Canberra Bushfire Information

A fire has rights?

Danman, I’ve heard the same tone and type of comment firsthand from rural firies in relation to the ’03 fires.
They weren’t *allowed* to go stamp it out quickly due to the fact it was a ‘natural’ fire, and therefore had the right to exist in a national park, being a ‘natural’ part of the revegatation cycle.
Just another example of greenie policies in action.

Gurunik – I concede you rnicname is correct and I stand corrected.

I also believe that your tone is unnecessary – given the seriousness of my initial post.

Regards.

Whoops:

link

This site uses google maps and gives you a pretty good view of the fires, and is updated regularly:

Shut our eyes, stick our fingers in our ears and go ‘la la la la la’??

we need a proactive response to this issue.

“I’m sure if the fire comes too close the gummint will take it’s usual attitude to problems by simplying implementing a ban.
A few ‘no bushfires allowed’ signs and a media release or two and its all sorted.

Comment by KaneO — 11 December, 2006 @ 6:45 pm”

Right on. I think Andrew Barr(up) should close all fires immediately (and then have a lengthy consultation process).
Perhaps we need a ring of ‘NO FIRES ALLOWED’ signs around Canberra, with some in braille for blind sparks.

“and the fires that ravaged canberra came from across Vic border”
bollocks danman. they were started by lightning on the 8/1/2003. esa & npws then dicked about for the first few days when they could have been tackled effectively. i was in fire control qynbn on the tuesday prior to them hitting canberra, and it was big. it asked one of the blokes there what would happen if we got a stiff north-westerly, and his words were “we’re fucked”. and so we were.
tumut holds the potential to get nasty….
time to get nude and raindance i say.

I’m sure if the fire comes too close the gummint will take it’s usual attitude to problems by simplying implementing a ban.
A few ‘no bushfires allowed’ signs and a media release or two and its all sorted.

All this nonsense on tonight’s news about the fires ‘being outside the ACT’ is missing the point. Fires, after all, aren’t restricted by arbitrarily-imposed lines on a map! 40km from Canberra is 40km from Canberra, interstate or not.

The sky is so much like it was before the fires last time. I hate this smoke in the air.

I don’t think you’re been paranoid.

Im not paranoid – just prepared.

Come have a look at my tinderbox across the road.
No such thing as being too ready.

Just remember – its not the main fire that will get your house – its the spot fires – and the fires that ravaged canberra came from across Vic border so tumut is still pretty close if you ask me.

In any case – im still goign about life normally – just being prepared – nothing wrong with that – I was not last time and it was a real hassle gettin gmy unisured marshall stack into my 4runner.

you think thats paranoid… a few months ago I tried to organise a meeting with all my family and friends to try discuss escape/survival plans for birdflu.

one person turned up.. I forgot to talk about it due to being distracted by drinking pool and playing beer.

having not lived in canberra for ‘the’ fires I personally don’t feel the fire paranoia.

Seems to me people are getting a bit panicky.

The fire that occured in 2003 will not happen again in our lifetime. There are no pine forests left to fuel a fire of that magnitude, unless you live in Isaacs.

Everyone needs to take a deep breath, and calm down a bit.

I reserve the right to identify as a peanut!
salted or otherwise

I spent a bit of time this morning (I work from home) just making sure everything was sorted in case of the worst. Made sure the hose is not tangled and the nozzle is working properly. Filled up two 25L containers of water and tied one to the back of my Ute, the other is in an accessible location. Gathered up Passports, some food (pasta and the like), my Trangia stove and some metho, a torch and my MP3 player which has an FM radio built in and put them all in a bag with some clothes. Also made sure there is plenty of fuel in the Ute and that it is ready to go (checked oil, coolant, tires, moved the spare from underneath into the tray and took it for a drive in 4×4 mode on some gravel beside a road to get some oil through the diffs).

In addition, I moved the gas bottle for the BBQ away from the house and ensured both the cats are inside and I know where their carrier is should I need to transport them.

