'greenies' blamed for fires' fury

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/full-coverage/5312517/greenies-blamed-fires-fury/


Why did so many people die? Did people get enough warning? Should authorities have forced people to leave their homes?

These questions and many more will be asked as the full extent of Australia's worst bushfires becomes clear.

And hard questions will be asked of Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) about whether it has done enough to manage the state's forests.

Tinder-dry forests were consumed with a fury few people have witnessed before, and many people are angry there was so much fuel to burn.

As nervous Yarra Valley residents watched smoke rise from a fire on Mount Riddell outside Healesville, they placed at least some of the blame at the feet of the "greenies".

"I don't know if it's the DSE's fault," said Badger Creek resident John Hurren.

"It's the greenies' fault for letting all the forests grow up and not letting the Government clear it."

A Healesville woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had first-hand experience of the problem.

"I used to work with Melbourne Water back in 2002, and we wanted to clear away a lot of the fuel," she said.

"During winter when the leaves fell and you could get in and see the fuel, all we could do was bulldoze the leaves and fuel down off the side of the road.

"We wanted to clear the leaves and get rid of the forests, but the greenies think because it's on the ground it should stay."

Victoria may have faced the worst bushfire conditions in its history over the weekend. High temperatures, strong winds and low humidity produced tinder-box conditions.

But in months to come, it may emerge that more aggressive forest clearing policy could have saved lives.