Thoughts for those in bush fire regions

[mbselections00]

Hi all,

With bush fires raging in 3 States - lives and homes at risk, just wanted to share - thoughts are with those who may be effected and so hope it is does not effect anyone here

A sad start to the New Year for many . . . . . . . .

[gleee58]

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@chuk_77 wrote:

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@mbselections00 wrote:

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@chuk_77 wrote:

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@the_hawk* wrote:

Let it go Chuk clearly some have different infomation and know more than the locals.

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sad huh?

Cant say what I really would like to say on the subject so yeah I will let it go. For my own sake, got enough to worry about with people I know losing their homes (yes they were well prepared homes) fire still burns the best defenses. Others I know are still battling to save their homes. That person isnt worth it. My concern needs to go to those who are worth it

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Sad to say, but with fires as fierce as those being experienced, and the wind changes and speed of the winds, I don't think it makes much difference how well prepared you are.  I find it quite amazing more has not been lost - but admittedly it's not over yet and while areas are inaccessible I guess the final tally of homes lost etc will inevitably & very sadly rise - but homes can be replaced - lives cannot.  I hope your friends can see that, hard as it would be at the moment and those still battling to save their homes I hope stay safe and you also . . . . .

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no it didnt really matter in this case. The CFS have said this fire was beyond the most experienced fighters. It was just so unpredictable and fast moving. 

Im quite safe where I am. we were alert on the saturday with the ash falling on us but were about 15 minutes away from parts of the fire then it moved away.

Fingers crossed the fireys can get a real good hold of it before conditions worsen on wednesday. We already have some big gully winds happening

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Wishing you all the best for as long as the fires last.  I hope they don't get so close again and that they're under control soon.

[aps1080]

Looks like SA and Vic might get some rain this weekend which would be good.

[mbselections00]

It poured down this morning & has been raining here most of the day and deluged down again tonight - all the while I was wishing it could fall where it is most needed - not here.  (Our water tanks are actually overflowing now - sorry guys, not meaning to rub salt into the wounds)  Mother nature can be so cruel

[mbselections00]

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@chuk_77 wrote:

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@mbselections00 wrote:

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@chuk_77 wrote:

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@the_hawk* wrote:

Let it go Chuk clearly some have different infomation and know more than the locals.

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sad huh?

Cant say what I really would like to say on the subject so yeah I will let it go. For my own sake, got enough to worry about with people I know losing their homes (yes they were well prepared homes) fire still burns the best defenses. Others I know are still battling to save their homes. That person isnt worth it. My concern needs to go to those who are worth it

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Sad to say, but with fires as fierce as those being experienced, and the wind changes and speed of the winds, I don't think it makes much difference how well prepared you are.  I find it quite amazing more has not been lost - but admittedly it's not over yet and while areas are inaccessible I guess the final tally of homes lost etc will inevitably & very sadly rise - but homes can be replaced - lives cannot.  I hope your friends can see that, hard as it would be at the moment and those still battling to save their homes I hope stay safe and you also . . . . .

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no it didnt really matter in this case. The CFS have said this fire was beyond the most experienced fighters. It was just so unpredictable and fast moving. 

Im quite safe where I am. we were alert on the saturday with the ash falling on us but were about 15 minutes away from parts of the fire then it moved away.

Fingers crossed the fireys can get a real good hold of it before conditions worsen on wednesday. We already have some big gully winds happening

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Glad to hear you are safe, but honestly, if you were only 15 minutes away from parts of the fire on Saturday, I would have been evacuating - too close for me I'm afraid.

The news up here tonight actually said they are expecting a bad day down there tomorrow   maybe related to the gully winds ?

I know well wishes don't do much good, but I hope it helps keep morale up to know many are thinking of you and sending best wishes . . . . . . stay safe

[mbselections00]

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@channys_mum wrote:

If you can't take animals why not set them free and at least give them a fighting chance

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To be honest, and absolutely no offence intended here, I don't want to say anything that might set off the heated discussion again as I intended this to be a supportive thread, not a destructive one at this time, those kind of discussions can be had later,  but I understand your thoughts.  Perhaps they felt the animals may have stood a better chance with the protection of the building, rather than running scared through the fire, I honestly don't know.  Don't get me wrong, I love animals and was extremely upset when I heard about it, it's not that I don't care.  The way I heard the report, the kennel/cattery owners did not have time to evacuate the animals, and I tend to place credence in what the locals are saying - all that aside, I just don't think now is the time to be pointing fingers and laying blame - hope you get what I mean  . . . . . . .

