Hazard Reduction is wood smoke pollution

August 14th, 2017

The entire Sydney basin is currently blanketed by thick smoke haze as this photo by Nick Moir in the Sydney Morning Herald today shows. The source of the smoke is trees burning in native bushland south and west of Sydney, this time specifically in at Ripple Creek near Warragamba Dam and the Bargo State Conservation Area south of Picton.

“Bargo State Conservation Area is a great place in NSW Southern Highlands for birdwatching, hiking, and swimming at Little River or Moore Creek.”

But not at this moment, it has been burned out.

The government-tasked arsonists call it “hazard reduction”, because they see native forest only as a hazard. So in the off season, that is outside the “bushfire season, government arsonists set fire to forest habitat to justify their existence. They choose a time when the weather is calm and there is a cold air inversion layer so that the smoke is trapped at ground level and lingers around longer.

This year, because there hasn’t been much rain over winter, the Rural Fire Starters (RFS) and their Victorian counterparts the Country Fire Arsonists (CFA) plan to commence their Bushfire Season early.

Proudly on its Facebook page the RFS boats “almost 100 hazard reduction burns are scheduled to take place in the coming week, weather permitting.”

Why?

“Hazard reduction burns are part of a planned bush fire fuel reduction designed to protect life and property from intense wildfires. These are important controlled burns which will reduce the risk to people and properties from bush fires.” And to back up their rationale, the RFS calls on Professor Ross Bradstock of the University of Wollongong to support them. Not surprisingly, Professor Bradstock believes warm temperatures and low rainfall indicate the state should brace for a “significant” bushfire season.

Professor Ross Bradstock’s self-appointed Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires at the university gets funded out of the RFS annual budget. Why would he not wish to encourage a fully engaged RFS in the off season and on season?

Such wanton destruction of remnant wildlife habitat doesn’t stop the annual bushfire destruction during the ‘on season’. It’s just that the naming is different – “hazard reduction” becomes “bushfire”. In fact most wildfires are caused either by escaped hazard reductions or over enthusiastic head burning to counter a wildfire front , but the head burn then becomes the wildfire. Most RFS trucks use petrol to start fires than water to put fire out. The cultural motto is ‘Burn it before it burns, it’s only bush’. It is a culture of bush arson.

A full list of planned bush arson was posted on the RFS website covering the state of New South Wales (this list is reproduced at end of this article).

Is it no wonder that Australia leads the world in wildlife extinctions and threatened species?

Bushfire is a threatening process, more so when it is widespread which is what hazard reduction sets out to achieve. A threat may be listed as a key threatening process under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 if it adversely affects threatened species, populations or ecological communities, or could cause species, populations or ecological communities to become threatened. Fire kills wildlife.

Yet there is no independent ecological assessment of target burns, no thought given to ecologically threatened populations of flora and fauna, or to threatened ecological communities, to critical habitats or to endemic species.

In the entire state of New South Wales, the only locations officially declared “critical habitats” are that of Gould’s Petrel out in the distant Tasman Sea, the Little penguin population in in a secluded cove in Sydney’s North Harbour, Mitchell’s Rainforest Snail on tiny Stotts Island Nature Reserve in the Tweed River, and a remote grove of Wollemi Pines in the Blue Mountains, with no current draft recommendations being considered.

In the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, with the direction of the custodian, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, over the weekend arson crews set deliberately fire “West of Warragamba Dam” inside the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. This area is called Kanangra Boyd National Park, an iconic wilderness gem within the World Heritage estate, was deliberately incinerated by the very government authority charged with its care and protection.

We know the real reason why this vast wilderness region was listed as the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Are on 29 November 2000 – a drinking water catchment for an ever growing Sydney.

Kanangra Boyd National Park on a clear day

And so yesterday and today the thick smoke from the burnt forests has descended over Sydney. That strong smoky smell has everyone breathing in dead habitat.

Air quality in parts of Sydney have hit dangerous levels with health alerts for people with lung conditions and asthma.

And it’s as if no-one cares about pollution any more.

Toxicology of Smoke Inhalation

Wood smoke is harmful when breathed in and prolonged exposure can be carcinogenic. The airborne smoke particles vary in size from PM₁₀ to PM₂₅, which is a fine particulate matter each with a diameter between 1.0 and 2.5 micrometers, which is between 1% and 3% the diameter of a human hair. It means that wood smoke can be suspended in air and easily inhaled.

