General Chat

Just as I was posting on a thread a moment ago I heard the sound of planes flying very low.

I looked out to see two water bombers, and then a mass of smoke. Yep, another Bush Fire just to the south of me.

A couple of weeks ago we had one to the North. I'm just glad that we have the Ocean on the West side!

I hope that it is not between here and Collie, as I have to go to Collie very soon :-|

oh Allan - keep us posted - keep safe <3 <3 <3

Could do with some of that rain they had in Queensland and the SE couldn't you?
Suppose bush fires are a natural way of regeneration,but it is a shame for the wild life as well as the damage to nearby properties.
Stay safe! :-)

could I just say Alan - your wife is looking a shade on the ropey side these days :-D

Thanks Ann

We actually live in a fairly large (by WA standards) urban area but we do have bush on three sides of the area. Not much chance of us being directly affected, but depending where, it is power could go off.

We've had a long hot dry spell so the bush is like tinder.

As we have had no lightning strikes the cause could be one of two things....a discarded cigarette end, or worse still, it has been deliberately started!

Brenda, ironically the North of WA is in the grip of a severe cyclone, wich like those recent ones in the east is very slow moving.

According to the weather bureau rain has been falling at the rate of 150mm (6") per HOUR!. As it tracks south if it follows the usual pattern once it is well over land Kalgoorlie and Esperance will cop a drenching and we may receive some rain from it.

Ann OH has also changed her sex :-D

just heard on the radio that it started about 5.30 this morning and is about 2 kms south of me between Australind (where I live) and Bunbury. Apparently it is well under control and the water bombers have now returned to the airport.

Sending best wishes yours and OH way.....XX

Take care now Allan - keep an eye on your bush :-)

Glad that the Bush Fire is now under control Allan :)

Slap your wrists AnnC !
That's a lovely avatar Allan has.
It was a pretty one of his wife, but did get me a bit confused :-S doesn't take a lot !

Wend :-0 ;-)

why oh why dont people learn?

if you dont trim your bushes,this will always happen,let them get out of control and your always going to get into trouble one way or another :-D :-D :-D ;-)

Suzanne, the appropriate dept used to have prescribed burns each year to reduce the fireload in the under-storey. These took place all over the South West where there are many tree plantations. However, ue to complaints from Perth residents about smoke and haze affecting the City, these burns have been cut right back, with the consequence that the severity and frequency of bushfires in this region have intensified.

Prescribed burns can also get out of control, which is what happened last year in Margaret River

Allan ~ I wish I could send you some of our rain!!

I hope you and yours keep safe!! <3

Blue sky today (first time for over a week), but more rain expected tomorrow.

I've got the washer going!

Australia is sure getting a mixture of weather. :-(

Allan


do take care!


the same thing re banning burning of the underbrush happened here ................ with exactly the same result. Fires break out more often, and are much worse because of the dry underbrush.

we also get candling, which is similar to what you get with the Eucalypts ...... the flames jump from pine tree to pine tree and spread very rapidly.


There is also the problem of the urban encroaching on the wild ................ housing developments built right up to forest margins, without sufficient clearing space left within the development's boundaries.

The Shire/Council where we live have a"green" policy. I'm all for being green, but you have to be sensible with it!

We're not allowed to burn off, not allowed to cut down trees (even in our own gardens) without permission ~ which costs money ~ they don't care that the trees may be dangerous or damaging a house.

The only time there's a lapse of this law is after storm damage. We've had some (lots!) of storm damage this month, and the sound of chain saws fills the days :-D A good way of getting rid of those dangerous branches that the storm didn't get;-)

If we could figure out how to chainsaw the undergrowth we'd be happy ;-)

Scozz, Sylvia

I have an aquaintance who used to work for the Dept Of conservation and land management (CALM) before it was merged with The Department of the Environment.

He was a Forester and said that before he retired quite a few years ago there was a programme to burn 20,000 hectares of land on a rotational basis. This is now down to 2,000 hectares a year, and some areas haven't been touched for over 20 years.

Scozz I also read on the news about a tree in NSW (I think that's where it was) which fell on a house demolishing it. Two years previously the owner of the property on which the tree grew (next door to the one demolished) had written to the council asking for permission to remove the tree as it was only in 200mm (8") of soil.

The Council denied permission and instead placed a heritage listing on the tree so that it couldn't be touched!

That sounds typical, Allan :-(

The extremes of weather are amazing but then we are an enormous country.

Take care :-)

totally agree, Sue. :-)

Even within one State there can be extremes: whilst the SW of WA has had one of the hottest summers on record, the North West has experienced planty of rainfall and now the recent cyclone, which fortunately missed the major populated areas but battered the small community of Pardoo. :-(

Dear Allan

Hello


Hope you and our OZ cousins and friends are safe.

Keep in touch where you can.


All of you, do take care and don't take any risks.
Lots of good wishes
Elizabeth
xx

Many thanks EOS.

The fire yesterday turned out to be a mionor one by most standards and was quickly brought under control. The water bombers were used to help those on the ground bring the blaze under control, and then stayed around to ensure that there were no flare ups. After the bombers left, a small 'spotter' plane was in the air for about an hour or so just to keep an eye on things