Hot as hell and the flames are closing in

Hi Margo,

Yes, I understand that is the case. We had a frightening fire season here in Central California over the summer. Turned out it was an ex-firefighter setting fires throughout the state.

That must have been a heck of a thunder storm that blew through there. Looks a lot like the lightning strike maps of the Sierras after a storm.

While I have you on the line, :wink: how does "burned out more than 12,000 hectares of forests in Victoria" compare in acres?

The dictionary says:

Acre = A unit of area in the U.S. Customary System, used in land and sea floor measurement and equal to 160 square rods, 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet or 1/640 square mile.

Hectare = A hectare (symbol ha) is a unit of area, equal to 10,000 square metres, commonly used for measuring land area.

If I am doing my math correctly, that means a hectare is 2.5 times as large as an acre. So that means the 12,000 hectares would be about 30,000 acres. Right?

They've got another woodland fire in Southern California today too. Burned 5 homes so far.

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Butrflynet wrote:

Hi Margo,

Yes, I understand that is the case. We had a frightening fire season here in Central California over the summer. Turned out it was an ex-firefighter setting fires throughout the state.

That must have been a heck of a thunder storm that blew through there. Looks a lot like the lightning strike maps of the Sierras after a storm.

While I have you on the line, :wink: how does "burned out more than 12,000 hectares of forests in Victoria" compare in acres?

The dictionary says:

Acre = A unit of area in the U.S. Customary System, used in land and sea floor measurement and equal to 160 square rods, 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet or 1/640 square mile.

Hectare = A hectare (symbol ha) is a unit of area, equal to 10,000 square metres, commonly used for measuring land area.

If I am doing my math correctly, that means a hectare is 2.5 times as large as an acre. So that means the 12,000 hectares would be about 30,000 acres. Right?

They've got another woodland fire in Southern California today too. Burned 5 homes so far.

This many acres:

29,652.524

So you did good!

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Butrflynet wrote:

Hi Margo

Wrong cat woman, Butrflynet! :wink:

A common mistake, though I don't know why. I'm Olga, or msolga. Margo lives in Sydney (Sin City). We are much nicer folk here in Victoria! :wink:

I'm so glad Deb did the maths for you. You got me quite sweaty there. Maths is not my forte!

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Eeeps, caught me without my glasses on squinting at the screen. I saw the M and thought it was Margo. That must mean it is time for bed. G'nite!

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Night night, sleep well!

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dadpad

The weekend is looking like a helluva worry for further fires. I mean, if it's predicted to be 37 C here in Melbourne on Saturday, what on earth will the temperature be up in your part of the state? Shocked

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dlowan wrote:

That's ominous looking.
You all ok?
Where is the fire headed?

If you stood in the foreground of the photo for long enough you'd get burnt.

Yes we are Ok. And once it burns out of the high country it will be easier to control.

Some of the people from outlying districts are evacuating.

The town is basically ringed by small and large fires in the forest areas as shown by the curved red line in the image Wind direction is the arrow.
The black areas show grazing land as opposed to green which is the forest country.

If you want to look at a map, Lake Eildon is the most prominant feature.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a40/dadpad/firemap1.jpg

Sorry about the map quality.

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dadpad wrote:

dlowan wrote:

That's ominous looking.
You all ok?
Where is the fire headed?

If you stood in the foreground of the photo for long enough you'd get burnt.

Yes we are Ok. And once it burns out of the high country it will be easier to control.

Some of the people from outlying districts are evacuating.

The town is basically ringed by small and large fires in the forest areas as shown by the curved red line in the image Wind direction is the arrow.
The black areas show grazing land as opposed to green which is the forest country.

If you want to look at a map, Lake Eildon is the most prominant feature.

Sorry about the map quality.

Bugger the map quality....how's the fuvking marsupial?

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google earth

37degrees 04 minutes 00 seconds S
146 degrees 01 minutes 24 seconds.

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Oh, OK.

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1.00 am

We have being called in by the local disaster relief committee to activate the relief center.

