Australians - heat and fire

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

http://www.theage.com.au/environmen...-catastrophic-level-fires-20130104-2c8j1.html

80 houses lost in Tasmania. Miss Chicken as I understand it is not near these fires and no one else is from the forum.

Heat didn't drop below 100 until 2am. I didn't have any trouble sleeping through it though.

 

[Miss Chicken]

They say that that 80 buildings lost is a low estimate and only takes into account those lost at Dunalley (65) and Boomer Bay(15). Still no confirmation if a man has died at Dunalley.

Buildings lost at Dunalley includes the school, petrol station, the RSL, shops and homes. The pub has survived ans some residents have taken shelter in it.

It is believed that there has been property destroyed at Murdanna and Connellys Marsh.

There has been a heavy loss of livestock.

My sister's boyfriend, who lives at Koonya (about 7 kilometers from Nubeena) left his house and spent the night at a beach. I can't say I was at all worried about him last night because he was so close to Nubeena.

Overnight the sea rescue operation has plucked more than 1000 people off beaches along the Tasman Peninsula and brought the people to Hobart.

My other sister has been contacted by our friend, Janet, from Bicheno. She is safe. One house has been lost at Bicheno.

80 houses lost in Tasmania. Miss Chicken as I understand it is not near these fires and no one else is from the forum.

Yes, I am quite safe. I live about 18 km from the most western edge of the Dunalley fire.

It is now only 20C in Hobart and this should make the fire fighting much easier.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

I'm glad no-one from the forums is directly affected. The British media isn't very good at reporting on Australian matters, as far as I can tell. Maybe I'm just using the wrong sources, but if it wasn't for this thread I wouldn't even know there was a crisis.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Her is a map of the affected area

The western edge of the fire is near Dodges Ferry.

The Tasman Peninsula is the area south of Dunalley. The fire has not yet reached Eaglehawk Neck though people there have been told to evacuate.

I live at Howrah.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Recent update


About 30% of all buildings in Dunalley have been destroyed. On top of the buildings I have mentioned above the bakery and the police station are gone.

Building losses at Connellys Marsh are about 40%.

About 20 houses have been destroyed in the Murdunna area.

Three houses have been loss at Copping. A number have been loss at Primrose Sands (South-east of Dodges Ferry).

There are about 2000 people taking refuge at Nubeena and another 700 at the Port Arthur Historical Site.

 

[Australis]

Up on the NSW Central Coast, it's 'only' high 20s/low 30s here now. Couple of years ago we experienced 45. No fires for now.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I am not sure but I think that the houses of my friend at Bicheno and my sister's boyfriend's house in Koonya might be in danger though I don't think me friends themselves are in danger as both said that they were going to evacuate last night. We haven't heard from them since.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Smoke filled sky over Hobart (an hour before sunset)

 

[Spot's Meow]

They actually covered this story on the "around the world" segment of my local news this morning. They discussed the various structures that had been destroyed in Dunalley. The images were quite sad.

 

[Miss Chicken]

UPDATE - still no confirmed deaths.

The possible death reported at Dunalley was reported by a firefighting crew who was force to take shelter in their firetruck as the fire passed over them. Just before the fire went over them they spotted a man who was trying to defend his home. There was no way the crew could reach him and later they couldn't see him and reported him as a possible death. However no body has been found and it seems that the man might have escape somehow.

The weather conditions on Friday were very similar to those that occurred on 7 Feb 1967 when fire swept through southern Tasmania. However back then 62 people died, 2000 buildings lost and 264,000 ha ((652,360 acres) burnt in just five hours. As far as the current fire go about 36,000 ha have burnt and about 100-110 buildings lost. I think this shows just how much better fire fighting techniques and equipment are than they were back in 1967 and also how much better the early warning system and evacuation procedures are.

Some very lucky escapes

One extended family on a caravaning holiday was trapped with fires on three sides of them. Luckily they were spotted by a fire bombing helicopter. The helicopter bombed their site time after time with water from a nearby dam until the fire had passed.

One woman holding her 11 month old son had to wade out until only their heads were above water as fire burnt down to the water line.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

I hope that missing man did indeed get to safety. I'm impressed that no-one's been confirmed dead so far. Here's hoping it's under control soon.

 

[SmoothieX]

It made it to about 35 here today. The snow melted just enough where my dog wouldn't cut her paws on the ice if I threw a tennis ball for her. After a few throws, I ditched the fleece jacket.

Possible blizzard this coming week through when I have to go to Vermont for work. I love snow, just not driving in a foot of it.

 

[Miss Chicken]

UPDATE - fires still raging.

About 100 people are missing but police hold grave concerns for only a few of them. Tasmanians have been told to brace themselves for the possibility that there has been deaths.

100s of people are in refuges in Nubeena and Port Arthur but many of those have chosen not to be evacuate to Hobart.

There was a fire alert for Taranna last night. It is still uncertain what the situation there is but reports state that the Tasmanian Devil Park is safe.

The Hobart Showgrounds are being used as a refuge for animals and I believe many horses have been evacuated to there.

 

[brian577]

Comment Deleted

 

[Orac Zen]

What they're forecasting for tomorrow is genuinely frightening. I can only hope it doesn't turn out to be as bad as claimed, but I won't count on it.

I loathe summer.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Luckily for Tasmania we are only expecting a max in the high 20s with only slight winds.

I feel sorry for those elsewhere in Australia who will have to experience temps in the 40s.

The police have search more than 250 houses in the Dunalley area and no bodies found, so it looks like we will escape with no fatalities at all.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

My GOD

Oodnadatta (SA) 47.5
Port Augusta (SA) 47.4
Moomba (SA) 45.9
Wilcannia (NSW) 45.0
Ivanhoe (NSW) 45.3
Leonora (WA) 46.9
Forrest (WA) 44.1
Warburton (WA) 47.0
Mandora (WA) 44.2
Urandangi (Qld) 42.9
Birdsville (Qld) 45.1
Swan Hill (Vic) 43.3


http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/dome-of-heat-covers-the-continent-20130107-2ccno.html

And Melbourne a civilized 31.

 

[Australis]

Yep apparently tomorrow is going to be a doozy where I live, hasn't been too bad so far.

 

[SmoothieX]

What they're forecasting for tomorrow is genuinely frightening. I can only hope it doesn't turn out to be as bad as claimed, but I won't count on it.

I loathe summer.

I do too, both the season and the ex-wife who was named for it.

I'm a winter and snow and ice kind of guy.

 

[marillion]

I'm feeling so badly for y'all there.. We're in the process of gearing up for what could be another bad fire season here.. It's the middle of winter here and I've ready been doing media interviews about fire preparedness and prevention.. New Mexico has had three of its worst fire seasons on record here, these last three years and we're hoping we won't get a repeat.. I use bushfire video from Australia in one of my training classes..

I had the honor of working closely with a team of firefighters from Australia in California a few years ago.. Truely great guys and I learned a lot (as I hope they did as well)...

What kind of fire prevention/preparedness programs do you all have down there? Is there government subsidized land management/treatment available?

We primarily use Firewise and Ready Set Go here, and have had some success..

On edit.. I get a daily roundup of "Wildfire in the News" stories.. Here's the primary story about the Australian fires.

Australian Wildfires