Bushfires near Tolmie

[scooter]

Gday

Concerned for Wood Borer & Meg with Tolmie getting frequent mentions on the news.

Hope they're safe.


Cheers................Sean

[Felder]

http://www.ubeaut.biz/extinguish.gif
Hope everything is OK, Rob & Meg.

http://www.ubeaut.biz/fireman.gif

Just be well prepared and if you're going to leave, don't leave it to the last minute.

Thinking of you both.http://www.ubeaut.biz/crossfingers.gif

[RETIRED]

Not good news on the 11.00 o'clock news. Winds have increased and homes may be under threat.

[RufflyRustic]

http://www.ubeaut.biz/rant.gifNo No No No!!! They just moved there!! http://www.ubeaut.biz/mecry.gif

[RETIRED]

Just spoke to Rob.

The fires are 6-7 KM away and the wind is blowing away from them. They are in no danger at present and are being kept informed by CFA, council and all other bodies involved.

They are well prepared should the situation change.

Rob will try to get on later today.

[Felder]

The fires are 6-7 KM away and the wind is blowing away from them. They are in no danger at present and are being kept informed by CFA, council and all other bodies involved.

Good news . Thanks for the update.

[Grunt]

It's plenty dry up there and Rob is surrounded by bush. I thought when I was up there that it wouldn't be such a great place in the event of fires.

I hope the wind keeps blowing the way it is.

The fires seem to be following the same route as the Great Vic Bike Ride.

[Daddles]

The fires seem to be following the same route as the Great Vic Bike Ride.

So it's your fault is it Grunt?:D

Richard

Thanks for the update ;)

[RufflyRustic]

Oh that's soo good to hear!!! http://www.ubeaut.biz/shame.gif

Thanks

cheers
Wendy

[dadpad]

Not sure where exactly the two members mentioned above are but this is a view of the Tolmie hills from my place in Mansfield.

Authorities have an alert out for Gears Hill, cambatong rd and the merrijig area. Road closures are in place Mansfield is about as far as you can go at present, in any direction

The wind is being a bit tricky at present and cant make up its mind. if it shifted to a sou easter it would blow the fire back on itself. However if we do get a sou easter Mt terrible and the Jamieson burns becom a problem.

What would be really good is a westerly and an inch of rain.

(dreamin)

[Carry Pine]

my son is stationed at Corryong and has been fighting fires around mansfield for the past 5 days. According to the fire map, the fires are everywhere there. There is even a fire at a place called Buggery. Yes, it's listed.
For the fire map see here: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/fires/updates/report/index2.htm?time=Wed%20Dec%206%2017:25:46%20UTC+1100%202006

Carry Pine

[ozwinner]

. There is even a fire at a place called Buggery. Yes, it's listed.
Carry Pine

I hope the fire doesnt get to big or else all the fireies will go to Buggery. :p :p :p :D

Al :rolleyes:

[Iain]

One hell of an unpleasant welcome for Rob and Meg, trust all is well.
Dadpad, Tolmie is about midway between Mansfield and Whitfield, the other road out of Mansfield rather than turning off for Mt Buller.

[ozwinner]

Im sure Meg and Rob are resilient enough to get out of this thing ok.

I hope so as we are booked in for lunch sometime during the Christmas break. :p

Al :)

[Clinton1]

Rob,
Hope you and Meg have a fire plan that helps you to feel confident of what action to be taking.... although with such a recent move I guess the area might still be a little unfamiliar.

Thinking of you and Meg and hope that all is well.

[AlexS]

Hope all goes well Rob & Meg, and all others in the area.

[dadpad]

See the attatched pic for an update. The black arrow indicates the town of Mansfield the red arrow was wind direction yesterday (5/12). The wind is now in the S.E so almost a reverse of the direction indicated but quite light.
Tolmie is in the area of the red arrow head (sort of).
To the south (bottom of pic) of Mansfield is the Jamesion complex of fires. (Mt Terrible/flourbag). To the east (right of pic) is Mt buller, several fires there are expected eventually to join with the Tolmie fires.

These fires will all burn until we get rain, so most of this summer will be spent waiting for something to break out of its control lines.

Ian I know where Tolmie is just not the specific area or road of the members mentioned.

[Grunt]

They live on the Whitfield-Mansfield Road, just out of Tolmie.