Wood Smoke emissions typically comprise the poisons carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, methane, dioxin, aldehydes (such as formaldehyde), particulate organic carbon, benzene, toluene, styrene, acid gases, napthalene, mould spores, ash particulate, volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), amongst others.

These are all a toxic cocktail to humans and animals alike. Fine particles in the air are able to travel deep into the respiratory tract and cause shortness of breath or worsen pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma. Woodsmoke exposure can depress the immune system and damage the layer of cells in the lungs that protect and cleanse the airways.

People who are exercising or doing an activity that causes them to breathe more rapidly and deeply are at a higher risk for health issues – including the volunteer firefighters sent in to do the damage. The long term health consequences can be serious and latent. Children, elderly people, others with pre-existing health conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema are also at a higher risk since they are more susceptible to the harmful effects of smoke inhalation. Long term exposure to air with particles has been associated with increases in risks for cancer, lung disease, and cardiovascular disease. Short term exposure typically only causes throat, eyes and nose irritation.

Carbon monoxide present in wood smoke can cause throbbing headaches, nausea and confusion. Twenty minutes of active burning may be required to develop sufficient concentrations of CO to reach lethal levels. But once exposed, 40 percent of those with severe poisonings will have long-term neurological impairment, including cognitive (emotional/behavior) dysfunction, short-term memory effects, and sensory motor (vision) problems.

Mix wood smoke in with exhaust fumes from traffic and industry and the dense smog can be lethal with prolonged exposure, such as currently in Sydney.

Wood smoke exposure’s long-term effects are less clear, and scientists say more study is needed. Firefighters are susceptible to “camp crud,” colds and viruses that attack immune systems. Wildfire-smoke exposure to mice has been linked to aggressive drops in blood pressure and may cause hardening of the arteries and development of plaque in the arteries.

Firefighters can wear devices called dosimeters that detect high levels of carbon monoxide. Compare the safety kit the professionals receive to what the cheap volunteers have to put up with.

Wood heaters have been phased out because of the polluting adverse health effects of wood smoke. But hazard reduction is wood smoke on steroids; government sanctioned. Are they trying to kills us?

The RFS and CFA pompously dismiss public smoke inhalation concerns saying “consult your asthma action plan”. It’s the same cop out as them saying “trigger your bushfire survival plan.” They seem to presume this relinquishes government’s responsibility another notch. The first notch being government hiding behind volunteers, thinking by doing so somehow provides government with impunity from its emergency performance accountability and public criticism. Image if that attitude was used in the real professional emergency services like police and ambulance. Would we be told “trigger your home defence”, “take the law into your own hands”, and “trigger your first aid kit”?

Air Quality Index of Sydney today

Source: Beijing based group, Air Quality Index China, ^http://aqicn.org/city/sydney/

The following Air Quality Index chart for Bargo shows the heightened air pollution on Monday 14th August 2017, caused predominantly by the government’s hazard reduction activities. Note the pollutants shown being O₃ (ground level ozone), NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), SO₂ (sulfur dioxide), and CO (carbon monoxide).

Where are those concerned about greenhouse gas emissions?

There seems to be this culturally higher ideal of mitigating bushfire risk which entails burning forest habitat in case it burns.

Hazard Reduction Advisory for 10th August 2017 to 18th August 2017

Source: ^http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/hazard-reductions

The following hazard reduction burns are planned by NSW land managers (such as National Parks and Wildlife Service, Forestry Corporation NSW, Crown Lands and Local Government Authorities) and fire agencies (NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW) over coming days, weather permitting.

