Damned if they do and damned if they don't

[grandmoon]

RFS accused of ignoring advice as Hartley Vale faces onslaught from wind and fire

A FURIOUS Blue Mountains landowner has lashed out at the RFS as a roaring blaze tore through his 2700 acre property in Hartley Vale.

Rod Gurney, 60, claims he pleaded with firefighters to perform back-burning in the area last week but it wasn't until last night that the RFS began hazard reduction burns.

Those flames were this afternoon whipped up by howling winds and are now threatening homes in Hartley Vale.

"They should never have lit this, I told them last night," he said.

"They should have burnt it three days ago. They knew this was coming today, this is utter stupidity, these blokes are going to end up burning someone's house down."

The Daily Telegraph can confirm spot fires are breaking out less than 100 metres away from homes in the valley.

"They knew they were going to get these winds and they lit it anyway, the right hand doesn't know what the left hand's doing," Mr Gurney said.

"They're absolute lunatics this mob.

"[Water bombing] now is just a waste of water, it's stupid taking water out of some poor bloke's **bleep** - it's not going to do anything, it's too hot."

The home of Phil Schacht, general manager of building material company Hanson Australia, is among those at risk of burning down.

[*ibis]

it's stupid taking water out of some poor bloke's **bleep**

oh come on mods

really?

[not_an_eloi]

would appear that damned is not on their filtered wordlist, but d.a.m.n. is 

haha ! 

[j*oono]

Maybe the RFS were just a tad too busy to do a back burn on demand for your property Mr Gurney.

[grandmoon]

I had the same thought Joono. 

I wonder what he has been doing while the thousands of firies have been risking their lives.

[not_an_eloi]

this gurney dude's fault, if he didn't organise to put a fire through before the start of the no-burn season.

runs a farm-stay property, one would think that he'd 'ave it as a top priority, to be mindful of protectin' his guests

from danger of fire, his responsibility if he didn't do a hazard reduction off 'is own back, before it became dangerous.

[newstart2380]

---

@not_an_eloi wrote:

this gurney dude's fault, if he didn't organise to put a fire through before the start of the no-burn season.

runs a farm-stay property, one would think that he'd 'ave it as a top priority, to be mindful of protectin' his guests

from danger of fire, his responsibility if he didn't do a hazard reduction off 'is own back, before it became dangerous.

---

Obviously they cant please everyone.

Mr Gurney, if you dont appreciate what the RFS is trying to do under very difficult circumstances and be thankful you and your family are still safe then you are a very ungrateful person who does not  deserve any help. There are hundreds of families who have lost everything so spare a thought for those who have lost their homes etc you thankless idiot.

Yes, you should have taken precautions if you thought your property was in danger and not expect someone to do it for you GGGGRRRRRR.

[mtnlane]

I heard that guy interviewed on the ABC the other day.  He was waiting around for friends to bring their cars down to his property for 'safety'!

Some 'safety' if he is now complaining about the bush around his property!

He should have been out fighting the fires with his local RFS or, as NAE said, if he was so concerned should have got off his rear acre and carried out some burning off way back in winter instead of leaving it until it was too late. 

A complete jerk!