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| Australia probes Victoria fires | Australia probes Victoria fires |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A public inquiry has opened in Australia to look into the bushfires in Victoria state in February - the worst in the country's history. | |
| The Royal Commission is considering the official response, and whether warning systems in place were adequate. | The Royal Commission is considering the official response, and whether warning systems in place were adequate. |
| The panel will also look at a controversial plan to change the law to force people to leave their homes when bushfires approach. | The panel will also look at a controversial plan to change the law to force people to leave their homes when bushfires approach. |
| More than 170 people died in what is called the Black Saturday bushfires. | More than 170 people died in what is called the Black Saturday bushfires. |
| Some 2,000 homes were destroyed by the blazes. | Some 2,000 homes were destroyed by the blazes. |
| Fire sirens | Fire sirens |
| A two-minute silence for the victims of the fires was held before the Black Saturday Royal Commission in Melbourne got under way. | A two-minute silence for the victims of the fires was held before the Black Saturday Royal Commission in Melbourne got under way. |
| Then the inquiry turned its attention to the question of whether people had been given adequate warnings about the speed and intensity of the blazes. | Then the inquiry turned its attention to the question of whether people had been given adequate warnings about the speed and intensity of the blazes. |
| It has already emerged from a preliminary hearing that the alert system could not keep pace with the speed of the fires, the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney says. | It has already emerged from a preliminary hearing that the alert system could not keep pace with the speed of the fires, the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney says. |
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| Aerial footage of fire devastation in February | Aerial footage of fire devastation in February |
| The inquiry was told that a fire danger index measuring the risk of bushfires was 328 - anything over 50 is considered extreme. | The inquiry was told that a fire danger index measuring the risk of bushfires was 328 - anything over 50 is considered extreme. |
| The first witness, Victoria's chief fire officer Russell Rees, explained that this information was not communicated to the public because it was thought too complicated. | The first witness, Victoria's chief fire officer Russell Rees, explained that this information was not communicated to the public because it was thought too complicated. |
| "Only in the sense that to understand the figures... you need to understand what they mean, so there needs to be an education process," he said. | "Only in the sense that to understand the figures... you need to understand what they mean, so there needs to be an education process," he said. |
| The terms "low", "moderate" and "extreme" risk were used instead. | The terms "low", "moderate" and "extreme" risk were used instead. |
| Mr Rees also said fire sirens were not used to alert residents, because they are "not a warning mechanism for the public". | Mr Rees also said fire sirens were not used to alert residents, because they are "not a warning mechanism for the public". |
| One area the commission will focus on is whether to bring in mandatory evacuations similar to those in other fire-prone countries. | One area the commission will focus on is whether to bring in mandatory evacuations similar to those in other fire-prone countries. |
| But the proposed change would meet fierce opposition in bushland communities, our correspondent says. | But the proposed change would meet fierce opposition in bushland communities, our correspondent says. |
| The hearing continues. | The hearing continues. |