It's the place that looks like a Lie-Neilsen plane.

[Carry Pine]

They had the Victorian politicians on the 7:30 report tonight and they looked genuinely worried. (A real contrast to Amanda V who spent the whole interview denying responsibility for her department.) I think they have come to accept that the fires will just go on until there is a drastic change in the weather. Not really much we can do.

CP

[Gumby]

Got everything crossed for them and the other people and homes in the area.

Hope you are OK. :(

[Wood Borer]

Some of you may have heard on the media that Tolmie has been evacuated, some houses have been burnt, our roads have been closed etc.

These rumours are false at this stage. You can’t blame the media because they are getting false reports from people who are uninformed or after attention. The media are doing their best to provide information however the sensationalists generally sound confident.

The spokespeople for the CFA and the DSE are also giving a little bit of inaccurate information but their resources are quite thin with all the fires.

Meg and I are both safe along with my tools. We have prepared our house for the threat of embers or a direct hit. We will be staying in the event of a fire and defending the house and ourselves. The fires are approximately 6 Km to 7 Km East of us.

We have a fire pump and knapsacks, buckets etc and are ready if it kicks off. I have been in the middle of few large bush fires in the past prior to becoming a city slicker. Meg has not experienced bushfires previously and she is facing the threat very well.

The CFA, DSE local Shire Council and Police have been invaluable keeping the community up here informed of the current status of the fires, road closures and what equipment and activities are required to defend and stay alive. We have one or two of these meetings per day at the local hall.

Family, friends (including Bulletin Board members), neighbours and total strangers have been very supportive offering assistance to prepare for the fire, offering accommodation in case we evacuate or if we are left with smouldering buildings. We appreciate these kind offers and genuine support.

We do not regret our move up here whatsoever and I will be back into the woodwork when things settle down.

Yes, I have used my tools a bit since moving up here including cutting one or two dovetails by hand.

Tonight I am staying up until 4:30 AM to keep an eye out for embers, then Meg will take over.

Thanks again for your concerns, we will be fine.

My cousin is coming up today from Melbourne to stay for a little while and help us if required.

The BBQ is still on for the New Year Ozwinner.

Dadpad, we will have to catch up one day, hope you like hand tools and in March (after I build a new shed) some very nice electron burners from that Felder chap.

[craigb]

Thanks for the heads up Rob.

Hang in there.

[Cliff Rogers]

Onya Rob, just don't start that BBQ too early OK. ;)

[Gumby]

Hope you don't have to do anything Rob. With a bit of luck, it will bypass you.

I'm preparing for Saturday (37 degrees) when some idiot is likely to light the Dandenongs again.

The 1997 fires were stopped by the CFA only about 200M from our home, and lots of others. Damn thing was deliberately lit and they never found the scum.:mad:

[Andy Mac]

Good luck Wood Borer. The news this morning looked pretty frightening, but you seem well prepared. If there is an upside, at least the bush will be cleared of undergrowth now, and will allow a respite for a few years!
We've had smoke around for a couple of days, looks like a smallish fire down in Murphies Ck area (just down the escarpment), but so far I haven't been called out by the RFS. We haven't had the same heat and wind as Victoria is getting at present, maybe you're too close to Canberra!!:D

To WB and Mrs Borer, and others down there, take care.

[Iain]

Damn thing was deliberately lit and they never found the scum.:mad:

Unfortunately, they rarely do:(

[Felder]

Unfortunately, they rarely do:(
And if they do, they give them a rap on the knuckles. :mad:

[martrix]

Fingers crossed for you W.B. and anyone else facing these extreme conditions.

Sounds like you are well prepared.

I do realise the gravity of the situation (and the coming weekend), but I think the media are a little overly zealous in scaring the c^#p out of the general public..

[Gra]

I'm preparing for Saturday (37 degrees) when some idiot is likely to light the Dandenongs again.

You and me both gumby.....

Good luck WB and Meg. If you need anything (Even if it is just a laugh), all you need to do is post here and I am sure the offers will come flooding in.

All my families thoughs are with the two of you and any others in the same predicament

[dadpad]

woodborer catch up for sure. I'm on crutches for 6 weeks (PM me when you get some spare time)

[TassieKiwi]

All the best mate - you're a real bushie now! Don't forget the socks full of sand in the downpipes/full gutters. I will stay to defend our house too (100Ha of bush over the road, so much fuel you'd cry). Like me, I hope you don't ever have to, but it sounds like you're prepared! Don't forget a ladder to check the roofspace.

