Climate change is having an impact on every level of fire management, the New South Wales rural fire chief has said on the first anniversary of the Blue Mountains bushfires.
The NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said with more days of high fire danger, there is now a shrinking window of opportunity to carry out back-burning and other hazard reduction.
"If our window of opportunity continues to shrink, in order to get those really important pre-season activities underway then, yes, there's a broader argument that needs to be had around matters of climate change and its effect on fire management and fire seasons," he said.
Last year, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that senior UN official Christiana Figueres was "talking through her hat" when she said there was a clear link between climate change and the sort of bushfires seen in NSW.
Despite those comments, Commissioner Fitzsimmons said he was satisfied that climate change was being taken seriously enough at every level of government when it came to its impact on bushfires.
"Oh, absolutely, right across our industry, it is very much factoring into strategy, into resourcing, into policy development," he said.
I think one of the real challenges we've got across this great country (is) we're now living and populating where fires naturally burnt in decades and centuries past."
"I'm not aware of anyone that is ignoring the fact that climate is having an effect on fire management and the natural disasters landscape as a matter of fact, whether it's here locally in NSW or at our national agenda."
Commissioner Fitzsimmons said while there had been bushfires throughout Australia's history, the spread of population meant they were now having more of an effect on humans.
"I think one of the real challenges we've got across this great country (is) we're now living and populating where fires naturally burnt in decades and centuries past," he said.
"So there's no doubt fires are becoming more impactful upon communities. Fires don't have to burn very long today before they're starting to impact on somebody or something."
Many living close to the bush 'in denial'
Commissioner Fitzsimmons said that coupled with the outlook for more days of extreme weather, the RFS was facing what he called "a bad legacy situation" with more than 1.2 million homes in NSW built on the edge of bushland.
"If we had our time again we wouldn't have built half of the homes in the way that we have or in the location we have if we were considering bushfire (risk) properly. There's no doubt about that," he said.
Fighting fire with fire
702 ABC Sydney's John Donegan captured the efforts of firefighters back-burning during the Blue Mountains blaze.
"Yes, it's great to live in bushland areas; it's one of the beautiful characteristics of this great state.
"But what we've got to do is be realistic about our vulnerability and therefore our responsibility to take action in relation to improving the survivability of our homes and the survivability of our loved ones when it comes to contemplating risk from fire."
The commissioner said the experience of last October's bushfires showed that many householders living close to the bush were in denial.
"Sadly we found most people recognise they live in at risk areas (but) too many people don't seem to personalise that risk and genuinely appreciate that that includes them and their home," he said.
He said the RFS was prepared to make tough decision when it comes to rebuilding in parts of the Blue Mountains destroyed in last year's bushfires.
"We have the provision now where we won't allow sub-divisions," he said.
"We will not allow construction of homes if the risk cannot be ameliorated effectively.
"So nothing can be fireproof in the true sense but what we do have is very strict controls around planning and development."
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