SWER avoid lines clashing in wind , a substantial fire-safety feature , but a problem surfaced in the official investigation into the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria , Australia . These demonstrated that a broken SWER conductor can short to ground across a resistance similar to the circuit 's normal load ; in that particular case , a tree . This can cause large currents without a ground-fault indication . This can present a danger in fire-prone areas where a conductor may snap and current may arc through trees or dry grass
Black Saturday bushfires
Black Saturday bushfires
Single-wire earth return