Perhaps I’m being paranoid…

insualted peanuts? peanuts that take offence to being salted??

So therefore neither of you are salted peanuts.

Sammy,

Did you see the names near the end of the Vic site you linked? “Buggery”, he he!

Latest info from ACT Fire Brigade is this smoke is being generated from
a large fire that is 40km west of Canberra and 10 km south/east of
Tumut.

The fire is burning in a pine plantation and this is generating large
quantities of smoke. They have 120 Fire Fighters at this fire.

At this time there is no fire in the ACT.

This is the latest report from the NSW RFS

Latest News
Billapaloola Fire (15km northeast of Tumut) 11am update Monday
11/12/2006
Posted: 11/12/2006

Firefighters were able to conduct backburns on a fire in the
Billapaloola and Buccleuch State Forests which is about 15km northeast
of Tumut. The fire is not contained and has burnt 2470ha but is not
threatening property apart from Forests NSW assets at this time. The
Brindabella Rd is closed at Piccadilly Circus to 10km east of Tumut.

About 110 firefighters in 53 tankers and 10 bulldozers and graders from
Forests NSW and the RFS are working on the fire. Crews are focused on
the northern and eastern containment lines in preparation for winds from
the northwest today which are expected to swing to the southwest this
afternoon with gusts up to 45kph which could push the fire further into
pine plantations.

A large number of resources are being supplied to the area including,
eight aircraft that will continue to support ground crews today.
Backburning from forest road networks will continue today.

It is thought the fire started in the Billapaloola picnic area and was
reported at about 9am on Sunday morning but the exact cause and origin
of the fire has not been determined at this stage.

Significant pine plantation resources are threatened but there are no
major residential areas at risk at this time.

Road closures

The Brindabella Rd is closed between Piccadilly Circus and 10km east of
Tumut. Roads in the direct vicinity of the fire are also closed.

so i assume neither of you are insualted?

Thumper, that’s what I meant by ‘clearing the yard etc.’

sounds like your pretty prepared Danman, there’s not much else you can really do, other than clearing the yard etc.

Andy – My main concern was being unable to find relaible information to put my mind at ease.

I have a tin box with my birth certificates and trade papers in it – all my 35mm negatives and a recent back up of all my digital images.

Bar Mrs Danman and our dog, everything else is insured and can burn for all I care.

In saying so – I have taken preventative measures – even to the extent of installing my UHF CB back in my falco – proved to be very handy in 2003.

Mrs Danmans stuff is at her mums still since 2003.

Im yet to get the boots jeans jumper and bandana ready – thats just paranoid.

This is the 1st year my basil coriander parsley pumpkins tomatos and sunflowers are going off – be a pity to lose them

damn that GA site is getting utterly hammered.
they should contact us for some 3tier application development and implementation.

danman, i was a bit concerned being in a north-west belco suburb yesterday as well.. literally across the road is a large tract of bushland too.

I like thisone from Electron Soup.

That thunderstorm, if it eventuates, will likely start fires in the mountains

666 is blaming tumut with no ACT fires known.

bear in mind there’s a thunderstorm building above the clouds

For something truly frightening, take a look at the Victorian bushfire situation from the last fortnight here:

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/fires/updates/report/index2.htm

Yeah, the smoke in town looks pretty bad, with that typical flat light you get with bushfire smoke.

I’d appreciate a live-update bushfire site, too, something like the Bureau of Meteorology provides for the weather.

Wouldn’t be too hard to cobble together, and at least that way the load would be off the ESA switch, as you say.

Current incidents in NSW are listed here:

http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?CAT_ID=683

Major updates here:

http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?CAT_ID=684

Have a look at this site by CSIRO:
http://sentinel.ga.gov.au/acres/sentinel/index.shtml

Dunno about any fire at Wee Jasper, but the fire burning near Billo Road around Tumut has been specified a Class 3 bushfire, which is the worst.