East Coast Fires, Oct 2013.

[topcropper]

Anyone effected yet?

Good luck. Looks bad ahead. Keep safe, houses can be rebuilt, but you only get one go at life.

At least in my area, not many bloody trees, and grass is that short and stunted it's probably safer now than usual.


See ya's.

 

[Macca]

Hi TC,

I live in Port Stephens so we have been on the news, unfortunately

Our main problem is that we are an area of coastal wetland type vegetation which needs to be burned off at least every second year, if not every year near houses.

The current blanket rule in NSW is to burn off every 7 years, this may be OK in the dry hilly country but around swampy regions full of tea tree and paper barks it is a disaster waiting to happen after 3 years.

The gum trees which grow in amongst the tea tree just explode when the tea tree oil ignites.

Dead fauna everywhere (again) extremely sad and makes me angry but what would us old local firefighters know

There are number of old timers and aboriginal elders arguing that we need to burn more often than other places, hopefully we will get an exemption for the future following the latest round of fires.

 

[pursefattener]

I feel for the people burnt out . A terrible experience to go through .

Yesterday I had my son light a pile of garden clippings , windfall branches etc and it was burning ok until we had a downpour followed by a hailstorm ..

Seems to me we have had a lot more wind than usual in my area .

 

[MsKat]

Im In Parramatta and the smoke today has my eyes running. Seems to of got worse in the last hour.

I cant imagine how bad it is for those living closer to the fires.

My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes or have to live in fire damages houses.

 

[keithj]

Anyone effected yet?

We had a D9 put containment lines around our PPOR yesterday - we have NP on 3 sides. RFS & NPWS were planning a backburn last night, but due to the wind change it was postponed. Apparently it is likely to happen today, but no-one will know until it actually happens. We feel well prepared - we will stay & defend. The problem day is Wednesday - stronger, hot northerly winds at forecast, pushing the fire fronts towards the mountains villages.

Some of the kids school friends from the lower mountains have nothing left but their school uniforms.

 

[topcropper]

Seems to me we have had a lot more wind than usual in my area .

I reckon it's the windiest 5 weeks I ever remember. Had enough of it.

We had half a years rainfall, or about 340 mills of rain between Christmas day and March the first. June was pretty wet, but not much other rain really. Pretty similar right to the coast, and up into QLD.


See ya's.

 

[pursefattener]

Yes , I purchased a new australian flag for my flagpole and normally I just leave it up until it flaps to bits and then buy a new one to put up . If its constantly blowing a gale they don't seem to last too long no matter the quality .

However , at least it is flying and looking good as it is meant to . Then I can go back to counting my money while I look at it out the window

 

[lizzie]

We are fortunately surrounded by vineyards so no real chance of a fire here ... but used to live backing onto a large bush reserve and every summer was stressful.

The smoke has been so thick at times, from the Muswellbrook fire, that it feels like dusk in the mid day and I have friends who are RFS or out on their earthmoving machinery helping out ... better to me to stay out of the way and offer back room support.

Very very dry in the Hunter - no proper rain for 6 months - and 3 months now of strong wind - so over the wind!