Reviving Indigenous traditional burning with modern fire techniques

A centuries-old Aboriginal custom is slowly being revived in central Victoria, providing a welcome return to culture for the local Indigenous community.

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Unlike conventional planned burns, designed mainly to reduce fuel in bushfire-prone areas, Indigenous cultural fires burn far cooler, meaning the smoke is light and patchy.

Trent Nelson, a Dja Dja Wurrung man and Parks Victoria ranger, has played a key role in a burn recently undertaken just north of Bendigo, in central Victoria.