[Iain]

Don't forget the socks full of sand in the downpipes/full gutters.

Balls, tennis balls, much easier.

[Christopha]

Balls, tennis balls, much easier.
Tennis balls don't do too well in a 90mm pop mate, I once fished nearly 2 dozen out of my tanks when my sons were small and did back yard cricket.

[Iain]

Didn't think about that, ours accept a tennis ball quite happily, but our gutter leak so it probably wouldn't matter anyway.

[Felder]

Tennis balls don't do too well in a 90mm pop mate, I once fished nearly 2 dozen out of my tanks when my sons were small and did back yard cricket.
Didn't know you were a cricket fan, Chris. :)

[jow104]

Rob & Meg
What a start to your new residence in the area you know Janet & I send our best hopes for a speedy end to the present difficulties.
This is one instance when you dont say, "keep the home fires burning"

[Christopha]

Didn't know you were a cricket fan, Chris. :)
Brendan, that was about as quick as I expected! I wondered how long it would take!!! :rolleyes:

Anyway, Rob, all the best mate, take care and no matter what, BE SAFE!

[Carry Pine]

Wood Borer,

Keep a look out for my young bloke. (piccie). if you are lucky enough to meet him he knows more than any three adults over 40 combined. But a good kid nevertheless. He's from Corryong and does 5 days on and one day off at the moment down your way.

Carry Pine

[Toggy]

The local tv news ran an item on the Tolmie residents' briefings.

And who should be sitting in the front row; none other than Mr & Mrs WB.
Not a lot of smiles; but looking well.

Ken

[Wood Borer]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. My cousin is up for a couple of days and I am keeping an eye out for embers until 3AM and he will take over.

Yes Ken, we were on the telly at the briefing, I will wear my UBeaut hat for the meeting at 9AM today.:cool:

The weekend should be interesting but putting it all in perspective, it will be a good yarn one day.

I'll keep an eye out for your young bloke Carry Pine.

Dadpad, we will catch up after the fires for sure.

Lucky you weren't staying with us now Jow, Janet's crook leg wouldn't be very stable climbing the ladder with a fire hose.:rolleyes:

I too have have the 90 mm downpipes Christopha so I made some plugs from some scrap oregon using the bandsaw and of course finished them with an LN spokeshave. I suppose I will have to get one of those machines one day that make the wood spin around and all you do is hold a chisel up to them.:) My plugs held the water overnight last night which is near enough.

Iain, I have some steps ready a previous employer kindly gave to me to check out the roof space.

[Schtoo]

Dunno what else to say but good luck. :)

[dadpad]

sat 11.30 am the smoke is so thick you could cut it with a chisel. there is no wind to speak of in the mansfield township. Everyone is seeing this as a "CALM BEFORE THE STORM" moment. The wind may come later tonight or tomorrow.
Here's what things looked like yesterday.

[Cliff Rogers]

Another web site for following fires.
You can zone it anywhere in Australia.

http://sentinel1.ga.gov.au/Sentinel/imf.jsp

[outback]

Has anyone heard how Rob is going?

[Gumby]

Not lately but the wind isn't one of those blustery northerly's, although it was this morning. Now it seems pretty calm and i heard on the radio that they had managed to make a few new containment lines overnight.

I've been up on the roof all morning, clearing gutters etc. Tomorrow is the bad one. They say strong winds which is just right for some lunatic to get his jollies.

We have a local CFA meeting tomorrow, just in case.

In the meantime, i hope no news is good news for Rob and Meg.

[ozwinner]

I rang them last night and they are taking the night in shifts to spot for embers, there is also a cousin of Robs there to help out.

So far so good for them.

Al :)

[outback]

Hope they take care.
You be careful Gumby, plastercine has a very low melting point.

Supposed to be hot here tomorrow as well, guess I'll be looking to the horizon a fair bit.

[dadpad]

current situation as at 9.30 am sat 9th dec. looks like woodborer and kin are right in the thick of it. wind is very mild if any at all at present (6.00 pm) but predicted to pick up tomorrow. north and norwest. to be followed by thunderstorms. I never rains it pours.

