Australian fire-lighters come in six colors — yellow, black, white, blood red, dark green, and light green.  All are relevant to bushfires and forest management. "Yellow" is the fire-lighter that has been with us forever.  It is the yellow flash of lightning, which has always ignited the Australian bush.  We're dreaming to think we can lock yellow fire out of parks, forests, and heritage areas.  But good forest management can reduce the ferocity and destruction of lightning-strike fires. "Black" fire-lighters came with the first Australians.  Without matches or tinder boxes, they probably captured the fire genie from a lightning fire.  Or they carried it here on clay hearths on the floor of their canoes.  They valued this magic tool for warmth, cooking, insect control, vegetation clearing, animal-trapping, and fighting enemies.  Some also learned how to light fires using...(Read Full Post)