Bushfires in Perth

IFocus · 6 February 2011

Here in WA we lost a heap of houses today DR Smith you OK

nunthewiser · 6 February 2011

Re: Bushfires

i think many communications outlets down ...... i cant get through to ppl i,m looking for in the area either.

Not looking too flash out there

drsmith · 6 February 2011

Re: Bushfires

IFocus said:
Here in WA we lost a heap of houses today DR Smith you OK

All good here. Thanks for the wishes.

I could see the smoke to the south from the Roleystone fire. The E/SE wind has uncharacteristically persisted throughout the day with considerable strength.

Miner · 7 February 2011

Natural Calamities - Fire in WA/Perth

Folks

For those who do not know recently there is a massive fire occuring in Perth. Listen to ABC, FESA announcement, TV, - devastating. About 35 homes lost. Massive loss.
I just fail to understand the natural calamities (or some of probably fault of human beings) - GFC, Flood in Qld/Victoria/WA/NSW, Cyclone in North Qld and WA, now Fire in Perth and its outskirts. When these will end ?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/06/3131230.htm?section=justin
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/

Miner · 7 February 2011

Natural Calamities - Fire in WA /Perth

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/
Folks

what is happening in this world
First came GFC
then flood at Qld, NSW, Vic, WA
then cyclone in North Qld
then fire in WA / Perth

Hope our Karma will rescue from the repetitive tragedy.
Police says the reason for fire in Perth not yet established. If it was man made or negligence then I wish the capital punishment be returned in Australia or the culprits be simply sent to China or Saudi Arabia to get settled

Mods- I tried to post this earlier today. so please check if it is in duplicate from me.

drsmith · 7 February 2011

Re: Natural Calamities - Fire in WA /Perth

Australia is a land of drought and flooding rain.

Being under severe drought, the southwest of WA is currently a fire disaster waiting to happen. While it was windy, conditions yesterday could have been worse. One small mercy was that it wasn't too hot.

From what I see of the escarpment area to the east of perth, residents as a whole need to do more to maintain their properties to better manage fire risk and local shires need to do the same with their public areas.

danago · 7 February 2011

I live in Roleystone but was very lucky to be out of the way of the fire. I do know a few people who have lost their homes which is absolutely tragic I guess at least we can say that there were no fatalities

Whiskers · 7 February 2011

Re: Natural Calamities - Fire in WA /Perth

drsmith said:
Australia is a land of drought and flooding rain.

Being under severe drought, the southwest of WA is currently a fire disaster waiting to happen. While it was windy, conditions yesterday could have been worse. One small mercy was that it wasn't too hot.

From what I see of the escarpment area to the east of perth, residents as a whole need to do more to maintain their properties to better manage fire risk and local shires need to do the same with their public areas.

Yeah, I tend to agree there. But that aside for now, there seems to be a lot of houses lost in this fire. I'm not familiar with the area... is it an urban area or rural residential, more acerages with natural bushland?

IFocus · 7 February 2011

59 homes gone and possible for a few more still to come.

It was pretty graphic vision watching the homes go up heart break no doubt for the owners. Cannot image how the local volunteer fire fighters felt driving pass their own homes on fire to save others.

DR good to hear you're not in the firing line, it rammed home at the complete lack of preparation of owners given the current dry conditions.

No deaths so far looking like FESA or who ever ran show have done a sterling job.

Whiskers · 7 February 2011

If I heard the national weather correctly, it was the winds from ex cyclone Yasi that blew up the gale that flared the fires.

Further, it looks like ex Yasi, or at least it's influence, is moving north from central eastern WA to the north WA coast and predicted to deepen a bit again and move down around the coast.

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/4day_col.shtml

nunthewiser · 7 February 2011

whiskers.

mainly natural bush
lots of steep terrain
dry as a bone with lots of new undergrowth.

friends place gone
20 years of blood sweat and tears from the house he built by hand with his mates ( including me) and his own familys love
45 years of personal memento,s , belongings , art , etc etc all irraplaceable

left with there clothes on there back and important paperwork.

They are alive and thats what counts.

Julia · 7 February 2011

nunthewiser said:
friends place gone
20 years of blood sweat and tears from the house he built by hand with his mates ( including me) and his own familys love
45 years of personal memento,s , belongings , art , etc etc all irraplaceable

left with there clothes on there back and important paperwork.

I just can't begin to imagine how they must be feeling. So sorry.
Yes, just being alive counts above everything, as does having good friends.
All the best to them, and to you in your support of them, nun.

springhill · 7 February 2011

danago said:
I live in Roleystone but was very lucky to be out of the way of the fire. I do know a few people who have lost their homes which is absolutely tragic I guess at least we can say that there were no fatalities

Small world! I also live in Roley. Had a birds eye view of the fire between Urch & Brookton Hwy from our verandah. Fortunately the hill face closest to us was control-burned 2 or 3 years ago which definately saved the houses on that side. That was one mean easterly blowing yesterday and today, the water bombing helicopters were the heroes in this, absolutely incredible to watch.