Due datesort	LGA	Location	Tenure	HR by
10/08/2017 to 10/08/2017	Cootamundra-Gundagai	Rail Corridor Dirnaseer Road to Olympic Highway, Cootamundra	Australian Rail Track Corporation	Rural Fire Service
10/08/2017 to 10/08/2017	MidCoast	Bushland between Follies Road and Warwibo Creek Trail, Khappinghat National Park, Old Bar	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
10/08/2017 to 10/08/2017	Kyogle	Thompsons Road, Cawongla	Private	Private
10/08/2017 to 10/08/2017	Port Stephens	North of Dowling Street, Nelson Bal	Department of Primary Industries (Crown Lands)	Fire & Rescue NSW
10/08/2017 to 10/08/2017	Lake Macquarie	In the vicinity of Eucalypt Close and Summerhill Drive, Wangi Wangi	Local Government Authority, Private	Fire & Rescue NSW
10/08/2017 to 11/08/2017	Clarence Valley	In the vicinity of Riverbend Road, Kungala	Private	Rural Fire Service
10/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	MidCoast	Oak Lane, Shallow Bay	Private	Rural Fire Service
10/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	Kyogle	In the vicinity of Cattle Camp Road, Richmond Range National Park	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
10/08/2017 to 16/08/2017	Clarence Valley	Bushland between between Northern Boundary Trail and Centre Road, Yuraygir National Park	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
10/08/2017 to 16/08/2017	Clarence Valley	Bushland between between Centre Road and Through Road, Yuraygir National Park	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
11/08/2017 to 11/08/2017	Clarence Valley	West of Fortis Creek Road, Fortis Creek	Private	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service
11/08/2017 to 11/08/2017	Central Coast	Peats Ridge Road, Peats Ridge	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
11/08/2017 to 11/08/2017	Gunnedah	Black Jack State Forest, Gunnedah	Forests NSW	Forest Corporation of NSW
11/08/2017 to 14/08/2017	Richmond Valley	Bushland between The Gap Road and South Gate Road, Bundjalung National Park	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
11/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	MidCoast	Bushland west of Eastern Fire Road and Palmers Trail, Khappinghat Nature Reserve, Wallabi Point	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
11/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Port Macquarie-Hastings	South of Honeysuckle Road, Bonny Hills	Local Government Authority	Local Government Authority, Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	Bellingen	McDougall Place, Fernmount	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	Campbelltown	Corner of Victoria Road and Katanna Road, Wedderburn	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	Coffs Harbour	Old Coast Road, Korora	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	Hornsby	Bushland between Peebles Road and Ben Bullen Road, Glenorie	Department of Primary Industries (Crown Lands)	Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	Inverell	Corner of Taylor Ave and Yetman Road, Inverell	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	Lismore	Fernside Road, Fernside	Private	Private
12/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	The Hills	Bushland north of Dargle Trail, Lower Portland	Private	Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	Warrumbungle	Hawkins Lane, Coonabarabran	Local Government Authority	Private
12/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Lake Macquarie	Bushland north of Kimbul Road and west of Porowi Road, Brightwaters	Department of Primary Industries (Crown Lands)	Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Lake Macquarie	In the vicinity of Park Street and Westcroft Street, Killingworth	Local Government Authority	Fire & Rescue NSW, Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Lake Macquarie	Bushland south Of Sackville Street, Killingworth	Private	Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Northern Beaches	West of Namba Road, Duffys Forest	Other	Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Wollondilly	Bushland south of Scroggies Road, Lakesland	Private	Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Wollongong	Between Princes Motorway and Pinces Highway, Helensburgh	Private	Catchment Authority, Fire & Rescue NSW, Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Penrith	In the vicinity of Mayfair Road, Henry Cox Drive, west of Mulgoa Road, Mulgoa	Private	Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 14/08/2017	Wingecarribee	Bushland in the vicinity of Sackville Street Fire Trail, Hill Top	Private	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 22/08/2017	Lismore	Fox Road, Rosebank	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
12/08/2017 to 12/08/2017	Penrith	Carrington Road, Londonderry	Private	Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Bellingen	South of McDougall Place, Fernmount	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Coffs Harbour	Dairyville Road, Upper Orara	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Coffs Harbour	Lower Bobo Road, Ulong	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Clarence Valley	Boundary Road, Kremos	Private	Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Central Coast	Kellynack Road, Mangrove Mountain	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Kempsey	Ridge Lane, Deep Creek	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Kyogle	Thompsons Road, Cawongla	Private	Private
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Lismore	Pinchin Road, Goolmangar	Private	Private
