The fire that is consuming Australia

The fire next time now.....

Nowhere is the problem of wildfire as pollution more graphically illustrated than in these photographs of coal and coal dust burning at GDF SUEZ Energy International's Hazelwood open-cut coal mine in the La Trobe Valley, Victoria.

"When it gets there it can be very hard to stop," The CFA's James Todd told Ross and John. "It burns a bit like peat burns."

Asthmatics, the very young and the frail aged living within the path of this mine's smoke will be at increased risk.

Increased greenhouse gas emissions are going to be coming off the surface of this open-cut mine long after the fire front has passed.

* Photographs found at 3AW radio and Twitter.