OZ: Bushfires ? are threatening the state of NSW.

[Jake84]

Australia bushfires: Record number of emergencies in New South Wales

An unprecedented number of blazes bring the highest threat level to New South Wales, officials say.

www.bbc.com

Australian authorities say an "unprecedented" number of emergency-level bushfires are threatening the state of New South Wales (NSW).
More than 80 blazes were raging across the state on Friday.
Gusty winds and up to 35C heat have exacerbated the fires, many of which are in drought-affected areas.
There are reports of people trapped in their homes in several places, with crew unable to reach them due to the strength of the fires.

 

[Bombardier]

Hope all stay safe.

Ok @Jake84 I am intrigued, how did you manage to insert an icon into your thread title
I did an upgarde today so if it did it automatically that is possibly why.

 

[Jake84]

Skills mate, skills.

When using my iPhone and if I type “fire”, the icon ? it automatically appears even in a title on a forum.

? ?? ?

Simple as that boss.

 

[Bombardier]

Aha so its on Iphone, I likey a lot

 

[Jake84]

Aha so its on Iphone, I likey a lot

And as @TheKiwi would say, Apple and iPhone are God’s chosen phone anyway.

 

[primer]

Dryer and warmer here in godzone too. Rural firefighters the hardest job with all that gear plus fire heat plus Aussie heat.

 

[Jake84]

Unfortunately these fires have claimed three lives...

 

[NZM305]

Smoke is affecting Nz from Oz fires as well, Sun was a weird yellow/orange here on sat from all the haze

 

[BravoZulu]

The view from HMAS Adelaide as they arrive at Eden Harbour, with visibility less than 500m

HMAS Choules in heavy smoke haze off Mallacoota

 

[Jake84]

Unfortunately these fires have claimed three lives...

I have forgotten to update this thread. The death toll is more at 20 now. Not to mention the devastation for the Australian wildlife...

 

[primer]

Aussie bush has a thick layer of tinder of unrotted leaf material. And eucalyptus leaves dry like a leaf of paper. Its like it was designed to catch on fire. Which seems quite an Darwinian but then it all sprouts back again.

I wonder if we are too good at controlling fires and its just natural to burn in Aussie. No fires for years is more tinder fore more severe fires.

A kiwi stayed back and wet his property. It and himself survived. That plus removing these trees around buildings. They look good and provide cool shade but they are a conduit for fire but it seems like where ever houses are they have allowed big trees to grow next to for aesthetic reasons. And they do look good. People have moved into the trees because it does look good but they are a complete fire hazard.

Many country fire fighters are highly pissed off with the Govt..lack of resources and support.

 

[Fish&Chips]

Big imported residential trees may even add to the drought as they suck the last drop of water from the ground, growing in a terrain they're not to supposed to exist in.

And from a total outsider's perspective, I think a few regular bushfires each and every year would help the bush to regenerate and burn off what might otherwise grow into a thick fire hazard. So putting out every little fire as long as it doesn't pose a threat to humans would indeed be overkill.

 

[Gaz]

Bushfire relief: How you can help those in need

Australia is reeling as firefighters battle relentless blazes around the nation. Here’s how to help those affected by the devastation.

Bushfire relief: How you can help those in need

Countless stories of devastation are emerging around Australia as the country burns.

www.news.com.au

 

[digrar]

It's pretty dire down here. There is a disconnect between facts and perceived reality. There are identity politics at play, the PM is not the warm and cuddly Ardern type and he's being crucified for that, for a couple of unwise moves and for a heap of things that are not his to control. Interestingly the opposition has barely poked its head up above the parapet, as they no doubt know they're just as culpable for m/any failings.
Volunteers are being stretched a lot further than expected. Massive loss of native and domestic animal life. Human deaths. Loss of property. Loss of livelihood. Main East West transport routes have been shut down, coastal towns with single road access are or have been cut off.
Social media has been savage, main stream media not much better. The famed Aussie sense of mateship and a fair go is at one of the spectrum being displayed better than ever and at the other, is sorely lacking.
It's all a bit of a S**t show, with no sign of ending any time soon.

 

[Bombardier]

Been watching the fires with a deep sense of dread, I hope all our Ozzy cousins stay as safe as possible. A terrible event all round.

