Last Tuesday Radio National's Fran Kelly interviewed Russell Rees, head of the Victorian Country Fire Authority (CFA), following the Interim Report of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission (VBRC). She had that morally righteous tone that journalists get when they want someone to confess and admit fault.
Rees had certainly taken a shellacking from Jack Rush QC, counsel assisting the VBRC, about his performance on Black Saturday when he gave evidence to the Commission.
Although he took his medicine from Rush, Rees certainly didn't cop it sweet from Kelly. He gave as good as he got and refused to accept blame.
He pointed out, for instance, that the CFA successfully suppressed an extremely dangerous fire on Black Saturday afternoon in Upper Fern Tree Gully, just below Mount Dandenong. If the fire had got onto the quite heavily populated mountain many would have been killed and tremendous environmental damage done.
He reminded Kelly that no one could have imagined a fire like Black Saturday. As the VBRC itself admitted, 'Reports referred to flames leaping 100 m into the air, generating heat so intense that aluminium road signs melted. The plume of fires created a convection effect that generated winds so strong that trees appeared to have been screwed from the ground.' Fire behavior was described as 'unique'.
While historically this is not entirely true, we have certainly entered a new era of fire in Australia. Never before have we seen such concentrated velocity, fire intensity and spotting occurring so far ahead of the main front. So Rees was right to refuse to accept the kind of generalised blame that is often projected onto public officials (or environmentalists) by some in the community.
That is not to say that the performance of the authorities was perfect or even adequate. There were many mistakes made and the VBRC points them out. The communication system was completely inadequate, and centralised fire control in Melbourne was simply unable to cope with such a fast-moving situation. Controllers were far behind reality on the ground. More authority has to be given to local fire-fighters in the field.
How to forewarn the public is another problem. The VBRC heard that the maximum number on the McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index is 100. Over 50 is considered 'extreme'. On 7 February it reached 'previously unrecorded levels ranging from 120 to 180'. It is hard to convey to people something that has never been