[outback]

Whats the lil red dots?
Fire units perchance?

[baxter]

Thinking of you and yours.

At times likes this we realise how close the web brings us and how small the world really is.

Keep safe!

[Groggy]

Crikey, I hope it leaves Rob and Meg alone.

good luck guys!

[ozwinner]

Whats the lil red dots?
Fire units perchance?

Active fires I beleive.

Al :(

[DJ’s Timber]

The red dots are from the last hour or so and the yellow dots are from 12 to 24 hours ago

[Grunt]

From The Age just a little while ago.


Residents along Cambatong Road at Tolmie have been living near a major bushfire for eight days.
Their properties have come under intermittent ember attack and sleep is taken in shifts as each household places someone on fire watch in case the blaze changes direction.
Robyn Britton, from the Tolmie Tavern which doubles as meeting place, said many residents owed their properties to the 120 CFA firefighters on patrol 24 hours a day since the fires began.
"There's been no loss of anything. As soon as a fire breaks out they (the CFA) are there to put it out," Ms Britton said.
"They've been patrolling 24 hours a day, people have really appreciated it."
She said the wind eased yesterday and residents were now holding their breath hoping for the best.
"We're all pretty confident now here. We're prepared and the CFA and DSE are keeping us all well informed.
There are 54 properties along Cambatong Road, some within metres of the fire.
Ms Britton said the CFA had bulldozed a firebreak as wide as a three-lane highway across the properties, giving residents an escape route if they needed it.

[Wood Borer]

We are all fine.

Today was reasonably mild with hardly any smoke but it has come in since about 1AM. We enjoyed a BBQ and a few drinks tonight with my cousin and our daughter and partner who drove up yesterday to give us hand.

What Robyn from the Tolmie Tavern says is true, the CFA, DSE and Mansfield Shire have been fantastic giving us information and updates as well as protecting our properties and lives (and tools).

We are West of Tolmie townhip so we are not in any immediate danger although this situation could change with the wind and stray embers. There are many others who are in far more danger than ourselves.

I am on watch until 3AM this morning - only 30 minutes to go before I wake up my cousin. There is another community meeting at 9AM.

Thanks for your concerns and kind words.

[DJ’s Timber]

Good to hear you are keeping positive.

[Doughboy]

Glad to hear things are not getting any worse. I hope the fire does not come any closer to you and yours.

Pete

[RufflyRustic]

Hi WB

Thanks for the updates - It's a huge relief to know you, Meg and the Pythons are ok.

cheers
Wendy

[ptc]

Checking here every day to see how you are doing.

[Iain]

From what I see on the news Tolmie seems to be very community orientated and have the best interests of their neighbours foremost.
A few communities could learn from this.
As for firefighting, unless a lot has changed, but DSE used to make half asred attempts at putting out a blaze and left the CFA to finish off the job.
I have a lot of time for the CFA who do a wonderful job without any financial reward whilst the other lot look forward to heaps of overtime in these situations. Having spent 2 years with them on a secondment I became somewhat dubious of their motives.
Anyway, I am glad to see all is well Rob, Meg and Pythons:)

[graemet]

Checking here every day to see how you are doing.
Me too. Keeping the fingers crossed for you. You seem to be as prepared as you can.
Cheers
Graeme

[dadpad]

Tolimie residents are not yet out of the woods so to speak but the pressure is off for the time being.

Fires ran and spotted to the north east today.

All crews were pulled off the Jamieson fires today prior to the change.

the situation is very tense at present cause no-one (including the bureau) knows what the wind is gonna do.

Currently (Close to midnight) there is not a breath of wind. speculation has it that this means a southerly change but I dont think so.

[Wood Borer]

We are still safe but as dadpad said, anything could still happen. It is looking better but a wind change could turn the whole situation around.

The communities South of us seem to be in a serious position, the people running our community meetings also do their's and I am sure the messages received at those meetings will greatly assist those intending to stay and defend.

At the meeting this morning everyone looked very tired and we probably all had a rest this afternoon but still keeping someone posted to keep a look out.

It is a waiting and hoping game. The CFA and DSE are continuing their hard work. I hear what Iain said but our experience with the DSE (Department of Sustainability and Environment) has been very positive.

