The Blue Mountains mayor has welcomed the investigation into Defence Force failures that sparked last year's devastating bushfires in the NSW world heritage area.
The damning report, released on Tuesday, outlines in graphic detail how Defence Force personnel were nearly killed by exploding shrapnel as they tried to contain the fire on a military range littered with unexploded ordnance.
The blaze started about midday on 16 October, 2013 – a day of “high” bushfire danger – as army officers and students at Marrangaroo army base near Lithgow blew up two piles of eight high explosive anti-tank rounds that were past their operational use date.
The so-called State Mine fire, as it became known, spread quickly and destroyed 50,000 hectares and three homes around the Blue Mountains.
It came as dozens of other fires raged across NSW, amid soaring temperatures. The blazes destroyed 248 homes, claimed two lives and caused damage running into tens of millions of dollars.
"During the fires I called on the Defence Force to have an open and honest look at what happened, and to be prepared to learn the lessons from that, and they've done that," Blue Mountain's mayor, Mark Greenhill, told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
"So rather than do the normal political thing and flick the switch to negative I'm actually welcoming the inquiry and I'm welcoming the fact that they have enacted 19 of the 20 recommendations."
The report made 20 recommendations, of which Defence has accepted 19 and is considering the 20th. The recommendations include keeping a better eye on Defence explosives and paying more attention to the weather and fire danger ratings.
Defence said: "As a result of the commission of inquiry, Defence is taking proactive steps to improve fire safety at Marrangaroo training area.