Aussies learn to live with bushfires

LAST week we focused on the perennial issue of gorse fires and the damage they cause to the environment, wildlife and forestry especially.

But the destruction caused by outdoor fires in this country is miniscule compared to what happens regularly in Australia.

One a recent visit Down Under signs of the damage caused by such fires in 2007 and 2008 — scorched trees, vegetation and landscape — were still clearly visible. However, there was also new growth and clear signs of recovery.