45.1˚C here today

[Greenman]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

At least this one looks like missing the Cassowary Coast, they can do without another blow. I sat through Larry while it snapped large trees and caused widespread damage and chaos and saw the results of Yasi when it gave Cardwell and Tully Heads a pasting.

This one is less intense and if it crosses the coast at low tide then it may do little damage and bring the much needed rain.

This time last year Bundaberg was floating, some parts literally. This year the place is as dry as a chip. The weather is a little crazy around the whole world right now.

Good luck to those in the path. We will all know the result by this time tomorrow, most likely.

[cobblerdave]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Gudday
Meanwhile in North QLD a tropical low is expected to intensify and cross the coast at Prosopine Friday morning. It will probably be a cat 1, 120 km winds but on top of the king tides they are expecting flooding. Over the ranges out west 70per cent of western QLD is drought declared and are praying that the rain left over will provide relief from the dry. It's certainly a year of extremes for us all.
Regards dave

[nissanneill]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

That would be nice , but 43˚C yesterday, 34 today and around 40 tomorrow.
No rain in sight, but welcome anytime.
The countryside is ripe for fires and with thunderstorm, comes lightning and fires.
The stat TOTAL FIRE BAN is in force due to "catastrophic fire danger".

Neill

[Greenman]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Many of us who are fond of SA have watched your plight with interest and compassion. It sounds like you could do with a cool change and 5 inches of rain.

Our thoughts are with you during difficult times.

[wotavidone]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Just realised something else.
The fire has been through Wongyarra.
I guess that means no annual pilgrimage to gather wild mushrooms and wild pears this year.

[wotavidone]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

17th day of the Bangor fire. No end in sight, another heat wave forecast.
Most of the plantation timber in Wirrabara Forest burnt.
Upwards of 55,000 acres burned, 6 houses gone.

People are saying that in a lot of places the fire just went from tree top to tree top, propelled by the winds.
They say the problem with that is, when the wind changes and pushes the fire back over the fireground, usually this is cause for celebration, but this time it finds more fuel and keeps on burning.

Beauty.

[nissanneill]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

No, wrong surname!

Neill

[wotavidone]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Bushfire update!
Their daughter Jackie, who lives in the shelter of the Flinders Ranges a few miles away and the flames just missed their property and livelihood as did their brother Noel who has a large orchard directly in the forest. Neill

That wouldn't be Jackie O'Reilly would it?

[wotavidone]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Finally raining here in Oz. After 11 days of non stop flames, the fire might finally die back.
Flames in the hills last night were absolutely massive. It burned down the face of the hills toward the township of Napperby the otherday, and residents were told to leave. They are back now.
Hills now shrouded clouds and rain.
Before the rain started the fire front was about 7 miles wide heading for Napperby.
About 55,000 acres of mostly prime bushland and conservation park burned.

Bangor Fire - Public Information Map 1100 hrs 23-01-2014

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Your words of caution ring home here in Southern California. Day before yesterday three men were warming themselves by an (illegal) outdoor campfire when the wind suddenly blew embers and paper from the fire out into the wilderness northeast of Los Angeles.
Latest report is 1,800 acres, 5 structures (including homes) burned and 1000 people on evacuation watch.

It doesn't help that it has been 80-85F for over a week but the three men have all been federally charged. I would certainly not need that if my oven sparked a fire.

[BOOMERS WFO]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Bushfires are certainly a horrible experience to go through. Living at Greenhill (Ash Wednesday Fires in the 1980's) I am very conscious of the impact that we make through carelessness, with Cleland Conservation Park in front and Second Creek behind - preparation/prevention is very important.

My WFO was built with spark arrestor and I believe would comply with the regulations, however I choose not to light up on a total fire ban for two reasons;

1. I don't want to take the risk and be the cause of a fire:

and

2. I don't want to be blamed for a fire up the road that some "Richard Cranium" decided would be fun to light!!!

Fortunately, we were lucky that we did not have any major fires in our area, but two bad fires are still going in the Barossa and Flinders Rangers.

My thoughts are with all in those areas. Stay safe.

Craig

[nissanneill]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Bushfire update!
Late last night I got a detailed text from my very dear friends/relatives from Wirrabara in the lower Flinders Ranges.

"Hi, we + house OK, Most of Bentleys black, big old gums well alight. So scary, wind change saved us! Jackie just missed. Old nursery burnt. Noel OK + your place. Not too many left.
Bye Carolyn"

I phoned her immediately after to find out that they (her and husband in their 70's) were rapidly vacating their 586 acre property, Bentleys Hill (a high local landmark) watching the rapidly approaching flames devour their property and almost up to their house and sheds when a sudden wind change turned the fire direction 90˚ to burn the remainder of their land. Their daughter Jackie, who lives in the shelter of the Flinders Ranges a few miles away and the flames just missed their property and livelihood as did their brother Noel who has a large orchard directly in the forest. The house and property that I was born on was just over the hill from Noel's and was also saved. On the other side of the township and about 5 miles out the other daughter also saved their property but lost considerable feed and some stock.
It makes you realise just how wild these fires are and how very lucky this wonderful family is to have lost some property in 4 different areas around Wirrabara without loosing their homes.
"Bentleys is all black and looks terrible, I never knew that we owned so many rocks" was the comment last night, I will be going up there to help with the re-fencing that was burned and must be replaced before it can be restocked, but at least we have a few months before feed will regrow.

Neill

[david s]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Found this on the Internet, so it must be true.

Fire authorities in California found a corpse in a burned-out section of forest while assessing the damage done by a forest fire.** The deceased male was dressed in a full wet suit, complete with scuba tanks on his back, flippers, and face mask.
A post-mortem test revealed that the man died not from burns, but from massive internal injuries. Dental records provided a positive identification.** Investigators then set about to determine how a fully clothed diver ended up in the middle of a forest fire.
It was revealed that on the day of the fire, the man went diving off the coast, some 20 miles from the forest.** The fire fighters, seeking to control the fire as quickly as possible, had called in a fleet of helicopters with very large dip buckets.** Water was dipped from the ocean and emptied at the site of the forest fire.
You guessed it.** One minute our diver was making like Flipper in the Pacific, the next, he was doing the breast stroke in a fire dip bucket 300 feet in the air.

[nissanneill]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

Yeh, good or what I call COMMON SENSE is something that not all people possess. Few people think about,"what would or could happen if.............."
There is aways the odd ball who simply does not think and there for spoils it for everyone else.
I haven't seen (or until this posting), heard of any specific rules/regulations regarding wood fired oven use.
My oven does have a spark arrester on top of the chimney and never even with an absolute roaring fire on light up, seen any sparks coming from the chimney,
With that said, in cases of "potential" fire safety, I would never light nor use my oven during such weather conditions.


Neill

PS Only 42˚C at present but a cooler change tomorrow afternoon.

[Nelskwdds]

Re: 45.1˚C here today

In seeing all of you Aussies discussing fire regulations, it Appears we are lagging behind in this regard. Perhaps I should contact the local authorities about engendering some new fire regulations for our WFO's......then again, sometimes silence is golden! They don't seem to care around here, & I'd like to keep it that way! "All about using a little good sense sometimes"......should suffice.