The problem faced Gil is the fuel loading on the ground when I was working out the controlled burns at the power station I was at (Its located in the middle of a forest and its coal fired!) is fuel loading we worked on a 2.5 tonne fuel load per hectare as the max, then you have to have the right conditions ambient air & moisture plus wind direction and strength all contribute to a go/no go situation. There was a place in that actual shire where the power station is located where for some reason they cannot do reduction burns its fuel load was calculated some 4 years ago at 23 tonnes per hectare just a disaster waiting to happen.
I will tell you a story; I due to my position at the power station had to attend the shire emergency management crisis control and what would be done if things went south in the shire whatever the emergency, there were occasions where I mobilized some ERT crew and assets to assist the shire when local flooding became an issue for them but not leaving the power station at risk. Anyway at one of these meetings I decided to put the question to all the members present , the shire, the police, the army reserve, other coal mine reps would they come to the aid of the power station if we got swamped with a bush fire and we needed out side assets from the town.
(I could call in outside assets but they were 1-1.5 hours away) Well eff me the reply from the shire rep was its not a shire asset so no we will not send any help your way, I retorted it is a state asset your bound as local govt to assist, nope we wont come, I said fine just remember that power station can generate a 1/3rd of this states power needs (By this time I had red lined under my hat).
So I never went to another Shire LEMC meeting there in my tenure as the Fire Officer/ERT manager what a load of crock sh*t govt nob heads whose only concern is to how much they could crow and who would listen to them.......