 

[digrar]

Military in seven-day race to bury hundreds of thousands of dead animals

Australia's Defence Force will dig mass graves for the country's burned livestock, as the Agriculture Minister starts the clock to avoid a biosecurity emergency.

www.abc.net.au

ADF in seven-day race to help bury hundreds of thousands of farm animals killed in bushfires, amid biosecurity fears
By political reporter Jack Snape
Updated 37 minutes ago

Australia's Defence Force will dig mass graves for the country's burned livestock in a bid to fight off a biosecurity emergency.

Key points:

• The Agriculture Minister has offered 100 vets to bushfire-affected states to assess and euthanase thousands of stock injured by the blazes
• Bridget McKenzie says the bushfires will be devastating on the national herd, with stock dying from smoke inhalation and heat stress
• She says when it's safe for Defence personnel to access the firegrounds, they'll be sent-in to dig pits and bury stock

Hundreds of thousands of animals have perished in the blazes according to estimates from the National Farmers Federation, and more have abandoned paddocks that have had fences burned.

Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie said the bushfire crisis would "devastate" the national herd.

"I've got 100 vets across the country I've offered to state [agriculture] ministers," she told RN Breakfast.

"I know South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales will be taking up that offer to get that assistance as soon as possible — to not just assess the health, but these teams will also be euthanasing stock."

Biosecurity crisis countdown
Senator McKenzie said the dead animals presented a massive biosecurity risk and the Defence Force would help the clean-up, "to dig the pits, if you like, that are going to be required to bury this level of stock".

James Zimmerman, a firefighter who helped defend Batlow on Sunday, posted on Facebook as he was defending the fires that they needed ammunition "to put livestock out of their misery".

ABC journalist Tom Lowrey was in Batlow this morning to witness the devastation, saying dead livestock littered the road on the way into town.
"Farmers were this morning loading the charred bodies into utes — they said they did what they could, and saved many, but couldn't save all."

Need for food and water

Farmers faced the prospect of fighting fires, repairing and rebuilding lost structures, as well as maintaining supply of produce.

"I'm hearing stories of farmers having to milk a dairy herd twice a day to keep the milk production up because if you stop milking you won't have any supply," Senator McKenzie said.

"[Farmers are] going around the farm and dealing with stock that need to be euthanased and then fighting the local fires.
She said state farming organisations were requesting fodder and water.

However, there were risks that bringing hay into communities facing feed shortfalls would only increase the fire danger.

A delivery of 10 semi-trailers of hay into the fire-affected upper Murray region in Victoria had to be abandoned on Friday due to the ongoing bushfire threat.

"We don't want to put hay into fire zones and create more of a problem," Senator McKenzie said.

"But we also have to make sure we create a space for them to be accessible to farmers when and where they need it."

 

[primer]

The greenie in the video knows how to dodge.... soon as apportioning blame comes into his speech.

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

Stay strong Aussies.

Also, I don't know much about Australian infrastructure but do you guys or the government regularly trim dead wood and trees from your power lines? A lot of fires in California were started because Pacific Gas & Electricity didn't maintain their own infrastructure.

 

[muck]

Stay safe @everyone down under! God bless Australia.

It's like it was designed to catch on fire.

Well, it was. Eucalyptus contains highly flammable natural oils to aid vegetation fires which, in turn, help the plant's distribution. Remember the horrible fires in Portugal a few years ago? Local forest owners had afforested the most affected areas with rapidly-growing eucalyptus and that proved to be the victims' undoing. The flammable trees spread the fire so rapidly (~100 kph) it overtook people fleeing in their cars.

That's how dangerous that tree can be under drought-like conditions. It seems vital to me the distribution of eucalyptus be controlled and managed. Even in a country as big as Australia proper forest management can't possibly be more expensive than the damage incurred now.

 

[HisRoyalHighness]

Well, it was. Eucalyptus contains highly flammable natural oils to aid vegetation fires which, in turn, help the plant's distribution. Remember the horrible fires in Portugal a few years ago? Local forest owners had afforested the most affected areas with rapidly-growing eucalyptus and that proved to be the victims' undoing. The flammable trees spread the fire so rapidly (~100 kph) it overtook people fleeing in their cars.

Same thing in California.

Damn tree has been an absolute menace.