Hot as hell and the flames are closing in

How are things now, lezzles?

Fully under control, I really hope!

Everything's fine now. The temperature has dropped back to the low 20's where they are supposed to be and the wind is a cool one. We've even got a hint of moisture in the air.

The sad news is that many of these fires were deliberately lit. A woman and her daughter were killed when their caravan (mobile home) was burned - looks like a murder. Her young son was rescued. There are reports she was being stalked for the last week or so.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20478063-421,00.html

That photo of the Ulladulla fire is incredible, isn't it? You can almost hear it crackling, can't you?

That's very good news, lezzles. (That the fires are under control.)

The "deliberately lit" fires are so common, though. <sigh>

I honestly don't get it!

Quite depressing.

This weather has got to stop. Its scary that things are so hot so soon.

Associated Press
More Than 100 Fires Raging in Australia
10.12.2006, 02:03 AM
More than 100 wildfires raged across Australia on Thursday, sending firefighters scrambling to protect homes and farmland.
source AAP


The fire situation is not too seriouse yet with most fires being well away from assets. Erica and Matlock are pouring smoke down on my town but we are safe as long as the wind stays northerly.

250 fires reported yesterday most s,mall and under controll
These fires are under CFA (The non public land fire manager)
Morwell open cut (coal mine) is/and will be a headache for some time to come.



These fires are on public land managed by DSE/Parks Victoria

DSE

I'm getting a couple of air-con quotes next week. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I don't want to deal with another one of these ever hotter summers without some relief.

How the Age saw things this morning

The age

Those people using a firewall copy and pste this URL
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/scorcher-sparks-blazes-across-four-states/2006/10/12/1160246263488.html

37o today and they are saying tomorrow will be hotter. And we are officially in the worst drought on record.

I've been saving my empty plastic 2litre milk bottles and filling them from the washing machine for my few plants. Last year (I mean earlier this year) I lost the lot on one hot, windy day - they just shrivelled.

But of course, that is nothing to what others have lost.

Yeah...just when Oz becomes uninhabitable, there are gonna be seceral million Pacific Islanders with no land left.


We nearly lost Port Lincoln a few days aga.

A living wall of fire fighters stopped the living wall of fire.

Just constructed this for my laundry tub outlet into which the washing machine pumps. It was a problem getting a hose size that allowed the tub to empty at (gravity feed) rate sufficiant to not overflow. There is about 15 m of 25mm hose that can be shifted around the garden and lawn. The hose was not cheap ended up costing over $100.00 and it looks .......not pretty but acceptable.

Good thinking (& good job!), dp!

Fiery wind threatens homes
December 2, 2006 - 4:58PM

Firefighters have urged residents close to a bushfire in Victoria's northeast to implement their emergency plans as wind-blow embers threaten homes.

The CFA at Wangaratta is advising residents of the Benalla-Whitfield Rd area around Myrrhee to make a decision: stay and protect their homes or evacuate.

The homes are in the path of embers from a bushfire near Loombah Weir to Myrrhee's west.

Almost 100 fires are burning in the northeast after a massive storm moved across Victoria last night, with fires started by lighning strikes reported from Mildura in the far northwest to central Gippsland in the southeast.

A Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman told theage.com.au that hundreds of personnel, 22 aircraft and heavy equipment, including bulldozers, were being used to fight blazes.


The Age



The arrow shows wher I am. Fortunatly? there is very little left to burn in the paddocks around town so we are pretty safe. The closest fire of any note is around 50 km away.

Eek!

A scorcher coming up for you tomorrow, dadpad. Things aren't looking too good. I hope they don't worsen tomorrow.

Good luck!

The view out my front window.



We are playing host to about 300 firefighters.

More photos tomorrow.

Very, worrying, dadpad.

Will the anticipated cool change tonight (& hopefully, less windy conditions) help matters?

Australia calls in New Zealand firefighters to help with blazes


dpa German Press Agency
Published: Tuesday December 5, 2006

Sydney- Australia on Tuesday called in reinforcements from New Zealand to join 1,000 volunteer firefighters tackling 45 blazes that have already burned out more than 12,000 hectares of forests in Victoria. The 100 New Zealanders were called up because the states surrounding Victoria face the same soaring temperatures and strong winds that have created ideal bushfire conditions.

"We are headed for probably the worst fire summer period we have ever had in Victoria," state premier Steve Bracks said. "We don't expect these fires to go out."

Forest fires rage during the southern hemisphere summer, peaking in December, January and February. Four years ago seven people were killed, 500 houses razed and 3 million hectares of forest blackened.

Victorian state government spokesman said the ideal fire conditions meant smaller blazes were amalgamating.

"The number of fires has reduced, but the areas have increased because they've joined together unfortunately," he said. "The fire size is just getting bigger and bigger."

He said the fires might burn into next year. "We saw that in the 2002-2003 where the fires went for nearly two months, and these fires have the potential to do the same."

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency

We'll form a bucket brigade to help protect your homes.

http://www.joekulka.com/portfolio_2/bucket-brigade.jpg

Butrflynet

The state of Victoria (where dadpad lives. So do I, but in the capital city) has a bushfire record very similar to that of Southern California. Conditions right now are incrediblely worrying. I have never seen it so dry in early December!

On top of that, water restrictions are being tightened all the time. Rain, we need rain now!

That's ominous looking.


You all ok?


Where is the fire headed?