Australian Bushfires

[Syncop8r]

@Greg, I do hope all that happens.  Glad you are still safe and I do hope these fires get under control and you continue to stay our of harms way.

[TazzieRob]

Australia can't get a break.
I've seen reports of dead fish because of the rain washing the ash into the river.

We went for a drive through Pelham the other week and you could see where streams of ash and char had been washed down the hills

[TazzieRob]

Well done on getting some decent rain.  We are still waiting (and hoping) in Canberra. 

Because we are almost surrounded by fires (most not close enough to worry us at the moment) it doesn't matter which way the wind blows we still cop a lot of smoke (but annoying smoke is much better than being burnt out like has happened to way too many people     ).

I'm hoping that all these fires we've had will be a big wake-up call on managing fire risks from now on.  This will hopefully cover not just the obvious: cold weather hazard reduction burning, but also mechanical clearing, improved building standards (better fire resistance of buildings), allowing owners to clear trees & bush around their houses, restricting where development is permitted, improved maintenance on power lines, and better methods to detect & jail arsonists.

One of those fires near Canberra was started by an Army helicopter that touched down in dry grass and the hot search light ignited it. Best intentions but education and not forgetting will be key for many of those things to be effective into the future

[gregozedobe]

Thanks guys. 

I must admit that it is a bit disconcerting to look out at the hills every night and seeing the fire keep on going.  This is the fire that was started by the landing light on the army helicopter (which was doing clearing work for the Fire people, ironically ).

Fingers crossed we'll get some decent rain soon, as I think that is the only thing that will put some of these fires out.  On a positive note we have had some good rain to our north, so that will help control some of the fires that were burning there.

[Nix]

It sounds as thought the rains have helped a bit.

[McStitchy]

This is going on for soo long now 
Everything must be super dry.
Here in Ireland I cannot imagine a helicopters landing light igniting anything.
I wish you all the long awaited rains to come as soon as possible 

[Aloha]

 

However here in my area we seem to be in a constant state of drought  .  Hot vehicle exhausts can set off fires in certain areas and have. 

[pfrsantos]

Not many news about this now in Portugal. The coronavirus is taking up awl of the news these days...

 

[pfrsantos]

"Funny" thing, the common flu has killed more people in Portugal last year than awl the coronavirus casualties so far, but there's nothing on the news about it...

  

[Syncop8r]

There was a fire near here this time last year which was caused by someone ploughing a field.

[Syncop8r]

"Funny" thing, the common flu has killed more people in Portugal last year than awl the coronavirus casualties so far, but there's nothing on the news about it...

Kinda like disasters in Third World countries that don't get much airtime.

They could have chosen a scarier name, more along the lines of Swine Flu.