[mbselections00]

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@the_hawk* wrote:

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@chuk_77 wrote:

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@the_hawk* wrote:

Let it go Chuk clearly some have different infomation and know more than the locals.

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I hope they win their fight.
I have friends that have been in today helping the animals and will be in there again tomorrow and they will keep going until they are sure all animals have been looked after.
Feed and water is a huge issue

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I hope they win too.  Keep up the good work getting supplies to the tattoo club.  Wish we could send down some water, it rained here pretty much all day today

As food and water are such a big issue, once its publicised, I'm sure you'll find in the days ahead they'll be supplies trucked in - you know that Aussie spirit of helping a mate will kick into gear pretty quickly

Good luck, keep up the good work & stay safe

[iapetus_rocks]

I'm sorry to be one who rains on your parade. But this really is the time to take stock and to consider what it means to live in such places, in such houses, with animals in such buildings or in such paddocks.

Don't let's wallow in self-indulgent efforts to out-sympathise each other.

Let's take stock and look at some reality for a change.

I would rather that people's houses and businesses didn't burn down or that their animals incinerate. Every time this happens, I feel the same.

I feel anger and frustration at those who know the risks (and this, being Australia, they do know the risks and moreover, the probabilities involved) and who don't make contingency plans, or act on the ones they have made because it's either too much trouble or too expensive or because they rely on vain hope.

There was a man on tv tonight who showed his burned-out 1972 Ford Fairlaine.

How much trouble would it have been for him to have driven it away before the fire or the probability of such a fire (and there were fire warnings) and parked it in the city or at a friend's house?

Same with the animals. Was it too much trouble to plan ahead and move them out before a maybe-possible-probable-fire hit?

They don't really care about the animals except as a cost-per-head item of property for which they are insured.

Like I said; people don't plan ahead or they don't care enough.

They build and live in inadequate houses (and just like last time, they will re-build them; they will re-build flammable buildings from the same materials in the same spot where their last one burned down)

They have a disregard for our  fire-fighters and put them at risk when they have to attend fires on properties where the buildings are not adequate and the bush has not been cleared back and the animals have not been moved out ahead of the fires (which occur so very often as to be a usual event).

This is not new stuff. This happens every other year or so in some part of Australia and our met offices do  supply  us with timely warnings which people refuse or neglect to act on ahead of the event.

I think there is a component of hope that it won't happen to them, a component of laziness re making adequate preparations, a component of "she'll be right, mate, I'm insured" and a component of denial that bushfires in Australia are a usual, predictable, seasonally recurrent probability.

My sympathies are mainly with the fire fighters and the ambulance drivers and the animals and with everyone else who sees their annual fire insurance bill rise ever higher and who  have to put up with this sort of event  every few years or so.

People who live in grass houses. . . . when will they ever learn?

[iapetus_rocks]

 . . . Premier Jay Weatherill on Monday said the response to the fire was now focused on three key areas: containing the blaze; clearing roads to help restore services; and protecting more than 1000 homes in the fire zone which are "surrounded by fuel that could ignite".

The premier has confirmed that 26 homes had been destroyed or badly damaged - the number is expected to rise - as had 41 outbuildings such as farm sheds.

Twenty-nine people, mostly firefighters, have been injured or hospitalised.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/01/06/worsening-fire-conditions-ahead-sa

[channys_mum]

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@mbselections00 wrote:

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@channys_mum wrote:

If you can't take animals why not set them free and at least give them a fighting chance

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To be honest, and absolutely no offence intended here, I don't want to say anything that might set off the heated discussion again as I intended this to be a supportive thread, not a destructive one at this time, those kind of discussions can be had later,  but I understand your thoughts.  Perhaps they felt the animals may have stood a better chance with the protection of the building, rather than running scared through the fire, I honestly don't know.  Don't get me wrong, I love animals and was extremely upset when I heard about it, it's not that I don't care.  The way I heard the report, the kennel/cattery owners did not have time to evacuate the animals, and I tend to place credence in what the locals are saying - all that aside, I just don't think now is the time to be pointing fingers and laying blame - hope you get what I mean  . . . . . . .

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No offence taken mbs

I wasn't just thinking of the kennels, however it was to the fore.

Certainly not blame laying. I am genuinely wondering why people leave their animals trapped. I suppose it's a 50/50 chance whatever one chooses to do

[punch*drunk]

I think the kennels would have been damned if they did and damned if they didnt.