Bushfire Crisis

[Flameangel]

Everyone is aware of the Terrible Bushfires
Rampant around the country and their devastating toll on our communities and native animals.
A former member advised he has made a donation, I’m happy to make a donation also.
If anyone else would like to donate it would be fantastic, some have lost everything and one great trait of Aussies is their compassion for others in need and generosity to those in desperate times.

Please donate to Salvos Bushfire Appeal....( you can do it through any Bendigo Bank ) which I will do as I want all my money to go to the appeal.

 

[Nasscar]

Yes the native wildlife certainly suffer. Some like the pictured Koala can't just get up and run away.

 

[Ozstung]

We’re for Sydney | Daily Telegraph

Took the boys to the hairdressers. Scary hot , saw birds under the trees in the Carpark . Someone put a biscuit tin down with water. Birds were (Australian ravens) in a terrible way. Topped up the tin with cold water. The Stinger even though it's in the garage has the Dash cam glue turn to liquid. AC on full for 2 days but can only manage 27.1 inside the house. Saw fireys in the street checking hydrants turned out to be volunteers. Super concerned as those temps require shade , you won't be able to drink enough. Went out with soft drinks. Concerned as they looked dazed and confused.

 

[Nasscar]

We’re for Sydney | Daily Telegraph

Took the boys to the hairdressers. Scary hot , saw birds under the trees in the Carpark . Someone put a biscuit tin down with water. Birds were (Australian ravens) in a terrible way. Topped up the tin with cold water. The Stinger even though it's in the garage has the Dash cam glue turn to liquid. AC on full for 2 days but can only manage 27.1 inside the house. Saw fireys in the street checking hydrants turned out to be volunteers. Super concerned as those temps require shade , you won't be able to drink enough. Went out with soft drinks. Concerned as they looked dazed and confused.

Nice one Ozstung. So Australian.

 

[DCBStingerGT]

I live about 10 minutes from Melbourne Airport, and yesterday for the first time the air was full of smoke from the bushfires, it was actually quite thick, and wasn't pleasant to breath in, of course.

 

[Ozstung]

....update at "The Heights" as at 4.24pm. Temp gauge on the south side of the house in heavy shade. Bottom temp outside, top reading inside with AC on full.
For our international friends this an outer suburb of Sydney not the out back or bush. I know I might get shot down with this FACT locally but every 3 years or so when the conditions are bad we are the hotest place in NSW. Our location similar to LA is we have a mountain range behind us and this traps the heat below. We are at the bottom.

 

[Nasscar]

That reminds me, several years ago I was involved in a road block during some fires over here in WA. It was boxing day and the temperature was 44 degrees in the shade. We didn't get any water from WA police for several hours. The only drinks we got were from a nice lady who lived across the road from where we were situated. She gave us water and soft drink. Would have melted away otherwise.

 

[Nasscar]

....update at "The Heights" as at 4.24pm. Temp gauge on the south side of the house in heavy shade. Bottom temp outside, top reading inside with AC on full.View attachment 36223
For our international friends this an outer suburb of Sydney not the out back or bush. I know I might get shot down with this FACT locally but every 3 years or so when the conditions are bad we are the hotest place in NSW. Our location similar to LA is we have a mountain range behind us and this traps the heat below. We are at the bottom.

Holy crap. Time to move to a cooler climate me thinks.

 

[Flameangel]

Yes the native wildlife certainly suffer. Some like the pictured Koala can't just get up and run away.

Yes, it's so sad the animals have been decimated, poor Koala's, I read that the Eucalyptus Tree's are highly flammable due to the oils in the leaves, they don't stand much of a chance. And there's all the little Possums too ( Sugar Gliders ) they can't run away fast enough. Birds are dropping dead from the heat ( Cockatoos etc ), not to mention all the Reptiles unable to flee.

It's heartbreaking seeing images of Farmers forced to shoot burnt livestock ( but at least their suffering would be over ) I also hate seeing Horses trying to flee in their paddocks ( I used to own a pony as a kid and love horses /ponies) I hope those taking the pics try to seek safe sanctuary for them.

I really wonder where this is all going to end. We have native fauna on the edge of extinction and I now wonder if we will lose some species forever.

Damn Greenies !!! if people were allowed to clear their land and cut down trees that pose a danger it might not have been so bad.
And the government should have stepped in and deployed more water Bombers which the PM today said will arrive in 7-14 days, they were needed MONTHS AGO. ( rant over )

 

[Flameangel]

Holy crap. Time to move to a cooler climate me thinks.