You are correct in stating that the Tolmie Community is a wondeful supportive community. Here we are new comers but made to feel most welcome by everyone we meet. They must be all woodworkers;)

Our pythons don't seem to be affected by all the smoke as they still have healthy appetites and are still very friendly.

The smoke also hasn't affected the tools either, the LNs were getting a bit of a workout today on some redgum in between checking for embers or any major changes on the horizon.

I have noticed just how dry the air is up here. All my plane handles, chisel handles and hammer handles have been loose since moving up here. I have fixed them all of course.

[dadpad]

here is the most current situation. Blue arrows indicate trouble spots.

[Eastie]

Glad to hear your going well Rob - waiting is hell isn't it!

I ended up up back up near home on a grader since Friday night as everyone was anticipating that it would break through. I was talking to my old man about his memory of black friday yesterday and he couldn't talk about it without his hands trembling. People were concerned in the 2003 fires, but they are dead scared of these ones. The ammount of work being put in both in fighting and preparing for this fire has to be seen to be believed. We're a bit over 150 km's east south-east as the crow flies from Rob - to give you an idea the fire would have travelled that distance in a couple of hours if the winds came as predicted.

The offer is still on if you need a break to get some proper rest as there's no more the be done up home.

[scooter]

Thanks for posting those maps dadpad :)

Rob & Meg, glad you're still OK.

[dadpad]

All is calm and quiet in Mansfield. we really have been lucky with the wind situation.

I can hear choppers buzzing in and out of town going to and from the airstrip for fuel, pilot relief atc.

Cooler temps and no wind.

[DougZ]

Hi from your ex-workmates Rob. Sounds like you and Meg won't have to worry about the garden for a while.

[dadpad]

cross your fingers for Rob and meg, in fact cross your legs and arms.
I dont know exactly where rob and meg (west of Tolmie) are but the current wind direction will carry embers etc to the west of Tolmie township. If it jumps containment the fire will run in their direction.

4.00 pm monday
DSE and CFA advise residents in the Whitlands, Burders Lane, Powers Lookout Road, and Mansfield to Whitfield Road and they may be threatened by this fire. These residents are advised to activate their fire plans immediately.

[Iain]

they still have healthy appetites and are still very friendly.

Just don't let them lull you into a sense of false security:D :D :D

[dadpad]

all/most truck have gone from Tolmie. which must mean its tidy up there Apparently all trucks have been sent to jamieson.

[Gumby]

Just shows you that while a wind change may be good for some it's usually equally bad for others. :(

[Wood Borer]

G'day Doug and welcome to the Bulletin Board - it took a fire to finally get you into the woodwork seriously:eek: There are always positives, a pity we don't always see them. I've been working on getting Doug into the woodwork for about 15 years.

With all those trips to the US you make, I am sure you can bring back some bargain priced quality tools. I sent you an EMAIL tonight.

Dadpad, I sent you a PM with our address and phone number.

Mark (Eastie) thanks for the kind offer mate, I don't think there is much more that can be done but if you want to drop across for a cuppa you are most welcome, there is always a bed for you too.

Iain, the girls seem to be taking the fires in their stride, they are just coiled up in a relaxed pose. They take less looking after than your neddies, they don't kick either.:D

Obviously we are still safe. Tonight is quite cool (jumper weather) but the winds seem to be gusting now and then ranging from the East around to the North West. We are constantly keeping watch.

Pumping water from the dam for the garden and keeping long hours chews into woodworking time but I am getting some done slowly.

The two photos show my temporary workshop and the redgum and mountainash tray I am making to be raffled at the Tolmie Tavern in aid of the fire effort.

[RETIRED]

No cobwebs, floor space and a nice view. Can't be Robs workshop.;) :D :D

[ernknot]

I wonder how many greenies and tree huggers are up there saving the trees?????
Scammander in the south east of Tasmania copped it last night, lots of houses gone, could be up to 23 they say. This is bloody awful. The undergrowth here in the south is pretty thick. It is unsually lush, even fruit trees are carrying more fruit than normal. One of my neighbours has started cutting hay and says he has to really give it to the tractor to cut through. I feel for those people up there in the beautiful NE Vic mountain side. I feel for anyone caught up in this nightmare and hope they get through it OK. The rotten part is that summer has only just started.

[DanP]

I wonder how many greenies and tree huggers are up there saving the trees?????

