member - Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 08:32

Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 08:32
the worst part is all the DSE bloke are earning a fortune while the cfa fix there stuff ups for nothing

steve

by the way they now to be known as UNCONTROLLED BURNS
AnswerID: 104869

Reply By: geocacher (djcache) - Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 21:24

Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 21:24
How quickly people criticise. It was only this time two years ago that many here and elsewhere were criticising DSE for a lack of fuel reduction burning which they believed contributed to the 250,000 hectare alpine fires.

Now I have no involvement in DSE though I was fortunate enough as a kid to live on The Prom. I also campaigned actively to stop the Kennet Government from turning it to Australia's southernmost mainland 5 star resort.

I know of no-one at The Prom who would wish that what has happened ever occur, nor any one who has ever visited there.

The information I have is that the reduction burn that started this all was not as has been suggested here started in appalling conditions in the last few days but was started around Thursday a week and a half ago in far more benign conditions.

Anyone who has ever been involved in fires knows that it is nearly impossible to completely blackout a burn - either wildfire or controlled burn. Any deterioration to the right conditions can set it off again.

Now if any who have so far posted here have the ability to forecast weather accurately 8-12 days in advance I suggest they contact the Bureau of Met post haste, and they will be filthy stinking rotten rich. So far 5 super computers have failed to score that well much past four days and fare fairly poorly at times 7 days out.

If any of the posters here know The Prom well then they would already be well aware that on average there is only 1 thirty degree day in March every two years on The Prom, and none in April. The conditions of the last few days are therefore fairly out of the ordinary.

If none of the posters here have ever made an error of judgement, or has never realised an error with the benefit of hindsight then flame away (pardon the pun) but for those of us without a crystal ball next weeks Tatts numbers will remain elusive.

Do you seriously think that DSE staff who struggle to improve our parks with ever dwindling budgets set out to make the magnitude of work for themselves that this sort of event incurs? Or set out to reduce the parks budget by imposing refunding the fees of hundreds of visitors?

Get off the grass.

Dave
AnswerID: 104991

Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 21:37

Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 21:37
Lets look at TODAYS burns they have started - ALL ignited or authorised.. Look at thebleepin weather.

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/fires/updates/report/burns2.htm?time=Sun%20Apr%203%2021:31:16%20UTC+1000%202005

Burn Region Burn District Burn Name (Number) Location Area (ha) Status
GIPPSLAND NOOJEE Loch Valley North (05N01) 6 km N of Noojee 314 IGNITED
NOOJEE South Hells Gate (05N07) 8 km NW of Jindivick 683 IGNITED
NOWA NOWA Mollys Plain (05A12) 11 km N Nowa Nowa 563 IGNITED
NOWA NOWA Timbarra River (05A15) 12 km W Buchan 1681 IGNITED
ORBOST Rich River Rd (06O36) 21km NE of Orbost 3609 IGNITED
NORTH EAST OVENS Lower German Creek (T065) German Creek 2022 IGNITED
UPPER MURRAY Braggs (P79) 3 km West of Koetong 923 IGNITION AUTHORISED
UPPER MURRAY Lucky Hit Track (P69) 34km South East of Tallangatta 737 IGNITION AUTHORISED
NORTH WEST MILDURA PHEENEYS TRACK BORDER (209) 35 KM S OF MERINGUR 460 IGNITION AUTHORISED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/fires/updates/report/index2.htm?time=Sun%20Apr%203%2021:33:00%20UTC+1000%202005

its now upto 6600 HECTARES. and everythign Ive read wasnt started nearly 2 weeks ago, was started last week..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... having spent more than 13yrs in RFS in NSW up to Crew Leader Trainer, with more initials after my name than a scientist, theres times when you really need to shut down a fire, or call in more units before the weather hits, rather than leaving a ute with a slip on to monitor it overnight... Thats when they lost it, overnight, when most (and its happened in fires up home too - one of Sydneys worst in the early 1990's) crews go home for the night.. I thought they would have learnt by now...
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 21:39

Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 21:39
actually it started on Friday according to Their own website.

Current Fire Incidents
Statewide Fire Situation 4.30pm Sunday 3 April

Firefighters from DSE, Parks Victoria, CFA and DPI are still fighting the 6690 hectare fire on Wilsons Promontory that started north of Tidal River late on Friday night.

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Follow Up By: geocacher (djcache) - Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 23:13

Sunday, Apr 03, 2005 at 23:13
Started as a wildfire on Friday night - no debate there.

When was the reduction burn done and completed? I can't find that on the website but I was told Thursday a week and a half ago and the source was pretty good.

13 years in RFS - I admire that. I'll stick to patients. I hate stinking of smoke for hours after we stand by at a structure fire. I hate the smell of crispies even more - dunno if it's psycological or real but you can still smell it hours later like it's lined your nostrils and tastebuds. yuck.

But I'll bet that in 13 years you've seen many areas go up again days after everyone thought they were out.

Truckster, I was merely trying to point out that unlike yourself and a very few others with experience most of the Mondays experts comments are made with a lack of rationale and understanding behind them. They also tend to follow the herd mentallity in the direction that the media lead them.

ie. 2003 Big bushfire - media and subsequently public scream for more burning off. 2005 Big fire in one of victorias most popular parks and media and subsequently public scream about the burning off they wanted done!

I listened with interest in 2003 to some of the prominent individuals and business owners from around Bright who castigated the DSE for lack of preventative burning that "caused the fires". Businesses in Bright have been screaming blue murder every easter for the 22 years I have lived or been involved in the area that the burns should be cancelled or delayed to later (when they are less effective) so as not to shroud the town in smoke in their peak Easter tourist season.

DSE or what ever they are called this week are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Dave
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