Come down to Geelong

 

[Nasscar]

Yes, it's so sad the animals have been decimated, poor Koala's, I read that the Eucalyptus Tree's are highly flammable due to the oils in the leaves, they don't stand much of a chance. And there's all the little Possums too ( Sugar Gliders ) they can't run away fast enough. Birds are dropping dead from the heat ( Cockatoos etc ), not to mention all the Reptiles unable to flee.

It's heartbreaking seeing images of Farmers forced to shoot burnt livestock ( but at least their suffering would be over ) I also hate seeing Horses trying to flee in their paddocks ( I used to own a pony as a kid and love horses /ponies) I hope those taking the pics try to seek safe sanctuary for them.

I really wonder where this is all going to end. We have native fauna on the edge of extinction and I now wonder if we will lose some species forever.

Damn Greenies !!! if people were allowed to clear their land and cut down trees that pose a danger it might not have been so bad.
And the government should have stepped in and deployed more water Bombers which the PM today said will arrive in 7-14 days, they were needed MONTHS AGO. ( rant over )

Lets hope the government learn from this tragedy and it will never happen again in the future.

 

[Ozstung]

I've heard recently that because of a dry winter they were unable to do burns as they rely on forecasted rains to put the burn offs out if they become uncontained. They tried one here in September it nearly lead to a disaster. I've never seen smoke that thick except I was in a bushfire in 1980 that got within 75 metres of the house. Often the smoke can aphixate. Reliable steady rain would fix a lot of issues.

 

[Flameangel]

I live about 10 minutes from Melbourne Airport, and yesterday for the first time the air was full of smoke from the bushfires, it was actually quite thick, and wasn't pleasant to breath in, of course.

Same here in Geelong Yesterday, the Gippsland Bushfire smoke was all over the Bellerine Peninsula .
And then some idiots set one of the local secondary schools on fire down the Hwy with fireworks

 

[OliverNuther]

Lets hope the government learn from this tragedy and it will never happen again in the future.

GovernmentS plural. Vegetation management and bushfire response are State Government responsibilities. The Federal Government doesn’t have much responsibility in this area except to throw money to the States as required. But as Flame alluded to, after this episode I’m sure the States will tell the Greenies to get stuffed and go back to regular burn offs.

 

[DCBStingerGT]

And then some idiots set one of the local secondary schools on fire down the Hwy with fireworks

It's always hard to hear idiots starting fires , and being reckless like that, I still can't believe that driver, dropping a still lit cigarette, out his car window, in front of @Ozstung to witness, hope they catch up with him, can't get my head around how someone like that thinks it was Ok to do ..especially with at least 3 states with out of control bushfires....

 

[TwiceStung]

Lets hope the government learn from this tragedy and it will never happen again in the future.

If your government is anything like it is here, they never learn a damn thing.

 

[Ozstung]

If your government is anything like it is here, they never learn a damn thing.

True, they can't even build dams here as there is no money in it for them. They obviously don't get the developer kick backs they're looking for.

But hell we can knock down a 40 year old stadium and rebuild from the ground up and renovate another one. New hospitals and Dams nah.

 

[Flameangel]

Some good news at least, Veterinarians are rescuing some Koala's from the Blue Mountains to take to Taronga Zoo to be safe until the threat is over.
In the History of Australia, people haven't also been good to them. They were hunted for their pelts from 1918-1927. Their pelts are waterproof so many were made into hats at that time and 2 million Koala pelts were shipped to America.
It was the then President Herbert Hoover who stopped all importation of the pelts and so hunting them stopped in Australia.So President Hoover helped save our Koala's but the population never has fully recovered from that time in history.

 

[Ozstung]

Some good news at least, Veterinarians are rescuing some Koala's from the Blue Mountains to take to Taronga Zoo to be safe until the threat is over.
In the History of Australia, people haven't also been good to them. They were hunted for their pelts from 1918-1927. Their pelts are waterproof so many were made into hats at that time and 2 million Koala pelts were shipped to America.
It was the then President Herbert Hoover who stopped all importation of the pelts and so hunting them stopped in Australia.So President Hoover helped save our Koala's but the population never has fully recovered from that time in history.

Yeah I think we do extinction better than anyone. Although Brazil must be up there.

 

[TwiceStung]

True, they can't even build dams here as there is no money in it for them. They obviously don't get the developer kick backs they're looking for.

But hell we can knock down a 40 year old stadium and rebuild from the ground up and renovate another one. New hospitals and Dams nah.

Prayers go out to all those affected by the fires there. I know they are horrible beyond belief. Stay safe. I would say stay cool but that seems hard to do anymore.