Cold fire ( nys, karla nyidiny) is a type of
controlled burn
A controlled or prescribed burn, also known as hazard reduction burning, backfire, swailing, or a burn-off, is a fire set intentionally for purposes of forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. A control ...
frequently used in the
Noongar
The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian peoples who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the so ...
Aboriginal culture of Western Australia to clear
undergrowth
Undergrowth usually refers to the vegetation in the lower part of a forest, which can obstruct passage through the forest. The height of undergrowth is usually considered to be 0.3 – 3 m (1 – 9 ft.). Undergrowth can also refer to all ...
and promote easier access and movement through the country.
The cold fire is of low intensity and does not damage the middle or upper layers of the bush. Allowing movement through the bush and access to
sacred sites
Sacred space, sacred ground, sacred place, sacred temple, holy ground, or holy place refers to a location which is deemed to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a natural feature may accrue through tradition or be granted through a bless ...
is vital for Noongar culture. The cold fire also promotes a diversity of new growth, especially plant types that have a high food value, which in turn attracts animals to these areas. Additionally the cold fire is used to maintain large tracts of grazing habitat which need to be coordinated in a mosaic pattern every two years.
Without these cool types of fire a dramatic ecological shift would occur like large areas in
Tasmania
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which are now covered in thick scrub.
[Kelly, G., 1998. Karla Wongi Fire Talk: A Noongar Perspective on Forest Burning. Landscope, 14(2), pp. 9-13.]
See also
*
Fire-stick farming
Fire-stick farming, also known as cultural burning and cool burning, is the practice of Aboriginal Australians regularly using fire to burn vegetation, which has been practised for thousands of years. There are a number of purposes for doing this ...
References
* The creation of this article was via translation from the relevant section of the Nyungar Wikipedia articl
Karla (Fire)
{{reflist
Types of fire
Noongar
Land management in Australia
Habitat management equipment and methods