‘Australian army explosives caused bush fire disaster’

This 17 October 2013 video is called Bushfires Burn Out of Control in Australia.

From the BBC:

19 October 2013 Last updated at 07:52 GMT

Australian bush fires: Military probes link to Lithgow blaze

Australia’s military is investigating whether a training exercise using explosives may have started one of the huge bush fires burning in the state of New South Wales.

The exercise took place at a base near the town of Lithgow in the Blue Mountains region on Wednesday.

It was the same day that a massive bush fire – which is still burning – began.

About 200 homes have been destroyed in dozens of fires which have been burning for several days.

The BBC’s Jon Donnison in Sydney says this year’s fires have come unusually early after unseasonably hot weather, and many are fearing a long and dangerous summer.

One man has died – possibly of a heart attack – while trying to protect his home.

The Australian Defence Force issued a statement about the fire burning between Lithgow and Bilpin, some 80 km (50 miles) north-west of Sydney, which is reported to have burned through 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) and destroyed properties.

It said it was investigating the circumstances of the fire, which began on defence land.

“The fire started on 16 October, the same day that defence personnel were conducting an explosive ordnance training activity,” the statement said. “Defence is investigating if the two events are linked.

“Our thoughts are with those who have lost property or whose property is threatened by these devastating fires.”

Firefighters have been trying to make the most of a relatively cool day to tackle about 20 fires that are burning out of control, but higher temperatures and strong winds are expected to create difficult conditions in the coming days.

Fire fighters currently face a 1,500-kilometre fire front in the Blue Mountains, where three large fires are burning out of control: here.

Australia: Blue Mountains fires ignited by power lines and military exercise: here.

Fire ecologists and wildlife specialists at La Trobe University have made key discoveries in how wildlife restores itself after bushfires, and what Australian conservationists can do to assist the process: here.

USA: The Rim fire that scorched a huge swath of Sierra Nevada forests also severely altered the habitat that is home to several of California’s rarest animals: the great gray owl, the Sierra Nevada red fox and the Pacific fisher: here.

Related articles

• Defence training may be linked to NSW fire (news.theage.com.au)
• NSW fire crews battle massive blazes in Blue Mountains (abc.net.au)
• Australian military to probe link to bushfire (abc.net.au)
• Fire intensifies in the Blue Mountains (smh.com.au)
• Australian military probes fire link (bbc.co.uk)
• Officials: Hot, dry conditions forecast around fires in New South Wales; may lead to mass evacuations – @smh (smh.com.au)
• NSW bushfires: what you need to know – Sydney Morning Herald (smh.com.au)
• NSW bushfires: Firefighters brace for Wednesday as forecast worsens. (smh.com.au)
• Australia bush fires set to worsen (bbc.co.uk)