Victoria Ablaze

listened to the hamish and andy podcast from tuesday, brought tears to my eyes, they played clips from a fundraising show they held, hearing the reports of devastation and personal tragedy interspersed with the callers donating to the cause was truly moving

Yeah I know, djjd. It can be overwhelming listening to all the stories.
My local ABC (774) has been broadcasting non-stop directly from Whittlesea (Closest bushfire "refugee centre" to Kinglake) for days now . We wake up to it & listen on & off for most of the day.

I am not listening any more. I will donate as soon as I can, but listening to the trauma day after day doesn't help anyone.

And I do not think the ceaseless coverage helps those directly affected either...unless it helps raise more money.

I also hate the questions being asked of shattered people, and they can be very damaging...

Of all the tragedies Victorians have had to survive these last few days, can't they at least be spared the constant presence of Carl and whatshername from Good Morning Australia? In fact why can't we all be spared it?

just heard dadpad town now under threat. Is this true?
Hard to check while driving.

I know what you mean, Deb. Like listening to AM while driving to work yesterday & finding myself crying in my car.

But, for the fire victims, I do believe the coverage serves a purpose. Within their local (Victorian) community, anyway. They know, at the worst possible time, that everyone cares, they are supported & not alone. They can tell their (sometimes terrible) stories & be listened to. I'm certain this is important to them.

Various ABC radio folk in Victoria (774) stated concerns like yours. They didn't want to be there. They didn't want to intrude on private grief, like vultures. But, it turns out that they have been told again & again that the fire victims are grateful that the ABC is there. They were able to stay in touch with their (broader) community, which was so important to them. But then, for many Victorians 774 is sort of woven into the daily fabric of our lives. It has far higher listener ratings than other ABC radio in the country. (I don't know why that is, but it is definitely so. Personally I listen, on & off, very single day. It is the place we turn to first when something really important happens.) So, to a Victorian, it made every sense that the ABC was there with those affected by the bushfires. It would have made lots of sense to them, too, & was probably comforting.

According to the incident map the town he is near is beginning to be impacted. If anyone has Dadpad's phone number, please call to ensure he's aware of this alert, though I am sure he is. Would rather an unnecessary call than a missed opportunity for him to be safe.

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/incident_updates.htm#1476990600428

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Urgent Threat Message Mansfield Grass Fire, 5.20pm
Urgent Threat Message for the communities of Rifle Butts Road, Pollards Road, Ogilvies Road, Monkey Gully Road, Highten Road, Hilton Court and Crosbys Road to the south eastern side of Mansfield
11/02/2009



Incident Information

The Mansfield grass fire burning 5 kilometres south east of Mansfield, near Rifle Butts Road is burning in a northerly direction. The communities living on Rifle Butts Road, Pollards Road, Ogilvies Road, Monkey Gully Road, Highten Road, Hilton Court and Crosbys Road to the south eastern side of Mansfield may be directly impacted upon by this fire.

Core Advice

Residents in this area may experience smoke and burning embers reaching their properties, and are advised to patrol their houses to find and put out any burning embers that may be landing.
Protect yourself from radiant heat by wearing correct protective clothing consisting of long-sleeved shirts, long pants, sturdy boots and a broad brimmed hat. On no account should synthetic material be worn.
As the fire front approaches, it will be unsafe to be either on foot or in a car as the heat radiating from the fire will be intense. Buildings will offer the best protection during the passage of a fire front. Close all doors and windows and stay inside the house while the fire passes. Remain alert, extinguish any small fires and if necessary, move outside to burnt ground once the fire has passed.
If you are caught on the road, don't get out and run.
Pull to the side, preferably in an area clear of tall trees and long grass.
Put your hazard lights on and close the windows and vents.
Cover any exposed areas of skin with a woollen blanket and get down as low as possible.
Only when the fire has passed do you get out and move to safety.
Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Residents away from home should not try to return to the area as access is limited and the roads may not be safe.
Continue to listen to ABC or local radio for updates on this fire.
Additional Information

For information on fires in Victoria and general fire safety advice, please contact the Victorian Bushfire Information Line (VBIL) on freecall 1800 240 667. Callers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech / communication impairment may call textphone/ telewriter (TTY) on 1800 122 969. Information is also available at www.dse.vic.gov.au/fires

UhOh.

That is close to town.

I'd imagine that everyone in the town is now on alert, watching for developments. Particular the strength & direction of the wind ...

