I started doing some research. So far what I have read indicates the benefits are small as far as reducing bushfire risk. and there is increasing research that shows the small benefit is outweighed by the negative health consequences for communities of breathing in all the smoke from a reduction burn.
Some studies.
“In most bioregions prescribed burning is likely to have very little effect on subsequent extent of unplanned fire, and even in regions where leverage occurs, large areas of treatment are required to substantially reduce the area burned by unplanned fire. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs ... /jbi.12579
“While it is intended that fuel reduction burns will be successful in reducing fuel levels with the minimum of damage to the forest, this is not always the case. Post burn assessments of the effectiveness of prescribed burns in the Blue Mountains in the period 1990 97 found that 30 per cent of the burns had a negative result, 40 per cent were sub-optimal, and 30 per cent could be rated as effective burns.(31) The negative results occurred when there was more "creation of fuel" than reduction of fuel, with "creation" of fuel being the fire's curing of fuels rather than consumption of them” https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament ... 8#Appendix
As to the community health effects…This is pretty damming.
“Dr Johnston co-authored an article, published today in the MJA, which reported the health impact of smoke pollution following six particularly smoky days due to hazard reduction burning around Sydney in May 2016.To conduct their assessment, the authors used public air pollution data from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, population and mortality data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and hospitalisation data from the NSW Ministry of Health.
They estimated that 14 premature deaths, 29 cardiovascular hospitalisations and 58 respiratory hospitalisations were attributable to smoke from hazard reduction burning during the 6 days.
“Our study highlights the potential scale of the public health impact when smoke affects a population of nearly five million people for several days.”
https://www.doctorportal.com.au/mjainsi ... g-serious/
6 days of hazard reduction = 14 estimated premature deaths.. How many people die in bushfires each year?
Im sure the hazard reduction fires reduce bush fire risk in some cases but does it outweigh the costs? Why not spend the funds for hazard reduction on more heli and fixed wing tankers..