'I felt like, well, I lit the fire that burnt down Canberra'

The video footage shown was a spotfire of the main McIntyre’s Hut fire, i.e. A fire started downwind by embers from the main fire. If you care to note Phil Cheney’s interview in the show, he specifically says that the CSIRO researchers were out searching for spotfires. The Coroner’s report also backs up that statement.

I believe the incident controller on the 8th (NSW NPWS) made the right decision not to make a direct attack on the main fire that day, as it had grown from a single lightning strike to a 200ha fire in a matter of hours. Photo evidence of the smoke produced from the main McIntyre’s Hut fire that day can be found here:
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=18;t=000394;p=2

It might be easy to drive in close to the fire front for a look in a standard 4wd and then turn around and retreat, but it is a totally different story for a couple of 15 tonne fire truck’s with 6 lives on board. Further to that, if everyones such an expert on firefighting and more importantly fire fighter safety, I’m sure the ACTRFS could use some arm chair experts after all their real experience unfortunately just resigned.

That would be two much to bear.

Sorry – must be two teddies around here.

So smokey4 – are you saying that sending in units to the McIntyres Hut fire on the 8th and 9th of January 2003 would have been a “suicide mission”?

So smokey4 – are you saying that sending in units to the McIntyres Hut fire on the 8th and 9th of January 2003 would have been a “suicide mission”?

So if someone had done somthing different it would be a different outcome. We can all be heroes with hindsight. Fires are dangerous and unpredictable. Who cares 4 years down the track what Koperburger said. In a fire situation we are all responsible for our own safety. This has been the case in Victoria since Feb 16th 1983 and its about time the rest of this country got the same message. If you are waiting for detailed instructions and a public statement and you are in an area threatened by fire then it is to late. If you expect fire fighters to go in when there is a high risk they will not return then do not expect that as it probably will not happen. I have been in situations where we lost trucks and crews. Commanders are not permitted to send crews on potential suicide missions. Crew safety is paramount.

I agree with Barking Toad and Thumper. Does anyone have any info about about an alleged meet/conversation between Koperburg and his fire controller, Bruce Arthur, on 12 January where it was conceded that the fires would enter Canberra suburbs if the forecast weather conditions materialised? Also, regarding TCF’s comment on the McIntyres versus Baldy Range fire. I have a copy of the entire CSIRO video in which the words “McIntyres Hut Fire – 8 January 2003” is embedded into the film. Did CSIRO experts get it wrong or is TCF suggesting that they were trying to mislead? If so that is rather damning. The video revisits the McIntyres Hut fire on following days also. Was this also Baldy Range?

The experts in ESB predicted months previously what was likely given possible conditions but when it happened failed to act.

The program confirmed what was told to the Coroner. If the fires started by the lightning strikes had been attacked aggressively on that night and the following days they could have been extinguished before the prevailing winds changed.

That they weren’t is a failure of the management in ACT and NSW. That failure can’t be sheeted hane to the mayor and his council.

What can be sheeted home to the mayor and his council is the failure to provide sufficient warning to the residents of Canberra once it became apparent what was likely to happen.

I’m putting here a link to a weather forum, where a bunch of us predicted exactly what would happen. Never dreaming that the fires would be allowed to build as they did, and do what they did.
The thread was started on January 7th. We watched those storms build and the lightning strike (we can see strikes on the lighting tracker). And then it all unfolded. It’s quite a read, as the thread goes for many pages, but what happened was predicted by myself and many others. So why did the “experts” in charge not predict it and prevent it?

http://www.weatherzone.com.au/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=18;t=000394;p=1

The fire shown on tonights 4 Corners show was a smaller spot fire located on Baldy Range, not the larger McIntyres hut fire that it was portrayed as.
Section 5.2.8 of the Coroners report provides more information on the behaivour of the fires in the McIntyres hut area.