21-10-2013, 05:17 AM
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Photos of Australian bush fires
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=A...&bih=752&dpr=1No words needed: please look, Devastating.
22-10-2013, 12:45 AM
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Re: Photos of Australian bush fires
Absolutely dreadful, and all perhaps because of one stupid person's cigarette end, or a piece of glass not picked up. That is a shocker, and I do hope there have been no casualties to man, although I suspect that sadly many animals died.My husband and I used to live in a place called Worcester (where Meg lives), in Malvern, which has a huge expanse of hills and woodland. One year (1976) which was recorded as one of our hottest days for many many years it caught fire, and my husband (Army) and many other soldiers were seconded to help fight the fire with spades.
The fire service can only use hoses for a relatively short distance due to the location of the hydrants, so the rest were fire-beaters and it took hours and hours to finally put it out. Luckily, it is remote from most homes and there was no loss, but that pales into insignificance to your forest fires.
22-10-2013, 05:59 AM
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Re: Photos of Australian bush fires
Meg,A lot of the people fighting the fires are volunteers working in the Rural Fire Service. Communities have their own Fire Service and work unpaid.
So when they go fighting fires it's usually in their own or nearby communities so yes, they often watch their own homes burn down while they are out saving some else's.
I believe there are well over 2,000 fighting at the moment and help is already on the way from other States. We always help each other out in these circumstances.
Some CFS (Community Fire Service) here in SA (all volunteers) are on their way to Sydney. A friend of my daughter's, a teacher, left 2 days ago (at her own expense) and I know others that have gone as well.
If they need more in Sydney then the call will go out and the other States will respond as will New Zealand if called upon. Even America has responded when we have needed it. Flying over water bombing aircraft and leaving them here for our summer, as it's their winter.
New Zealand will now have Firemen that know how to fight fires in the Australian bush after they were called in for the Victorian Fires. The problem is that with hot weather the Eucalypt Trees exude Eucalyptus which makes it very volatile and dangerous to crews.
The fire is burning on a 1,600 mile front at the moment and tomorrow Wednesday, they are predicting very high winds and extreme temperatures.
22-10-2013, 07:44 AM
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Re: Photos of Australian bush fires
Wednesday should be interesting:http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-bushfi...022-2vxsm.html
It would be a high risk day if there were no fires burning but with fires burning around communities it could be bad.
Have you got your fire survival plan?
22-10-2013, 08:33 AM
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Re: Photos of Australian bush fires
Originally Posted by Sandi
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Mollie,2 of the fires were lit by kids. One an 11 year old, who is now under house arrest and a 15 year old as well.
That is exactly what I didn't want to hear. What must their parents be going through? Shocked to the core. Again, thoughts with you all and many thanks to all those fighting the fires.
22-10-2013, 11:55 PM
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Re: Photos of Australian bush fires
Here is a graphic from today's paper showing the fires in the Blue Mountains. They don't affect my place the Bargo (Halls Road) fire is the nearest one to me and that is over a dozen kms away. However as a precaution I have untangled all my hoses and laid them out in the unlikely event of embers coming this way in the predicted high winds.
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