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Wollondilly	Bushland boarded by Ryan Street, Close Street, Campbell Street and Lakes Street, Thirlmere	Department of Primary Industries (Crown Lands)	Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Wollondilly	Corner of Lakes Street and Campbell Street, Thirlmere	Department of Primary Industries (Crown Lands)	Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Queanbeyan-Palerang	Tomboye Road, Tomboye	Private	Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Queanbeyan-Palerang	Foxs Elbow Road, Warri	Private	Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Tamworth	Goddard Lane, Westdale	Local Government Authority	Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 13/08/2017	Shoalhave	Curvers Drive, Manyana	Private	Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 14/07/2017	Wingecarribee	Bushland between Boilins Road Fire Trail and Wilson Drive, Balmoral	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service
13/08/2017 to 14/08/2017	Central Coast	South of the Pipeline Trail and west of Peats Ridge Road, Calga	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
13/08/2017 to 15/07/2017	Blue Mountains	West of Warragamba Dam, Blue Mountains National Park	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
11/08/2017 to 11/08/2017	Port Stephens	Bushland north of Aquatic Close, Salamander Bay	Local Government Authority, Private	Fire & Rescue NSW
14/08/2017 to 14/08/2017	Dungog	Parishs Road, Hilldale	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
14/08/2017 to 15/08/2017	Wingecarribee	Sackville St, Hilltop	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
14/08/2017 to 15/08/2017	Ku-ring-gai	Bushland between Albert Drive and Fiddens Wharf Road, Lane Cove National Park, Killara	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
14/08/2017 to 16/08/2017	Wollondilly	Bushland between Macarthur Drive and Fire Trail No 12, Cataract	Catchment Authority	Catchment Authority
14/08/2017 to 16/08/2017	Sutherland	South of Sir Bretram Stevens Drive, Royal National Park	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
14/08/2017 to 21/08/2017	Tamworth	Back Kootingal Road, Nemingha	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
14/08/2017 to 23/08/2017	Armidale Regional	Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, in the vicinity of Castle Doyle	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
15/08/2017 to 15/08/2017	Parramatta	Sophia Crescent, North Rocks	Local Government Authority	Fire & Rescue NSW
15/08/2017 to 15/08/2017	Dungog	Martins Creek Road, Paterson	Private	Private
15/08/2017 to 15/08/2017	Bellingen	Darkwood Road, Darkwood	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
15/08/2017 to 15/08/2017	Coffs Harbour	In the vicinity of Heritage Drive and Pacific Highway, Moonee Beach	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service
15/08/2017 to 15/08/2017	The Hills	Bushland southwest of Sophia Crescent North Rocks	Other	Fire & Rescue NSW
15/08/2017 to 16/08/2017	Lake Macquarie	Burwood Road, Glenrock State Conservation Area, Kahibah	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
15/08/2017 to 17/08/2017	Mosman	Bradleys Head, Mosman	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
15/08/2017 to 18/08/2017	Kempsey	Bushland boarded by McIllwains Trail, New Tower Road and Power Line Trail, Kumbatine National Park, Kundabung	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
15/08/2017 to 18/08/2017	Wollongong	East of Princess Highway, Helensburg	Catchment Authority	Catchment Authority
15/08/2017 to 19/08/2017	Central Coast	East of Woy Woy Road and between Wattle Crescent and Gabagong Road, Phegans Bay	Private	Rural Fire Service
15/08/2017 to 19/08/2017	Central Coast	Bushland between Olive Street, Monastir Road, Phegans Bay	Local Government Authority	Rural Fire Service
16/08/2017 to 16/08/2017	Hawkesbury	Scheyville National Park, Maraylya	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service
16/08/2017 to 16/08/2017	Central Coast	Sydney Avenue, Umina	Local Government Authority	Fire & Rescue NSW
16/08/2017 to 18/08/2017	Wingecarribee	Nattai National Park, north of Wombeyan Caves Road, High Range	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service
16/08/2017 to 18/08/2017	Hawkesbury	Bushland between Drip Rock Trail and Bob Turners Trail, Colo Heights	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
16/08/2017 to 18/08/2017	Ku-ring-gai	Bushland east of Bobbin Head Road and south of the Sphinx Trail, Ku-ring-gai National Park, North Turramurra	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
16/08/2017 to 19/08/2017	Warrumbungle	East of Albert Wright Road, Garrawilla National Park, Rocky Glen	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
17/08/2017 to 17/08/2017	Coffs Harbour	North of Pine Road, Bindarri National Park	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
17/08/2017 to 17/08/2017	Cootamundra	Rail Corridor between Burley Griffin Way and Olympic Highway, Wallendbeen	Australian Rail Track Corporation	Private, Rural Fire Service
18/08/2017 to 18/08/2017	Armidale Regional	Old Gostwyck Road, Armidale	Private	Private, Rural Fire Service

The Habitat Advocate

Hazard Reduction is wood smoke pollution

Toxicology of Smoke Inhalation

Hazard Reduction Advisory for 10th August 2017 to 18th August 2017

Further Reading:

Leave a Reply

Habitat Topics

Reader Visits:

Supporting Us

The Friends of Katoomba Falls Creek Valley Inc. in The Gully

The Gully Collection

Save Atlas Campaign

The Friends Archive: War and Peace with the Blue Mountains ‘hysterical’ Society

Habitat Threats – all articles

Contact Us

Send email

Conservation Issues

Copyright Conditions

Articles History

Search

Recommended Links