Trees are not fuel loading. Fuel loading is on the ground and shrubbery. Which is why the fire service conduct fuel hazard burns when its cool (at least they should be) so that the trees dont burn down but the ground fuel is reduced.
When you are in your red truck doing hazard burns are you pushing all the trees down?
Its not about being a greenie its current fire practice because it works. Trees slow down wind speed and stop ember attack. A correctly prepared property will survive better if the embers are reduced and trees help this.
Do some research.
Trees contribute to the fuel loading by dropping their leaves and bark so yes they are part of the fuel loading which as you said also includes the grass on the ground and shrubbery or small trees.
In our big red truck no we don't push the trees down we have dozers to do that don't want to damage the bullbar
The politics and paperwork to get a hazard reduction across the line these days is ridiculous but everyone cries when people lose everything they own in a bushfire it's nearly 2012 and we are still seeing this happen :'(
Each year our window of opportunity is about 6-8 weeks depending on the rate at which the fuel is curing and the weather before it gets too hot and the hazard reduction becomes too great a risk for all involved.
Granted some trees may slow ember attack and I agree they can alter the wind speed but I certainly wouldn't risk my family or property by relying on a tree to stop a raging inferno.
Crown fires run through the tops trees it is one of the most awesome things I have experienced in my 17 years of service the noise and speed it made pushing through the trees was unbelievable something I will never forget, so my personal opinion here I wouldn't be to relying on trees to protect my house when considering we have eucalypts in a lot of places which put oils and vapours into the atmosphere which are flammable, nice pretty trees but great fuel!
