Australia Fires Part 2

[JohnMacca]

Sorry for a late comment - just discovered this thread.

I'm in NE Victoria but the closest fire is about 100 km away from my home, so I'm not directly affected by them - other than the smoke haze which is covering a large area.
I do know that my 300 acres is the driest it has been since the last big drought in 2003. We have had 2 dry winters and last spring (September to November) was the driest I can recall in the 40 years I have lived here.
The upside is that there is no grass in the paddocks to burn, but the downside is that the timber on 3 sides of my land is ready to explode.

I have previously been a member of our local volunteer brigade for more than 20 years and have attended many fires in that time. (Also had 2 directly threaten my home). I'm prepared to stay and fight if it's possible and have set up 2 water trailers with pump, hoses etc. You always get very nervous on Total Fire Ban days because there is no way a fire can be stopped quickly when the wind gets up.

All part of living in the "bush".

A situation like this always brings out the best and the worst in our world.
Charities have been inundated with donations of food clothes etc, to the extent that they have pleaded for people to give cash instead.
People from the far side of the world such as you guys have thoughts and prayers for those affected. There are plenty of media stories showcasing the great work the US volunteers are doing and how it is appreciated.

And then you have the lowlifes.
A refuge centre has been set up at the showgrounds in my local small city of Wangaratta for people who have had to evacuate their homes. Today in our local paper there are reports of thefts from their tents and caravans, where "individuals" have been roaming through the site looking for cash and valuables that can't be easily secured. Beyond belief, beyond words.

 

[Molalla1]

Sorry for a late comment - just discovered this thread.

I'm in NE Victoria but the closest fire is about 100 km away from my home, so I'm not directly affected by them - other than the smoke haze which is covering a large area.
I do know that my 300 acres is the driest it has been since the last big drought in 2003. We have had 2 dry winters and last spring (September to November) was the driest I can recall in the 40 years I have lived here.
The upside is that there is no grass in the paddocks to burn, but the downside is that the timber on 3 sides of my land is ready to explode.

I have previously been a member of our local volunteer brigade for more than 20 years and have attended many fires in that time. (Also had 2 directly threaten my home). I'm prepared to stay and fight if it's possible and have set up 2 water trailers with pump, hoses etc. You always get very nervous on Total Fire Ban days because there is no way a fire can be stopped quickly when the wind gets up.

All part of living in the "bush".

A situation like this always brings out the best and the worst in our world.
Charities have been inundated with donations of food clothes etc, to the extent that they have pleaded for people to give cash instead.
People from the far side of the world such as you guys have thoughts and prayers for those affected. There are plenty of media stories showcasing the great work the US volunteers are doing and how it is appreciated.

And then you have the lowlifes.
A refuge centre has been set up at the showgrounds in my local small city of Wangaratta for people who have had to evacuate their homes. Today in our local paper there are reports of thefts from their tents and caravans, where "individuals" have been roaming through the site looking for cash and valuables that can't be easily secured. Beyond belief, beyond words.

Stay safe my friend . . .

 

[rekees4300]

Home GreaterGood.org : GreaterGood.org

Awww Man,,,,, I figured this is what got the last thread locked... I guess we'll see. Hope not.

I don't know why the previous thread was locked? :confused3: Find it hard to believe TBN would lock a thread because a post contained a link to help save animals. :bear: Perhaps a moderator will post an explanation?

 

[mapper]

He was the 4th in Victoria for these fires, I didn't know how many had been lost nationally.
I am not volunteering, would just be a liability now and know it, plenty of good people up for the fight though and asking for nothing, isn't it funny how those that make the most noise seem to do the least.

For those to old to be on the fire lines there are other ways to help. Often there are fire camp needs that volunteers can help with, the red cross ran the lunch prep kitchen in the fire camps I was at. General camp support stuff from laundry to equipment maintenance was always needed. Firefighters were in camp to eat and sleep, they usually didn't have anything left after 12-14 hours on the line.

 

[bunyip]

For those to old to be on the fire lines there are other ways to help. Often there are fire camp needs that volunteers can help with, the red cross ran the lunch prep kitchen in the fire camps I was at. General camp support stuff from laundry to equipment maintenance was always needed. Firefighters were in camp to eat and sleep, they usually didn't have anything left after 12-14 hours on the line.

I have been to many fires and the longest was 4 weeks straight, as statesd earlier I worked in that area for a while and also a VV, I decided to sit this one out and I don't feel guilty as there are plenty doing their above and beyond, there are a lot of won't do anything.
When they come rattling their tins I will make a worthwhile contribution directly to our volunteer brigade and not via a third party who take their cut.
On a positive note, it bucketed rain overnight and heavy hail in some areas, a nearby town had flash floods but not too severe, the rain also hit the firefronts and is expected for another couple of days, problem is now flash flooding and landslides in affected areas and smoke due to return at the weekend, next week more moderate temperatures.

 

[ovrszd]

Glad to hear you got some rain. Mother Nature's power to change things is unimaginable.

In regards to donations. I agree. If I chose to donate money to the Australia fires I would send it to bunyip or wagtails and let them disperse it rather than to a website.

 

[Molalla1]

Glad to hear you got some rain. Mother Nature's power to change things is unimaginable.

In regards to donations. I agree. If I chose to donate money to the Australia fires I would send it to bunyip or wagtails and let them disperse it rather than to a website.

The only way to go Richard :thumbsup: . . .

 

[bunyip]

I think I may have been misleading you although not intentionally, heard on the news this morning that it was raining at the front as I stated in an earlier post, news I heard later was that it had not arrived as yet, two channels, two reports that conflict, the power of the news media to mislead.
It certainly rained where we were but will have to wait and see what is happening at the fire fronts.

 

[ovrszd]

No worries. Just the fact that there is potential rain in the area is a Blessing!!!

 

[Wagtail]

I saw on the news this morning that Japanese firefighters have arrived to assist/relieve... they came via a JSDF Hercules.

That's one looooong flight in a Herc.