10 years ago today

[lurker17260]

Canberra is today marking the 10th anniversary of one of its darkest days.

On January 18, 2003, fires burning in the Brindabella Ranges south-west of Canberra combined to form a raging firestorm which swept into the city.

Suburbs like Duffy, Chapman, Rivett and Kambah were in the firing line and residents were given little or no warning of the danger.

Four people were killed and about 500 homes were destroyed.

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I can't believe it's been that long.  The most scary day of my life.

[icyfroth]

Were you in it Lurker?

[katydidthat]

I'd moved to Brisbane a little bit before the fires.  I used to live in Rivett.  Some houses in my street were destroyed.  

I was in the UK when the fires struck and I sat for hours watching the  same footage again and again and again ... no updates, no new news.  It was awful.  

I rang so many people up to make sure they were ok.  

When I've gone back to Canberra, everyone seemed to want to take me on a tour of where the fires hit.  

[lurker17260]

We were in Weston Creek.  Although we were okay our subub was bordered on all sides by suburbs where homes were lost.  It was closer than I would ever want to be again. 

The sky became so dark all the sensor lights in our garden came on.  There were helicopters flying at (what seemed like) just metres overhead and we could constantly hear gas bottles exploding. The smoke was really thick and we really had no idea how close or far away it all was.  From the top of out driveway we could see flames 270degrees around.

[icyfroth]

We were living in Blacktown in 1994 when Sydney was almost surrounded by bushfires to the North,  Lane Cove and the Royal National Park and to West in the Blue Mountains. While we were never threatened, we could stand at our back step and see the orange glow of the flames in the distance. The sky was like dusk in the middle of the day. Charred gumleaves floated in on the hot wind.

News of it went all around the world and relatives in Germany contacted us to see if we were ok. They'd seen pictures of the Blacktown fire engines in their news.

[grandmoon]

Yes it 10 years on and the year is very similar hot with the very strong winds but NO fires close by.

I remember sending a message to my daughter as she was living in the Tuggernong Valley as there was an alert for her area.  She had not heard anything about the fires and her son went outside and came back and said to her "Mum it alright its raining red" she went to hose he roof down.

On the Monday I went to work and was told I was the most senior staff member who wouild be in that day.

[mum*of*goldens]

We were living in Blacktown in 1994 when Sydney was almost surrounded by bushfires to the North,  Lane Cove and the Royal National Park and to West in the Blue Mountains. While we were never threatened, we could stand at our back step and see the orange glow of the flames in the distance. The sky was like dusk in the middle of the day. Charred gumleaves floated in on the hot wind.

News of it went all around the world and relatives in Germany contacted us to see if we were ok. They'd seen pictures of the Blacktown fire engines in their news.

We were living in Penrith at that time. It was simply horrific to see the glow of the fires in the distance, and the smoke was just everywhere.A real nightmare.