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NZ to help battle blazes

December 5, 2006 - 4:30PM
Firefighters from across the Tasman are being asked to help fight bushfires burning out of control in Victoria's north-east and Gippsland, Premier Steve Bracks says.

More than 45 fires, sparked by lightning strikes last Friday, continue to burn in state forests and the Alpine National Park.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) said that so far the fires had destroyed more than 12,000 hectares of bush.

Mr Bracks said the government was seeking firefighters from overseas, including a 100-strong deployment from New Zealand, to help combat fires in the state's north-east.
The Age

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How's it hanging, DP?????

We're worried.

SA has its troubles, too:

SA firefighters contain Clare blaze

Country Fire Service (CFS) crews have been battling several major fires in different areas of South Australia today.

Firefighters have contained a blaze burning south-west of Clare, but not before it had burned more than 91 hectares of scrub.

More than 100 firefighters from the CFS and Department of Environment and Heritage and five water bombing aircraft battled the blaze for about five hours.

In the Riverland, 140 firefighters remain at the site of a blaze at Bookmark.

The fire has been held within control lines, and the CFS says considerable time has been spent securing the fire's 300-kilometre perimeter.
Onkaparinga Gorge

Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters will work through the night to contain a bushfire near homes and property south of Adelaide at Onkaparinga Gorge.

More than 150 hectares of dense scrub has been burnt in the Onkaparinga River National Park.

The CFS used water bombers to attack the blaze throughout the afternoon, but they have now been stood down.

Crews have begun backburning along parts of Piggot Range Road, which is partly closed to traffic.

The CFS says the threat to public safety posed by the fire has reduced.

Residents have been advised they can return to the area but have been warned some risks are still present.

Gonna be some mean summer.

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I'll be hoping for rain--lots of rain.

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Noddy24 wrote:

I'll be hoping for rain--lots of rain.

Sadly, unlikely.

We're in the worst drought on record,

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Worst drought on record and more than two weeks away from official summer.

Very unsettling.

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Update 6/12/06.
DSE are not going to "fight the fires they are putting in containment lines. 40 meter bulldozer strips and then watch until they burn themselves out or we get decent rain. DSE claims they dont have the resouces however the rumour is their resouces are going into the Thomson River area to protect Melbournes water supply and Vic forests timber supplies. I guess Asset protection has to be prioritised but sometimes you wonder.
Whislt fires are ringing the town at present they really are a fair distance away but there are many homes, holiday homes, farms etc that are directly threatened. It will only take a hot northerly to blow this thing up.

DSE expect eventually that the three fires burning north (tolmie) and east (Mt buller) of here to join up at some stage.

so its all a waiting and watching game at present

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Hey Dad,

Do me a favor please? Make sure you have a plan A, plan B and plan C for getting out of there, and then make use of one of them well before your evacuation routes are all blocked. Don't wait until the last minute when panic has set in and everyone goes nuts.

It sounds like you all are on your own. Are the townfolk banding together with volunteer firefighters?

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Butterflynet dont concern yourself. We "do" fires better than anyone in the world. We have skycranes, firebirds, and rappel crews that can be used if necessary as well as 50 4*4 slip ons, 7 *4000 tankers, and thats just the forest service DSE. 11 * 5000 litre Country Fire authority tankers are deployed as well as the dozen or so that are resident most farmers have their own fast attack vehicals os some kind.

Its just that to put out every tree, every stump, every glowing coal will take a long time and more resources.

As for me personally I live in the middle of town which is surrounded by well grazed paddocks so even if the fires did burn out of the forest it would'nt take long to bring it under control. Dont get me wrong there are 4-5000 people who could be directly affected but I will be safe.

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DP....just listening to 7.30 Report on your situation.

We are all thinking of Victoria, and waiting our turn.

It is a scary situation...new growth burning...forest types which usually are fire resistant going up.....I hope all you guys over there will be safe.

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Hot as hell and the flames are closing in

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