My friend "Soma" from the Emule forum sent me this about the fires in a letter, I thought it would be of interest:

"Yes, it's a tough New Year alright. Not where I live, here in Tasmania, but
New South Wales is a disaster with no relief apparent according to weather
forecasts. My brother lives in NSW and although fires came within 20 miles
he is not in an area likely to be at risk. He keeps me well informed of
events but the scale of the thing will probably hit when I visit him in
three weeks time.

I'm certainly no expert, but I believe an unfortunate but quite preventable
set of circumstances have contributed to this fire being the biggest in
Australia's history. Strange though it may seem, bushfires in Australia are
'normal' and may even be essential. In the natural state, and because
Australia has thin dry soils, only light 'scrub' grows between the big gum
trees. The native animals eat this growth and it tends to result in only a
thin layer of dry leaves, grass and the like between trees in the dry
season. If there is a lighting strike, say, and a wind then this tiny 'fuel'
layer burns quickly but does not kill the trees, in fact it brings on
germination and new growth. Put modern man into the scene and things change.
Because more and more chose to live in the 'bush' they frighten off the
native animals and so the scrub doesn't get eaten but grows densely around
populated areas. When this eventually does get a fire the large quantity of
scrub burns with an intense heat burning out and killing the forest.
Obviously, if one lives in these areas it is imperative that preventative
burnbacks take place. Part of the present massive fire problem was the
deliberate termination of preventative burnbacks by well-meaning
conservationists."