this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2025
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So, could something similar happen in major Australian cities – and how prepared are we? The answers are: yes, and not very.

top 19 comments
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[–] Longmactoppedup@aussie.zone 18 points 16 hours ago (4 children)

We use the outer suburbs as a fire break. No trees left to burn there. Just roof and road.

[–] CurlyWurlies4All@slrpnk.net 8 points 12 hours ago

You think modern houses — more glue and plastic than solid timber — aren't going to explode into flames? Modern suburbs are tinderboxes.

[–] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 4 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

I can see this being picked up by the right as an argument against walkable urbanism (“all that density is a deathtrap!”) and in favour of the car-dependent quarter-acre-block sprawl that is Our Sacred Way Of Life.

In reality, the thin boundary between forested country and built-up areas is the problem. A solution would be to have farmland as a buffer around the cities, as pastures and fields of crops don’t burn as well as either.

[–] muntedcrocodile@lemm.ee 7 points 15 hours ago

Sad but true.

[–] TinyBreak@aussie.zone 8 points 16 hours ago

It the people of officer could read they'd be very VERY upset right now.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 29 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Did everyone forget how Australia was entirely on fire a few years back?

[–] vividspecter@lemm.ee 12 points 17 hours ago

The fires mostly missed the major cities. Although dealing with hazardous levels of smoke for much of that period is not nothing.

[–] Salvo@aussie.zone 9 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Canberra doesn’t count because there are only Politicians there.

[–] muntedcrocodile@lemm.ee 2 points 15 hours ago

Half of it burned in 2003 anyways. And unfortunatly parliamentary triangle doesnt have any water restrictions during droughts so its not dry.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 10 points 15 hours ago

If a suburb has older housing stock with older gardens, for instance, it’s absolutely ripe for a fire to spread quickly. If you have more modern housing stock (which is usually better at defending against ember attack), and the houses are more spaced apart and the gardens are clearer, then you might be OK.

ok but what if we have "more modern housing stock" clad in flammable material and clustered together up each others arses cheek to jowl and excuse me, 1666 London is calling....

[–] metaStatic@kbin.earth 20 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

we have pledged net zero fire by 2050, nothing to worry about.

[–] Aussieiuszko@aussie.zone 8 points 16 hours ago

I don't hold a hose, mate.

Just tow the fire out of the environment.

[–] dumbass@leminal.space 5 points 17 hours ago

Same way we cope every year our country burns...

[–] Geobloke@lemm.ee 3 points 17 hours ago

Well yeah, it happened in 2019. Pretty sure the bushfires started in August

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago

Every city makes a fire break around the whole city.

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Just move away from the fire zones? It’s like building sand castles among the reefs at low tide.

[–] TinyBreak@aussie.zone 1 points 16 hours ago

Poorly. Very poorly.