(no subject)

[den]

A southerly blew in today, bringing with it smoke from the Goobang bushfire. I now have a permanent asthma attack and cough. triffic.

Comments

[arcturax.livejournal.com]

Erf :( I agree with that guy you quoted in NSW, that these arsonists should have to work in burn wards and helping to clean up the mess. They also should be made to apologize in writing to everyone who lost a home and if any one dies, they should have to attend the funeral.

[bandicoot.livejournal.com]

I've been puzzled about something. The pictures I've seen of the fire show at most a couple of helicopters and no mention of retardant bombers. Here during the fire season in the US west, there are a lot of contract aircraft on standby for retardant work, including old C-130s, old DC-7s, and even small, surplus Navy twin engined S2 bombers. Instead of just water from local sources, they can deliver large quantities of retardant solution, and reload relatively quickly. Helicopters are also used, but in most cases it's in a supplementary role.

Don't they have a similar aircraft program in Oz? If not, perhaps they should. The wildlife devastation alone seems appalling...

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

Nope! There is no program because the fixed-wing aircraft are far too expensive "to justify buying," according to the politicians (but not the firies.)

We use helecopters with water buckets. This year there is an Ericson Skycrane with a water tank, on hire from the Tennesee National Guard. 2 more are on the way.

The 'crane is named Elvis. 8)

Today it dumped 9 tonnes of water on 3 fire crews who were trapped by flames, saving the 14 fire fighters. TV Reporters say the people walked out of the smoke singing "Love Me Tender."

Re:

[bandicoot.livejournal.com]

Here, the government doesn't buy them. They're privately owned and contracted by the season to the Forest Service. Without them, it becomes much more difficult to fight remote fires. On a fire as large as yours, there would be dozens of planes and dozens of choppers working it.