See YA at Kurnell

Mark _australia said...
Rather average for summer in 2 or 3 other states dunno what all the excitement is about?

Big difference between the East & West. There is much more 'fuel' laying about hence the higher degree of concern with strong 'warm' winds (we have trees & bush here in the East, not just sparse areas of red dirt & open-cut mines ). With the amount of dry fuel that has been growing over the past couple of years thanks to the generous rainfall, combined with the very little amount of controlled burning & earthworks done by the gov't (no doubt due to budget cut-backs) this year could be the worst bushfire year Vic (and maybe NSW also?) has had for a long time.

There's a 7,000Ha bushfire out of control only 50kms from where I'm sitting and it's been going since Friday. The wind is forecast to change from a mild SE'er to a 25kt SW'er, which is about as bad as it can get - a 90deg wind change turning the fire flanks into a massive front. So far there's been only pine plantation & bush burned, but I'm guessing that there will be some towns & properties about to get put on alert.

I hope everyone at risk everywhere has done their preparation & prevention, if not - please be safe & get out early. All the best to the firies & volunteers.

Hope it all goes well over there over the next few days.


Property and stuff means nothing compared to life. Get out quick.

Sailhack said...

Mark _australia said...
Rather average for summer in 2 or 3 other states dunno what all the excitement is about?

Big difference between the East & West. There is much more 'fuel' laying about

The big difference between East and the West is the reason that there is less fuel laying about on the forest floor. The main reason is that they have a more reliable prescribed burning season in the West. It's easier to get more prescribed burning done on schedule. They've taken prescribed burning very seriously since the Dwellingup fires.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1961_Western_Australian_bushfires

all good points i didn't realise the difference. I assumed that with such hilly terrain and higher population and forests that there would be MORE controlled burns over there not less
dunno about over there but here the vast majority of fires on high risk days are arsonists. That is who needs to be eradicated...

Unfortunately not all states have a fuel reduction program. My old man whos been in charge of his local QLD fire brigade for close to 15 years reckons WA has the best reduction of fuels. That being said, they seem to do it where it doesnt count. Probably for the reasons stated by Ian K.

Both the Roleystone/Kelmscott fire and the Marg River fire would not of been as bad had've there been recent controlled burns. Ironically, the Marg River fire was due to a fuel reduction burnoff getting out of control.

I'm a residant of Roleystone and predictably enough the same people who complained about having combustable fuel on the ground for the last 20 years, are the same people who didn't want the burns in the first place.

Having been through fires myself, I wish all the East Coast good luck today.

Don't leave it too late to leave with todays forcast condidtions. I doubt (ok,ok, except for maybe your kiteing or windersurfing gear), that there is anything in your house worth dieing for.