mark 'n' joe

Blimey, how scary. Stay safe.

Joex

jad n rich

The age (melbs paper) has several picture galleries on the situation.


http://www.theage.com.au/

Pollyana

By the sound of the latest reports they are starting to lose houses

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/...nt_updates.htm

"DSE and CFA advise residents in the Gaffneys Creek and A1 Mine Settlement areas that a fire is travelling in a south-easterly direction and they will be threatened by this fire.These residents are advised to activate their fire plans immediately. "

"One house has been lost near Moores Road and fire is still threatening other buildings in the Pomborneit East and Stoneyford areas. The fire has also crossed over Moores Road in a north west direction and is reported to be burning in bush near the Pomborneit area. It is estimated that the fire has burnt some 600 hectares as of 1350 hours and is being driven by 35 km winds."

There are also new blazes starting up, so stay safe everyone, and make sure all your fire plans are in place.

NickyP

The winds have picked up and the temp has hit 40 degrees here . There have been several urgent warnings including for areas where the fires were classed as under control so it looks like things are getting pretty nasty.
Luckily for us we are the right side of the fires so will be OK but with lightning forcast for tomorrow we are all holding our breath. We are just waiting to be called out to help but at the moment things are still quiet.
Good luck to everyone in the front line and stay safe.
Nicky

Pollyana

I was wondering about your family - saw that some places had lost power too so didn't know if you'd be able to post.
Good luck - hope you get through OK.

NickyP

thanks we are out of the direct problems but we have friends who are fighting the fires on their properties (they took some awsome photos though so I will try to post when I get hold of them). At the moment the fires are moving away from us and Wangaratta is just a command and control centre for the region. I help out where possible with the Red Cross but haven't been needed at the moment, although with the new fire in Bright and the Edi Upper fire crossing control lines this may change .
Generally it is the smaller communities that are in danger and the land here is pretty inaccessible so there is little chance of physically putting these fires out. We have a large state forest area behind our house that is as dry as a tinder and with lightning forcast that is the main worry for us personally (we will be VERY lucky to get through the summer without that lot going up). However even that wouldn't reach us here we would just be watching out for embers etc.
The surreal thing is that once the wind picks up it is as if nothing is happening here just hot and sunny, then, once the wind drops then we get the thick brown smog.
Nicky

Pollyana

This one is a really sad pic I'm afraid - from The Age, poor lost looking Wallaby.

BadgeIsBack

Oh well. Possessions are not everything - as long as you've got your health etc etc.

Hels Bells

So whats the latest on the fires? I must admit, haven't seen the news. Paul just said something about Jamieson being under imminent threat?

Pollyana

The link in Post 63 (one of mine to the CFA) seems to be updated most frequently. Don't know exactly where Jamieson is, sorry, but there are a lot of places mentioned as in imminent danger.

sasbear

I don't find that at all funny

@boy

This pic was just taken by my mate in Bright [NE VIC] (he lives in Freeburgh, about 5 minutes out of town) about 1 hour ago.
It is a new fire, started today. They have all been told to enact their busfire survival plans.

Looks like a bloody volcano going off.

This place came soooo close to being completely burnt out with the fires there in 2003.

I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude to all the volunteer CFA volunteers that take on these monsters. A truly amazing bunch of people, largely unsung heros. Should make us all feel humble to the core of our being.....

BadgeIsBack

I can't help but feel that things were better than expected on some fronts. The Mansfield fire has been contained on the road for more than 48 hours and I expected it to cross yesterday. The townships on alert are still on alert and there seems to be no losses there - I think(!)

I don't know about local news or isolated hamlets!

thebears

Only hot air I mean is from government house. Certainly not good folk such as yourselves

Bordy

Good save there S