Australia: 'Illegally' clearing his property cost him $100k in fines. But when the Black Saturday f

[TomSea]

Black Saturday survivor fined for culling trees backs hazard reduction
Josh Hanrahan

A Black Saturday survivor whose home was the only one standing after the bushfires raged because he illegally cleared his land, says property owners should be allowed to take matters into their own hands if authorities don't act.

Liam Sheahan cleared trees and shrubs within 100 metres of his home in the hills at Strath Creek, central Victoria, in 2002 to create a firebreak in case bushfires ever hit.

While Mr Sheahan thought that was a 'common sense' decision, the local council did not, taking him to court where fines and legal costs left him $100,000 out of pocket.

(reader version)
Read more at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7678955/Black-Saturday-survivor-fined-cutting-trees-supports-hazard-reduction.html

He undertook it to cut his own trees to guard against fire hazards, he got fined for it but the fire apparently, burned down neighbors' homes while his survived.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

How dare he!

A fine was not enough.  He should have been locked up in jail for protecting himself.

Similar to a homeowner shooting an intruder to defend himself, the homeowner with the gun is to blame, not the intruder.

We live in Bizzarro world now.