HA!!



Rob, Could you head out and find the nearest CFA/DSE bloke and tap him on the shoulder and tell them to get wriggle on? I'm getting smoked out up here...:rolleyes:

Dan

PS I hope all those in affected areas are ok. It was pretty gusty up here last night, a nightmare for the fireies.

[dadpad]

I wonder how many greenies and tree huggers are up there saving the trees?????

My older brother is pretty dark green. Grows organic vegetables and saves rainforests. He's also captain of the yack CFA unit. Both his kids are members In fact one of his kids was on the telly doing a news interview from Whitfield or somewhere the other day. We make jokes about how black his overalls get from hugging trees affected by fire. I had to go to his place in '03 to look after it for him when the Mt pilot fire threatened cause he was too busy helping out other people. My brother and his family are some of the most dedicated volunteers I have ever known. they are also greenies.

Whats been your contribution?

[Iain]

Whats been your contribution?

I would imagine very little given his location.

[ozwinner]

The two photos show my temporary workshop .

Strewth Rob sounds as if you want it to burn down!! :eek: :eek: :eek: :p :p :D :D

Insurance job was it? :D :D

Al :p

[Wood Borer]

Strewth , give me a chance, we have only been here for 4 weeks, do you know how long it took to cultivate those cobwebs in Camberwell?;)

Al, :D :D :D

Dan, I reckon the smoke will be around for quite some time. It came in here about 1AM yesterday morning and hasn't cleared all day. It was so thick here today, I had trouble seeing the pencil marks on some dovetails I was cutting.

Ernknot, I was so sorry to hear about your fires down there in Tassie and the loss of property. Up here we have been fortunate that very few properties have been lost. I think that is due to being educated by the CFA, having much more warning than the Taswegians, not having the 100 Km/hr winds experienced in Tassie and just good luck.

We are stll safe, the immediate danger has passed up here however we are still being extremely vigilant, nobody up here is being complacent because it could still kick off. The cooler weather (2.5 degrees early this morning) is also giving the firefighters a good chance to backburn to reinforce the fire breaks.

[journeyman Mick]

I wonder how many greenies and tree huggers are up there saving the trees?????

In our local brigades there's a good representation of "greenie" tree huggers, or rather tree planters. We're working with the local treeplanting group to establish green firebreak corridors of rainforest trees which will eventually choke out the guinea grass and form a series of permanent fire breaks.

Heard yesterday that there's been some North Queensland rural firefighters head down south to help with the fires. My name used to be on the list but unfortunately I can't go as I can't leave SWMBO (seriously sick and needs me as carer). Hope weahter conditions improve for all the fire affected areas, but also that perhaps lessons will be learnt and local brigades and other management groups will be able to more easily get permission to conduct hazard reduction burns. I've spoken to NSW rurals who tell me it's not uncommon to wait three years to get permission. That's a lot of fuel that has the potential to create havoc and destrot lives and property.

I'll get off my soap box now.;)

Hope you and Meg are well Rob and that the fires settle down.

Mick

[dadpad]

smoke in Mansfield (near woodborer).

[Eastie]

Smoke in the outer east big smoke looking at the hill between Gumby and me. Any chance you left the stove on Gumby? :D

[Gumby]

:o oops, sorry about that

[Wood Borer]

The smoke is virtually non existent tonight. I may get an early night for a change as the wind is quiet also.

Here we have been getting the blame for the smoke in Melbourne when it is all Gumby's fault.:(

Meg was in Melbourne today and said it is clearer here than down there.

[Groggy]

Glad to see it ease up for you guys, get a good nights rest!

[scooter]

The smoke is virtually non existent tonight. I may get an early night for a change as the wind is quiet also.

Here we have been getting the blame for the smoke in Melbourne when it is all Gumby's fault.:(

Meg was in Melbourne today and said it is clearer here than down there.

Good to hear Rob, batching for a couple of days, mate :D

Glad things have eased a bit for you.

[Gumby]

Sounds good Rob.

We've had a bit of rain here tonight but not enough to bury those flames unfortunately, even if it gets to you.

Get some rest while you can. I think it's going to be a long summer. At least a lot of fuel has been taken away so the chances of you being threatened again would be much less than a few weeks ago.

