Bushfires

[den]

65 are confirmed dead Police are looking for some arsonists. They will be charged with murder. arseholes.

The town of Marysville is gone but the people made it out.

It just gets worse with every report.

Comments

[aj-hyena.livejournal.com]

Somehow I think being charged with murder is not going to suddenly make them give a damn about the damage they caused.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

It will, however, mean they are in prison for a long time and therefore unable to set more fires.

It'll also mean they get treatment. Setting fires is a known sign of psychological disturbance.

(And before you scoff at the idea that they will get treatment in prison, my sister-in-law is a prison psychologist here in NZ, where the prison system is similar to Australia's. People DO get treatment here, and some of them go on to make good lives.)

[submarine-bells.livejournal.com]

Marysville's gone? Even the station? Well, crap.

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

TV News says there is one building standing.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

What amazes me about the aerial photos there is that there are lots of burned houses there, but fewer burned trees than makes sense to me.

Seriously, though: Arson on this level should be considered some sort of something extra. It's more than just homicide. It's almost a sort of terrorism, though it doesn't carry that intent. It's just . . . beyond.

[hendikins.livejournal.com]

The confirmed death toll now stands at 76, exceeding that of Ash Wednesday.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

90+ :/

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

107 8(

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Double that: http://twitter.com/BreakingNewsOn/status/1190683395

[weyrdbird.livejournal.com]

:(!!!
That's terrible! They are still searching for the arsonists who set some of the fires in california too, iirc.
Arseholes, indeed.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Many, many of last summer's fires in California were lightning-caused, but yes, we have quite a lot of arson fires, too.

[hallan.livejournal.com]

Wow...

Hallan

[sleepyjohn00.livejournal.com]

It's been 18 years since the Berkeley Hills fire, which wiped out a large patch of Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont, etc. It was fueled by the eucalyptus trees which were planted early in the 1900s, and which spread wild all over the hills.

Damn koalas.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

The eucalyptus came here in the 1850s. :/

The Oakland firestorm was rather immediate, for me: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42614915@N00/tags/oaklandhillsfire/

The fires in Victoria aren't too far outside of Melbourne, and had (have?) the potential to be much more urban and dangerous to humans.

[ionotter.livejournal.com]

You aren't in any danger in Dubbo, are you?

One of the things I've told people in fire zones was to dig a pit in their backyard and bury their important things before the fires get close. Papers, pictures, important documents and whatnot. I've also advised to wrap up their electronics with plastic wrap, a bin liner and a bit of silica gel and bury those too. You'd only need a few inches of dirt over the top to protect the cover.

That way, you've got nothing to hold you back or weigh down your car if you have to leave. And if you know your stuff is protected, you'll feel a lot better about leaving sooner instead of waiting it out.

I hope you're safe where you are, mate.

[hallan.livejournal.com]

This is extremely good advice. Where did you learn it?

Hallan

[ionotter.livejournal.com]

Various places, really? Smoke Jumpers and forest fire fighters are told not to run if it looks like they might be over-run, but to dig in and cover themselves and let the fire roll over them, especially in brush fires. They're also issued fire tents made of aluminum and nomex in case they're caught by a raging crown fire, as seen here. (http://www.firehouse.com/wildfires/1999/0921a.html)

You have to understand that in wildfires like this, it's not the actual flames which cause things to burn, it's the heat. And most of that is radiant heat, such as infra-red. This why you can't get close to a bonfire? You're not being touched by the flames, but the radiation will roast you all the same. If you can block that radiation with something durable, then you won't feel it. Here (http://www.cricorp.com/skullbucket/images/OilFiref.jpeg) is an excellent example and demonstration of that.

So all you have to do is block the radiant heat, and you're good to go. Just putting down a plywood cover and tossing a few shovels of soil on top would do it nicely. The silica gel would be to absorb any moisture that builds up in the time it takes for you to get back and recover your items.

What most people don't realize is that they could vastly increase the chances of their house surviving a wildfire simply by taking down the curtains inside the windows. Houses don't want to burn? They're designed not to burn, especially from the outside. But things like curtains burn exceptionally well, and having all that thermal radiation coming in through the window will kill the house while the fire is still some distance away.

If you add a layer of tin foil to the windows, you increase the chance the house will survive yet again.

The primary enemy in wildfires is heat. Heat is the engine of the fire, and as things get hotter ahead of the line, wind-blown embers become the next biggest threat. The way to combat those is by keeping your yard clean of leaves and debris, so they don't have anything to land in. Don't forget to clean the rain gutters, as those will be full of leaves and tinder-dry crud, ready to burst into flames as well.

Here in the US, the main fire threat is creosote bush, tamarack, pine and eucalyptus (gum) in California. But gum trees aren't as wide-spread here as it is in Australia, and those things are demon trees once they get heated up and catch fire. They explode!

I've counseled people that want to fight a fire to save their house to bury their belongings, move their pets first, then keep the car pointed OUT and ready to go. I've also warned them to have an additional shelter dug for themselves if they have to back out, since they might not be able to get out via the road.

And if they're serious about fighting the fires, to pony up and buy a proper fire pump. Just a quick search via Google turns up this stroke of genius (http://www.homefirepump.com/). This is an OUTSTANDING idea! Not only do you have the firepump to supply water, they sell a foam applicator! That would enable you to not only wet down the surrounding area and walls of your house, it would keep them wet!

Here (http://www.bestfiredefense.com/?page_id=141) is another one, but I also warn them to buy a manifold for the hydrant in front of their house. That way, they can connect to the hydrant but also allow others, especially the fire brigade, to connect to the same plug.

Fire protection and defense isn't hard? It just requires forethought, planning and some common sense. Training will help you acquire all of those as well.

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

Dubbo is a long way from the Victorian fires, and a fair distance from the NSW fires. The nearest one is 200km away.

We still get the smoke, though.

National Parks, Fire Brigade officers and the Police are patrolling the nearby parks and state forests. Because there are idiots.

[stoda.livejournal.com]

Words can't convey such a loss, only describe it. Sure hope the wind and weather starts to cooperate soon.

[amazingadrian.livejournal.com]

You stay safe out there Den. I don't know what part of Aus you live in, but seriously, stay safe.

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

I'm a long way from the fires, but we still get the smoke.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Hell, we're 2000-odd kilometres away, and _we're_ getting the smoke. The light was distinctly yellow yesterday.

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

Sad. At least your government seems to be doing a good job responding. I note in the Marysville article is says the phone station was knocked out so they can't call and warn people. Hopefully folks can get warnings some other way and get out of the fire's path.