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Post by mickthecactus on Jan 27, 2020 10:13:20 GMT
The fires have been superseded by coronavirus and dropped out of the news. Can you give us an update questa?
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Post by bjd on Jan 27, 2020 11:59:35 GMT
I believe that water bomber with the 3 dead crewmen was mentioned quite a bit, but it was said to be American.
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Post by whatagain on Jan 27, 2020 21:45:46 GMT
It really upsets me when a foreigner comes and puts their life on the line in a strange country, and gets killed. F*** FIRES. Our cemeteries in Belgium are full of people who died for us. US Canadians British french etc etc. Prussians too. But dating 1815.
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Post by questa on Jan 28, 2020 12:34:27 GMT
Things are quieter but there are areas which will burn until the monsoon drives down a decent amount of rain to put the embers out. Monsoon is already 2 weeks late. Much of the concern now is finding and treating the native animals. There have been reports which indicate some of the precious at risk ones may be extinct. Kangaroo Island was famous for its no dog, cat, rabbit or any non Island critter allowed ashore, ditto foreign plantings Just over half of the island was destroyed. My son has been putting out flare-up fires and looking after a cranky 'roo all week. I have spent 2 nights trying to link with 2 opinion pieces in NY paper. One more try then I will give up.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 28, 2020 18:51:41 GMT
Much of the concern now is finding and treating the native animals. There have been reports which indicate some of the precious at risk ones may be extinct. Horrifying. Are there any in zoos or animal parks around the world which could be used to repopulate? Are any of these the opinion pieces you want? www.google.com.mx/search?client=opera&q=australian+fires+opinion+nytimes&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8To link one of them here, open the selected article, copy the entire url, then paste that url in a message box here. That's it!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 28, 2020 21:29:26 GMT
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Post by mickthecactus on Jan 29, 2020 7:56:06 GMT
That is really good to see and shows the tenacity and toughness of plants. Good to see wildlife too. It's all intertwined.
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questa computer glitching
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Post by questa computer glitching on Jan 31, 2020 13:54:51 GMT
More big fires near Canberra 40+ and tomorrow will be windy. Southern suburbs threatened. Victoria have problems in Park and timber stands in far south. More later.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jan 31, 2020 14:44:07 GMT
Yes, the news over here only talks about the risks at Canberra these days.
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Post by questa on Feb 2, 2020 7:10:43 GMT
As my computer is crashing again after 2 paragraphs or a correction, I'll do this in stages.
One reason that all the attention is on Canberra is in 2003 they has a bushfire like the current one. It was badly organised from the top down, 4 people were killed and 488 houses in the neat suburbs destroyed. Apart from being the National Capital the city has art galleries, museums, libraries and 2 universities.
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Post by questa on Feb 2, 2020 7:45:04 GMT
Also lost in the fires were the radio-telescopes at Siding Springs and Mt Stromlo. The insurance claim was settled out of court for ANU losses as it was the biggest claim Australia had seen.
More at "2003 Canberra Fires" with some excellent video and pics
Computer not helping!...maybe tomorrow
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Post by kerouac2 on Feb 2, 2020 13:51:43 GMT
I would assume that none of the government buildings in Canberra would be at risk at any time. I just drove through there once, but everything looked perfectly organised and serene in the centre.
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Post by kerouac2 on Feb 7, 2020 7:49:57 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 7, 2020 16:23:43 GMT
Finally, some good news! Those rains should clean the air of smoke, too, I would think.
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Post by mickthecactus on Apr 4, 2020 19:02:11 GMT
So where are we now with rejuvenation questa?
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Post by lugg on Feb 2, 2021 10:09:00 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Feb 2, 2021 11:31:42 GMT
So strange to think that totally different catastrophes have a possibility of merging -- evacuating the coronovirus contacts could send covid to places it should never have gone.
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Post by questa on Feb 2, 2021 13:18:04 GMT
Now it is 59 homes lost and 2 fireys in hospital with minor burns. Gale force winds swirling in all directions, creating the fire's own weather pattern, making it impossible to fight. Burning branches being thrown up to 3 km ahead of the main fronts, starting more fires in all directions. Most of the cofid restrictions have been lifted and the state borders are open again. And the masses are queuing to buy toilet paper again.
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Post by casimira on Feb 2, 2021 14:20:19 GMT
It is just all too much it seems. Everyday there are new reports of variants and mutations etc. Its overwhelming. So many mixed messages and mass confusion. With Mardi Gras only a week away and our mayor issuing an invitation for people to come here (but, they have to "behave"), I fear the worst.
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Post by lugg on Feb 2, 2021 16:12:03 GMT
Just been talking to my friend earlier; it sounds horrendous. Several of her friends have lost their homes and others do not know yet if they have burnt or not as they have left and are not allowed back into the area. Although advised to leave, my friend and her family are staying put for now as they are packed and ready to leave at a moments notice, with the dogs and cats sequestered safely so they can grab them too. Her biggest worry was getting the horses to safety and now that's done she can take a breather. She said they feel safe enough to do so currently as they are getting 15 min updates, tracking the satellites which show the hot spots and regular contact from the government and they are lucky as they still have power. Now the helitacks and water bombing have had to stop for the night she is just praying the wind drops.