I can't believe that they are busy making new containment lines around our major water supplies like the Thompson dam. Why wouldn't you do it well before now ? Why wait until it's almost too late. :mad:

[Wood Borer]

We've had a couple of spots of rain tonight - the smell of the rain on the dry soil is wonderful.

Tomorrow will be a testing time.

The poor people South of here in Gippsland are really copping it and a couple of the fires are suspected as being lit intentionally.

What would you do if you caught up with such people?

I'd take them for a sail across Bass Strait and discover in the morning that they must have fallen overboard during the night watch, the main boom can knock you overboard even on a calm night:eek:

Of course if the poor dears didn't fancy the water and sailing, we could go for a trip across the Simpson Desert - must have wandered off and left their water behind:rolleyes:

Mutton Birding on Chappell Island in Bass Strait is fun too - they say the variant of Tiger snakes over there are more lethal than the ones on the mainland - I tried to use my mobile to call that emergency number 999, that's the number in the movies, but the venom did it's magic before the recorded message had finished playing.

Those poor arsonists with their brains in a knot should be shown compassion and I bags being first in line to show them compassion.

[journeyman Mick]

.................I can't believe that they are busy making new containment lines around our major water supplies like the Thompson dam. Why wouldn't you do it well before now ? Why wait until it's almost too late. :mad:


Gumby,
unfortunately in most states it's now not possible to conduct hazard reduction burns etc until a state of emergency exists (or you have all the neccesary forms filled out, in triplicate, of course, and signed off by all the relevant government departments:rolleyes: ) It basically comes down to the philosophy with which bush fire fighting is approached, there's two basic philosophies: fuel reduction and fire suppression.
Fire suppression says "fire is bad mmkay" and you must extinguish any fire immediately (or quicker, if possible)
Fuel reduction says "well, until we can totally prevent all sources of ignition (arsonists, broken glass in the sun, sparks from machinery, fallen power lines, lightening strikes and carelessly thrown cigarette butts etc etc) then we have to accept that fires will occur, so therefore we need to reduce the fuel load to decrease fire intensity and danger.

Fire suppression means that fire departments can get lots of money for helicopters etc and run around looking like heroes.

Fuel reduction means people have to do alot of dirty unglamourous work, strategically burning off bits of the countryside which doesn't make them look like heroes and tends to make them unpopular with lots of people who ca't understand the rationale and who don't like the smoke it produces.

Guess which approach is gaining popularity?:(

Mick

[Iain]

But it was the experts that almost destroyed Wilsons Prom during a fuel reduction burn with strong winds blowing the wrong (or right) way.
They are called 'Science Officers' and look at charts and computers and refuse to acknowledge that there is adverse conditions, because the charts say it shouldn't be happening.

[RufflyRustic]

Hi WoodBorer,

Yep, the smell of rain is beautiful!

I would be tempted to chain them up in the path of a fire ..... tempted only though:rolleyes:

[journeyman Mick]

Iain,
granted they do make mistakes, but it's got a lot to do with putting people in uniforms and putting gold braid on their shoulders etc, they tend to get convinced by all the hype. We had a similar case here last fire season where a permanent urban officer ordered the lighting of a backburn when the wildfire was all but extinguished and the control line was nothing more than the grass flattened down and hosed down. Middle of a hot, dry, windy day and the landholder advising against lighting it up, but the "professional" insisted. I doubt you'd find many volunteers that pig headed and convinced of their own infallibility.:rolleyes:

I still reckon that unless you can remove all sources of ignition then wild fires will continue to be a fact of life. In which case the best way of protecting lives, property and the environment is to reduce the fuel load.

Mick

[Gumby]

I still reckon that unless you can remove all sources of ignition then wild fires will continue to be a fact of life. In which case the best way of protecting lives, property and the environment is to reduce the fuel load.

Mick

agree Mick but in this Green decade, we can't. It might disturb the habitat of the frill necked spikey tailed yellow tongued beetle.

Of course, a bad fire destroys it anyway.

[sbranden]

Biodiversity is just as important as fuel reduction but for different reasons. The planet is already heading towards mass extinctions of non- humans with a cetacean being declared extinct this week.

