Fire Warnings

FigBo0T

Puts verniers on his headtube
Maybe... Glad they're not taking a chance on them though. Fires are getting bigger and nastier.
I just hope they haven't poisoned them.

Many of the Australian understorey and overstorey vegetation species have evolved underlow soil P availability (Attiwill and Adams 1996, Heddle and Specht 1975, Specht et al.1997). High levels of phosphates and sulphates in soil solutions may present a risk to plant health. The Victorian Code of Practice for use of retardants already recommends that heathland ecosystems are not to be treated. Some of the substances (e.g. phosphates), and probably some of the performance additives in the fire retardant, may be absorbed and retained for a long time in the soil, thus changing soil processes. These long-term changes insoil processes may affect plant growth and plant populations, affecting species richness.
 

FigBo0T

Puts verniers on his headtube
Fire retardant is made out of fertiliser.
Which our native forests don't like. Fish have problems with it too. It isn't supposed to be used near water sources. A creek feeds those trees. I could go on, but obviously nobody manufactures and profits from things that may damage our environment, right?
 

Tubbsy

Packin' a small bird
Staff member
but obviously nobody manufactures and profits from things that may damage our environment, right?
is this rather loaded statement specifically about the use of fire retardant in the current context?

or just a general observation?
 

FigBo0T

Puts verniers on his headtube
is this rather loaded statement specifically about the use of fire retardant in the current context?

or just a general observation?
Just a general. I don't know enough about it, but I fear the authorities aren't much better off.

Data is scarce from my searching.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
With regards to fire retardant, the stuff is fine. It barely poses any sort of risk to humans or the environment. You need to be eating the stuff 3 times a day or some other similar deliberate act of foolishness to get sick from from it and even then its no guarantee and only mild. Just ask the department of defence or the people living around the red zone of Williamstown RAAF base. Its actually good stuff.
 

FigBo0T

Puts verniers on his headtube
With regards to fire retardant, the stuff is fine. It barely poses any sort of risk to humans or the environment. You need to be eating the stuff 3 times a day or some other similar deliberate act of foolishness to get sick from from it and even then its no guarantee and only mild. Just ask the department of defence or the people living around the red zone of Williamstown RAAF base. Its actually good stuff.
There are documented cases of fish kills, soil degradation, etc. In some environments it can be beneficial, in others not. Why do you think they ban it from heathland? As I said, I don't know much about it. I'm curious. Anyone can supply anecdotes, but they aren't science.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
There are documented cases of fish kills, soil degradation, etc. In some environments it can be beneficial, in others not. Why do you think they ban it from heathland? As I said, I don't know much about it. I'm curious. Anyone can supply anecdotes, but they aren't science.
Google the key words from the end of my post.
 

Litenbror

Eats Squid
It's still an anecdote. How does it detract from my point? Williamtown is salt marsh.
I think @pink poodle is agreeing with you in his own round about sarcastic way. This stuff is not safe but there is very little research on it because there is no money for said research. I just get confused why everyone wants to hear from the scientists now, isn't it the media and politicians that do science now?
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
It's still an anecdote. How does it detract from my point? Williamtown is salt marsh.
It doesn't detract from your point. The red zone refers to the area around the base where people's live have been totally fucked over by the RAAF's irresponsible use of fire retardant. The Dept of defence denies accountability. If you google a few news articles about it you'll see what I mean l.
 

Freediver

I can go full Karen
With regards to fire retardant, the stuff is fine. It barely poses any sort of risk to humans or the environment. You need to be eating the stuff 3 times a day or some other similar deliberate act of foolishness to get sick from from it and even then its no guarantee and only mild. Just ask the department of defence or the people living around the red zone of Williamstown RAAF base. Its actually good stuff.
Different stuff. The bushfire stuff doesn't need to work on liquid fuels that don't mix with water.
 

Miguel75

Likes Dirt
We are as prepared as we can be but to be honest the house is not yet totally defendable despite our best efforts.

The previous owner left it with too many gaps that we've not been able to fully plug as yet.

Add to that the fact that we've little more than 10,000 litres of water on hand, M'lady is working at fire control and I have three lads 10 and under in my care...I'm not sure how much fire fighting I can practically do. Leaving is on the agenda...
hope you guys are all ok.

With regards to fire retardant, the stuff is fine. It barely poses any sort of risk to humans or the environment. You need to be eating the stuff 3 times a day or some other similar deliberate act of foolishness to get sick from from it and even then its no guarantee and only mild. Just ask the department of defence or the people living around the red zone of Williamstown RAAF base. Its actually good stuff.
I believe you’re confusing AFFF firefighting foam, that contains PFOA and PFOS, with fire retardant. Both these chemicals were widely used in previous generations of firefighting foam, though I don’t believe they’re present in the retardants currently in use.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
^ I might be. Was just providing what's his face with an example of fire retards not going well, as he said there e wasn't much info about the stuff...sure there is plenty of different versions, we live in the time of choice! Look how many "milks" there are for your coffee...
 
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