IFocus · 7 February 2011

nunthewiser said:
whiskers.

mainly natural bush
lots of steep terrain
dry as a bone with lots of new undergrowth.

friends place gone
20 years of blood sweat and tears from the house he built by hand with his mates ( including me) and his own familys love
45 years of personal memento,s , belongings , art , etc etc all irraplaceable

left with there clothes on there back and important paperwork.

They are alive and thats what counts.

Sorry to hear that Nun, hope there was insurance tough day for many.

IFocus · 7 February 2011

springhill said:
Small world! I also live in Roley. Had a birds eye view of the fire between Urch & Brookton Hwy from our verandah. Fortunately the hill face closest to us was control-burned 2 or 3 years ago which definately saved the houses on that side. That was one mean easterly blowing yesterday and today, the water bombing helicopters were the heroes in this, absolutely incredible to watch.

Watched the guys when they fought the fire at Golden Bay they were really hammering the choppers timed them at 4 to 5 mins round trip

drsmith · 8 February 2011

Re: Natural Calamities - Fire in WA /Perth

Whiskers said:
Yeah, I tend to agree there. But that aside for now, there seems to be a lot of houses lost in this fire. I'm not familiar with the area... is it an urban area or rural residential, more acerages with natural bushland?

I saw a map of the affected area briefly on the news so it's hard to be sure. It looked like a combination of semi-rural residential and possibly some limited urban residential adjacent to bushland.

I'm north of the fire affected area on what could be described as lower density urban residential (largely 1/2 acre blocks).

Nearmap's next flyover should reveal more.

Whiskers · 8 February 2011

nunthewiser said:
whiskers.

mainly natural bush
lots of steep terrain
dry as a bone with lots of new undergrowth.

friends place gone
20 years of blood sweat and tears from the house he built by hand with his mates ( including me) and his own familys love
45 years of personal memento,s , belongings , art , etc etc all irraplaceable

left with there clothes on there back and important paperwork.

They are alive and thats what counts.

That's terrible nun. I can only imagine the fear when facing such a fire.

While I grew up on a cane farm in the days when it was burnt off and have fought many cane fires that got away and some bush fires, I have never faced anything like this where the flames jump across the tree tops above you.

The nearest to this was a few years ago when the embers from a bush fire were blown two and three hundred meters ahead of the fire and dropped like little bombs and started flaring up all around the place. Fortunately, like many country (farm bred) people I was prepared with some fire fighting equipment to help deal with it and despite the drought still maintained some water in my spring fed dam which helped the Rural Fire Brigade refill quickly.

I have to say, even though I haven't faced anything as bad as this fire, I still feel I'd much rather face a flood or cyclone than stare a fire like this in the eye. There is just little or no escape once you are engulfed. At least with a flood or cyclone you still have breathable air in which to navigate your way out of trouble.

IFocus · 8 February 2011

Post it here as it likely didn't make the eastern states news

One of WA's most destructive fires in 50 years has razed 72 houses, leaving dozens of people homeless.

Smurf1976 · 8 February 2011

IFocus said:
Post it here as it likely didn't make the eastern states news

Not sure about the news in the other states, but the situation in WA has certainly been reported on the news here in Tas.

Also, I was in Adelaide over the weekend and there were certainly plenty of people talking about the cyclone in Qld and fires in WA. Heard quite a few discussions amongst people on buses, in shops etc. Mostly along the lines of "how lucky we are here". I know that plenty of people in Tas have similar thoughts too - we had weather that is unusually cool and wet for summer and some minor floods too but it's nothing like Qld.

Good luck to everyone near the fires in WA.

On a practical safety note with these disasters, I heard on the news about someone being killed using a generator in Qld after the cyclone. If you need to use a generator to power appliances located inside a building then:

1. Do NOT try and connect the generator to the building's wiring unless you know exactly what you are doing. You could very easily liven up fallen lines out in the street and kill unsuspecting pedestrians, power company workers and the like by connecting a generator to your house wiring the wrong way.

2. Put the generator outside and run an extension lead through a window into the house. Failure to do this, instead having the generator inside, is what killed someone in Qld. The generator will take oxygen from the air and may emit carbon monoxide (which is toxic to humans and animals even in low concentrations). Don't run it inside even briefly - it is for outdoor use only. Just make sure it's somewhere where it won't get wet outside.

IFocus · 10 February 2011

Bad conditions again this weekend

More hazardous fire conditions loom

Residents in the Perth Hills have been warned to prepare for more hazardous fire conditions this week.

Fire and Emergency Services Authority chief operating officer Craig Hynes said strong winds and high temperatures forecast for tomorrow and Saturday were very similar to those that fanned the devastating fires last Sunday that razed more than 70 buildings in Kelmscott and Gosnells.

"Basically it's the same area - Chittering to Mandurah and along the Scarp - so let's get serious about being prepared this weekend," Mr Hynes told ABC Radio. "Find out what's going on around you."

Bushfires in Perth

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