Gut feel only - it is really hard to measure something which might have happened but didn't...
2/ Do you believe it was because more people are aware of the risk & thus being more careful (eg is the PR finally sinking into the general publics minds, etc, etc) ? If you mean "risk of ignition" - a qualified yes.
I have a theory that the increasingly urban people who live in the Hills bring
with them an urban aversion to potentially fire-causing activities. It's
really hard to do much damage propped in the air-con playing video games.
Less outdoor activity = fewer ignitions = fewer big fires.
This is a good thing, because I don't think most understand the importance of
fuel loading or arrangement. Some inkling has resulted from the Vic fires,
but it will have largely blown over by next season when the fear/shock has
worn off, life intrudes, & realisation of hard work sets in.
Except for the northern fringe where, judging by the paging website, there
seems to be much more arson than the other fringe areas, and perhaps far fewer
tree-changers(?)
3/ Do you believe in your area something different has happened over the last few years (eg faster activation of task force deployments, more air support around the state, fuel reduction burns increased, increased SAPOL patrols, etc, etc ?).
From my understanding, the fuel load & risks have increased over the last few years. Yet South Australia did not experience multiple large fires.Yes to fuel management on public lands, no on private lands.
Yes to SAPol closely watching suspected & known arsonists.
Yes to first-response air attack.
No to faster strike team activations - didn't seem any faster at all.
Big YES to dumb luck. On Feb 7th, it would have only taken one or two more
ignitions immediately north of Adelaide to overwhelm our ability to control
them. We had only about a dozen ignitions all day. The Vics had many times
that, & stopped all but a few. Maybe our idiots are more addicted to air-con
and video games than their idiots