Fire crews facing dual threat as winds fan blazes
Posted 2 hours 15 minutes ago
Updated 1 hour 25 minutes ago


Strong winds are fanning two large blazes near the Yarra ranges east of Melbourne. (NASA)



http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/11/2488833.htm

Here's the link to the Mansfield weather report. I'm not proficient enough in metric measures to be able to quickly assess what it is telling me about wind speeds and temperatures.

http://www.mansfieldweather.com.au/

Ah, I didn't scroll down far enough to get the text rather than the charts.

Here you go:

IDV17005
Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Victoria

Northeast District Forecast
Issued at 4:15 pm EDT on Wednesday 11 February 2009
for the period until midnight EDT Sunday 15 February 2009.

Warning Summary at issue time
Nil.
Details of warnings are available on the Bureau's website www.bom.gov.au, by
telephone 1300-659-217* or through some TV and radio broadcasts.

Weather Situation
A south to southeasterly airflow will persist over Victoria for several days as
a large high pressure system south of the Bight drifts slowly eastwards and a
series of weak cold fronts cross Tasmania. The high will be located east of
Tasmania by Friday night. Another high pressure system is expected to move into
the Bight on Saturday and Sunday.

Forecast for the rest of Wednesday
Partly cloudy. Areas of smoke haze. Isolated showers mostly about the ranges.
Winds south to southeasterly averaging 15 to 25 km/h.

Forecast for Thursday
Partly cloudy. Areas of smoke haze. Isolated showers. The chance of
thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening about the ranges. Winds
southeasterly averaging 20 to 30 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to around
9 with daytime temperatures reaching between 19 and 27.

Albury-Wodonga Smoke. Min 12 Max 26
Wangaratta Smoke. Min 8 Max 28

Maximum Fire Danger: Very High
UV Alert from 9:30 am to 5:20 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 12 [Extreme]

Forecast for Friday
Partly cloudy. Areas of smoke haze. Winds east to southeasterly averaging 10 to
20 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to around 8 with daytime temperatures
reaching 21 to 28.

Albury-Wodonga Smoke. Min 11 Max 26
Wangaratta Smoke. Min 7 Max 29

We are fine. The Mansfield fire is contained. I have spent the last hour or so at mum and Dads place which was in one of the threatened roads to make sure they would be Ok.

Victorian towns on alert as bushfires still rage
February 11, 2009 - 5:35PM


Fires continue to menace communities near Beechworth. Photo: Nick Moir



map with details of fires, threats & casualties included in link:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/victorian-towns-on-alert-as-bushfires-still-rage-20090210-83m1.html

Whoopieeeee!

I bet that seashore vacation is sounding pretty good about now. If it is going to burn, it's going to burn and there isn't much you'll be able to do to stop it if the winds whip it into fury. Might as well be safely away from it and worry from a distance.

That's good to know!

This makes it official:

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/incident_updates.htm#1476995775413

Downgrade Message - Urgent Threat to Alert for Mansfield Grass Fire 6.30pm
Downgrade Message - Mansfield Grass fire no longer threatening communities
11/02/2009



Incident Information

The Mansfield grass fire burning 5 kilometres south east of Mansfield, near Rifle Butts Road is burning in a northerly direction. The fire is no longer posing a threat to the communities of Rifle Butts Road, Pollards Road, Ogilvies Road, Monkey Gully Road, Highten Road, Hilton Court and Crosbys Road to the south eastern side of Mansfield however communities need to be aware of fire activity in area

Core Advice

Watch out for hazards when walking around burnt areas. There may be sharp objects and areas that are still very hot and capable of causing serious burns.
Be aware of residual burning- remember logs and trees may continue to burn or smoulder for a number of days.
Road use in the area may still be hazardous. Watch out for fallen trees, power lines, abandoned cars, wildlife and emergency services vehicles.
Residents should expect that many branches may fall from nearby trees in the next few days, and should be vigilant to protect themselves from injury.
Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

Here's a map of the area referred to in the alerts:

Yeah! Not that anyone was concerned in any way! Not allowed

This has been such a tragedy.

Joe(Our thoughts with all our friends today)Nation

You know we're always relieved when you check in, Boss. As you have the time away from your obviously more important issues, do let us know regularly that all is well--it will relieve a lot of people's minds. People got kind of frantic when they learned of the flooding a year or two ago, and Lezzles hadn't checked in for a while.

It is a tragedy, Joe. And it's certainly not over yet. February & March are usually the hottest & driest months of the year in southern Australia.