Even if you don't give a stuff about other creatures surely you realize that not caring for the environment will (is) result in more fires through climate change.

shaun

[journeyman Mick]

Shaun,
not sure where you're coming from with your biodiversity comments. (ie hazard reduction is good/bad for biodiversity?) Granted, fire is a very powerful tool and needs to be used very carefully in order not to change the flora make-up of an area, but it's well documented (and painfully obvious) that a really hot wildfire will totally destroy the entire ecosystem of an area, animals and plants, including the usually fire resistant eucalypts. I just reckon it's a real "head in the sand" approach to try to keep fire out of most of the Australian countryside. It will just result in bigger, hotter and more destructive fires.

Mick

[johnc]

We can debate fuel reduction all we like the biggest problem at the moment is that everything is so damn dry. The fires are burning bush that was knocked out in 2003. The problem being that those fires had such intense heat that the Euc's ended up destroyed in some areas and a dense under storey has developed free of any overhead canopy. Some of the bushies I have spoken to believe wild life in those damaged areas have all but disappeared.

We really need cool burns to reduce fuel loads and allow the animals to survive. The biggest risk to the flora and fauna is uncontrolled wild fire totally destroying habitat and everything living. I don't even pretend to have an answer, but it will lie in managed burns and wet years. Little Johnny has let us down badly on climate change and the effects of his blind ignorance on the enviromental and economic impact of a drier climate will be felt for decades, his legacy on the world stage will be ten wasted years following the U.S. lead on climate (or lack there of).

[Ashore]

Shaun

Which Cetacean was declared extinct this week & and would it have been saved if fuel reduction in Australia had been carried out over the last two or three years as was the case 20 years ago
I would seriously Doubt if anyone on this forum didn't give a STUFF about other creatures or was not caring for the enviroment but I personally think that some of those not caring for the enviroment are those who through political or other means stop hazard ( fuel ) reduction against the advice of the local people who have in some cases managed the land for Generations . :confused:

[sbranden]

Shaun

Which Cetacean was declared extinct this week & and would it have been saved if fuel reduction in Australia had been carried out over the last two or three years as was the case 20 years ago
I would seriously Doubt if anyone on this forum didn't give a STUFF about other creatures or was not caring for the enviroment but I personally think that some of those not caring for the enviroment are those who through political or other means stop hazard ( fuel ) reduction against the advice of the local people who have in some cases managed the land for Generations . :confused:

See baiji.org (http://baiji.org) for more details on the The Baiji Yangtze Dolphin which is now considered functionally extinct. The dolphin's fate would not have changed by anything to do with fuel reduction, but that is out of context. I was refering to Gumby's It might disturb the habitat of the frill necked spikey tailed yellow tongued beetle quote.

As Jonc said, the main problem at the moment is just how dry everything is already. This is a direct result of the drought and climate change. Fires are not only harder to fight, they are more common, more dangerous and can't be put out. We have a situation where the fires can eventually be contained, but still burn within containment lines for weeks. All volunteers and pro firies are stuffed, completely exhausted from days and days of this. Also frustrated by ^%$#wits lighting up for fun and inconsiderate people chucking out butts, etc.

Fuel reduction, as I said, is important, but when are you going to do it? There is a fine line (and getting smaller) between having the fuel too wet to burn and too dry to burn safely. Who is going to do it? The volunteers are already over worked and really don't need to be mopping up countless hundreds of hectares all night. Who is going to pay for it?

I live in South Australia, our spring prescribed burn season this year was basically pointless as the fire danger period was bought forward to 15/10. We managed some burns, but nothing that really made a huge difference (well, a large burn of the east side of Dangahli helped during the recent lightning strikes). We had heaps being burnt in late winter on northern slopes that spotted which is just ridiculous.

Fuel reduction is a very important part of fire management, but will become less so as the burn season shrinks to nothing due to climate change. We now need to focus on new strategies to fight fires as direct attack used to be effective, but now it is just too dangerous. Our local authority, the CFS, are now doing far more backburns and using a great deal more aircraft to keep the hot stuff away from the people in yellow. Most of our fuel around here is cured already and firies will die this year. The only way to make things better for the future is to somehow sort out the environmental problems so that it rains again and lightning occurs with wet stuff, etc.

Everyone needs to do their bit to help, whether it is making sandwiches for firies, planting trees, teaching kids, influencing polies, voting, volunteering or cleaning up their gutters.

Shaun

[Cliff Rogers]

Hey Wood Borer.... are you extinct yet?
How are the fires in your area?