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Post by mickthecactus on Feb 2, 2021 21:38:26 GMT
As long as I can remember there have been bush fires in Oz.
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Post by Biddy on Feb 3, 2021 0:23:50 GMT
So sorry for everyone with fire danger looming. The wind can whip up so fast devastating everything in its path.
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Post by lugg on Feb 4, 2021 18:41:54 GMT
Good news from my friend; her evacuation notice was downgraded to a watch and wait but still the fire burns and she told me the main fire wall is 130 kms across now with some smaller fires close by.
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Post by questa on Feb 5, 2021 6:58:46 GMT
It seems like I have only stopped talking of bushfires about 3 weeks ago...and once again our fire fighters, pilots and back-up workers are called out again. This fire has been out of control for 2-3 weeks and has destroyed 86 homes and minor burns and much lung damage.
Last year the scientists came out with the shocking figures of lung damage following the smoke cloud that engulfed the fire areas and into the major cities and towns. Now the effects of smoke on the population has to be factored in to planning and strategies.
Biddy, the wind is the blessing and curse of these fires. Imagine a block of fire slowly traveling down a hill,it is heading south and kept in control by teams of foot and truck fireys. Then when the fire is just old logs burning and the ground clear of fuel...the wind swings around to the east. picks up speed and heat and roars up the hill. The face of the fire is now east-west ...a whole new story.
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Post by Biddy on Feb 5, 2021 23:14:35 GMT
Questa - we use a term here firenado for those situations. I hope your fire danger is passing. My sister lives in NSW so I do pay close attention to your fire seasons.
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Post by questa on Feb 5, 2021 23:46:54 GMT
Firenado...I have not heard that used here...good word. I think we would use that for the twisters that rise up from the ground in a spinning action and create their own heat climate as they stalk through the bush exploding trees and producing gale force winds...even bursts of rain which can last a couple of minutes before imploding. I know I write a lot about fires...no, I am not a pyromaniac but my son has taught me some of the science of fire-fighting and I marvel at how we have gone from wet burlap sacks to a fleet of special aircraft, also how the indigenous people used fire so skilfully to survive. The current idea is to have the elders teach us their wisdom regarding using fire to enhance life, not destroy it.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 12, 2021 11:10:28 GMT
I cannot imagine the thought of a fire sweeping closer and closer to my home. Besides that I think about all the wildlife like the koala bears who suffer so much. Is there any good from these fires? Anything at all.....maybe a zillion flies get caught up in the smoke and flames. That would be good.
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Post by questa on Feb 13, 2021 0:14:47 GMT
Oz is going through a period of change in thinking about fires.When I was a kid it was "Fires are bad, to be put out immediately". Then came the idea of burning off to reduce the fuel load. The ploughing of wide firebreaks and clearing scrub for farming helped keep fires easier to control. The growth of environmental groups emphasised the need to leave areas without clearing so fuel accumulated. In the 1980s there were major fires with loss of life in the South East of the country. The inquests found that equipment, communications, training ...everything was way below standard. A huge overhaul was done and the place of aircraft was formalised. Meanwhile the planet is heating up and drying out with Global Warming. Then came 'Black Saturday' with 179 deaths including some high profile people and towns burnt out. Many lessons were learnt which led to the recent fires (Sept 2019-Feb 2020)to be better managed. Now everyone living in fire prone areas is expected to develop their Fire Plan with the choice of "Go out early" or "Stay and fight". As mentioned in other posts, most of the native vegetation actually need the fires to germinate. The indigenous people used firestick methods to burn off the old vegetation to bring in the fresh new grasses, which in turn attract the herbivores which are the food for the people. There is a move here to educate the fire authorities in the art of using "Cool burning" in winter to reduce the risks of out of control blazes It is harrowing to see the wildlife suffer and the better we get at guiding fires and forward planning the less this should occur. Koalas (btw, they are not bears but marsupials) have the advantage of looking cute, but a farmer who has to shoot his 90 prize sheep he has reared sees only his flock. Fires are part of this country, been so for hundreds of thousands of years. You can't say they are good or bad, they just are, We have to find a way to make them our servant, not master. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday_bushfiresen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Saturday_bushfires
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Post by mickthecactus on Feb 13, 2021 8:12:58 GMT
As a child I can remember reports of bush fires every year so as you say, they are going to happen a d management rather than fighting seems the way. Talking of plants needing fire, in South Africa there is a small group of plants called grass Aloes that actually need to be burnt to flower. Apparently the chemicals in the smoke triggers it.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 13, 2021 9:46:39 GMT
Talking of plants needing fire, in South Africa there is a small group of plants called grass Aloes that actually need to be burnt to flower. Apparently the chemicals in the smoke triggers it. I have been fortunate enough to spend two weeks looking at the wild flowers in Western Australia and was fascinated to hear that several species can only be triggered by the remains after a fire. If I remember correctly they are : The Blackboy tree (fern?) , Common Donkey Orchid or Wallflower Orchid, Prickly Moses (a wattle), Yellow Buttercup, and I'm not sure about the Sturt Pea and the Kangaroos Paw. When I bought a few hundred packets of seed I also took several packets of "starter". Supposed to mimic a fire but I had no luck with it when sowing some of the seeds.
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