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Media release
From:
Expert Reaction
These comments have been collated by the Science Media Centre to provide a variety of expert perspectives on this issue. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Views expressed are the personal opinions of the experts named. They do not represent the views of the SMC or any other organisation unless specifically stated.
Dr Alan March, University of Melbourne
Professor Brian Oliver leads the Respiratory Molecular Pathogenesis Group at the University of Technology Sydney and the Woolcock Institute.
The smoke from bushfires can be very harmful, just as the smoke from any fire can be.
However, for most people, if you are some distance from the source of the fire, the health risks are minimal - perhaps similar to standing next to a wood fire BBQ, or visiting an area which has a lot of wood fire heaters.
This does not mean that the bush fire smoke is not causing damage, it’s just that your total exposure will be low and if you are otherwise healthy, it is unlikely to cause any health-related problems.
However, bush fire smoke can cause health problems, and special caution needs to be taken by the very young and old, and also by people with respiratory diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart disease.
If you have these diseases, bush fire smoke can lead to these diseases getting worse. It is important that people with these diseases continue to take their usual medications and seek medical help if they feel worse at any time.
If you are not threatened by the fire, its best to stay indoors with all the windows and doors closed, and if you have an air conditioner set it to recirculate. It is important to monitor the fire to make sure that you are not at risk at any time.
Jim McLennan is a Bushfire Safety Researcher and Adjunct Professor at the School of Psychology and Public Health at La Trobe University
Grassfires—fast moving and deadly
Grassfires don’t produce the spectacular flame heights we see when eucalypt forests burn, but they are no less dangerous.
Grass fires can travel very fast when pushed by strong winds on hot days like today. Speeds can exceed 25 kilometres an hour—much faster than a human can run.
Grassfires can generate large amounts of embers able to ignite and destroy a house quickly. The fast speed at which these fires can spread makes controlling them very difficult.
Aircraft can assist greatly, by dropping water and retardant chemicals to slow the fire so as to protect houses, and also by monitoring where and how fast the fire spread is spreading.
Dr Joe Fontaine is from the Environmental and Conservation Sciences at Murdoch University
Grass fires are extremely dangerous because they move very quickly with the wind; grass fires kill more people than forest fires due to their speed.
A mix of agriculture and woodland can be particularly dangerous and difficult to contain with paddocks burning rapidly and igniting tree rows which then throw burning embers further ahead of the fire. This makes the fire progress even faster.
