BS: There'll be bushfires ..

Subject: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Yorkshire Tony
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 11:17 PM

There'll be bushfires mun, you mark my words
There will without a doubt
We'll all be rooned said Hanrahan
Before the year is out

It's 35C today. The sky is overcast with smoke - I keep walking into the kitchen by reflex to see if I've left something on the stove but it's outside. The sky to the NW is orange with reflected fire. I can hear the sirens of the fire engines every now and then. It reminds me a bit of Lord of the Rings, except the Dark Lord today is nature. This is probably how Tolkein envisaged it in Gondor, except the smoke is coming from the West not the East.

No one else here to share these thoughts with except my cat, hence the posting.

Tony

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 11:30 PM

G'day Tony,

And where would you be ... ? I take it you're in Australia - on on the east or south coast, and it was early morning when you posted.
It's more like 36.5º C in Sydney now (mid-afternoon), but we seem free of bushfires in the immediate area.

Do you know of the new Sentinel Bushfire hot-spot monitoring web site put by the CSIRO at: www.sentinel.csiro.au/ ? This gives a zoomable view of fire intensities based on infra-red observations of satellites. It's probably several hours behind, but it gives a good overview for assessment.

They do ask private viewers to keep in mind the data requirements of the fire authorities ... but the Rural Fire Serices seem to be depending on their more traditional and local methods, so far.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 11:38 PM

G'day againg orkshire Tony,

Oooops! I miscalculated on the time differential (added 16 instead of subtracted ...?). I should have worked that out from the fact that the post had to be recent (Max ... Joe ... what about a Mudcat Time clock so we know where we are, relative to Max's flat/MudCat Central ... OK - it would be easier for each of us to remember the difference ...!)

Keep looking out for the fires - but use the web to keep an overview.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Yorkshire Tony
Date: 17 Jan 03 - 11:50 PM

Now I can hear the water-bombing choppers going overhead. I'm glad I live well into the suburbs. Nothing much to do except wait and pray.

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: artbrooks
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 12:51 AM

Good luck. Our fire season is still 4-5 months off, but its supposed to be worse than last year.

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 12:55 AM

If it's worse than last year there may be nothing left of Colorado by summer's end!

Be safe, please, all of our Australian Mudcatters. We'll do the rain falling from the sky dance all we can up here for ya...

kat

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: JennyO
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 01:25 AM

Well your raindances and wet vibes helped a lot last time!

No serious fires near Sydney as yet, but I believe they have some near Canberra.

It's been horrendously hot today, the highest I've heard of was in the suburb of West Pennant Hills. At one point it was 51.3 degrees C. Here in East Ryde, it has been about 44 degrees C. Fortunately I have airconditioning!

Not-so-fortunately, I'm having a BBQ in a couple of hours, outside in the heat. Don't know where I'll put all the hot folkies when they decide to crowd into my little living room!

I've discovered a really excellent weather website, called Weather Underground. This is where I'm getting all my info from.

Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: nutty
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 03:18 AM

Just heard on the news that bushfires are indeed threatening Canberra.

See here for story carried by CNN CLICK

So if there are any more Mudcatters out there....Keep safe

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 05:42 AM

G'day aagin Tony,

Well, I guess that you also have the south easterly cool change we are experiencing in Sydney. That will cool things down a bit, but the wind speed is still very high. I hope it doesn't turn the fires back on the RFS crews.

It all look pretty bad on the ABC news! Apparently fires have ripped through at least a third of the Kozciusko National Park. I hope the cool change holds ... and the winds drop.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Hrothgar
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 06:23 AM

I've always liked the line "Hundred and ten in the shade - but don't worry, you won't be working in the shade!"

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: allanwill
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 08:59 AM

Well, Canberra just got totally hammered yesterday. So far, 2 people dead, 60 houses destroyed and thousands of people evacuated. Mid-afternoon and it was more like midNIGHT!

I put a link to the new Sentinal web-site, that Bob mentions above, a couple of days ago. Looking at it now the fires themselves are still a few kilometres away. The trouble was strong westerly winds of 50 - 70 kph blew hot ash and embers deep into suburban areas. And, oh joy, more of the same is expected today.

I have nothing but praise for the firefighters and emergency services crews, BUT - there are going to be a lot of questions asked as a result of these fires. 'Nuff said, for now.

Allan

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: gnu
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 09:43 AM

Gosh... I guess -21C ain't so bad. Even the snow, which seems to come every weekend, is a delight compared to what you Aussies are having. Thoughts and prayers to you.

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 07:55 PM

G'day Tony and all,

I see now there are 400 homes destroyed in the Canberra area ... still only 2 deaths ... something to be thankful for ...?

The fires in the Alpine areas - the Kosciuzko National Park, &c, are the worst for half a century ... I heard last night that there were fire raging in alpine meadows that have scarcely seen fire in living memory.

There are lesser fires just 70 km south of Sydney, but we are not getting anything like the scorching westerlies of yesterday ... the wind here is still south-easterly and temperatures below 30º .. so far.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Hrothgar
Date: 19 Jan 03 - 04:57 AM

Point of interest - are the fires bad because calici virus has knocked out so many rabbits that there is a lot more vegetation surviving?

This seemed to be the case a couple of years ago when there was a high fire risk in the Simpson Desert of all places. It was the first time for x years, because at last there was something to burn.

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 19 Jan 03 - 06:06 AM

G'day Hrothgar,

Well, as I said above: "... there were fires raging in alpine meadows that have scarcely seen fire in living memory ...". Bunnies have enough fur to happily graze on alpine grass in summer.

It's a good question, but I think the real culprit is global warming -whatever the cause. As more solar radiation enters the Earth, there is more energy in the weather system ... and more of everything: heat, storms - and fire.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: GUEST,Yorkshire Tony
Date: 19 Jan 03 - 06:15 AM

Hi Everyone

Still blacked out at my place so checking e-mails from a friend's. Canberra was bad yesterday. It was as black as night at 4.00pm. I was fighting a grass fire with neighbours until 9.30 pm last night by which time we had it under control. It got to within 200m of my place. Not a fire engine in sight - they had bigger things to worry about.

Thank you all for your good wishes. My place is safe, though I had the cat and a few other valuables packed in the car ready to go yesterday afternoon.

I don't think you can blame the lack of rabbits, Hroth, we still have plenty of roos. You see them very close to the centre in Canberra - a real bush capital.

Current toll is 4 dead and around 300 houses destroyed with a similar number damaged.

Send some snow!

Tony

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 19 Jan 03 - 06:32 AM

this morning I was talking to a friend, Chris Clarke, (author of 'The Toast Song' - parody of 'Both Sides Now' put up by Bob Bolton several years ago), who lives in the middle of Kambah one of Canberra's hardhit western suburbs. He spent Sat hosing everything down even tho he is no-where near the bush, & watching out for burning embers which were everywhere. The neighbour's house lost part of their backyard from embers. He & other neighbours put out the fire as the people are away.

2 of his friends have lost their houses. I have other friends & colleagues in Canberra & I'll be contacting them tomorrow.

Our National Broadcaster gave a magnificant coverage this morning but then dropped the cover for Sydney & went on to bloody sport!! I would have preferred to continue listening to the Canberra-based coverage, so I have only had news reports tonight, which say the situation is better now, but don't give enough details.

sandra (1030 Sunday night)

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: JennyO
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 04:18 AM

Here is an update on the bushfire situation in our part of Australia.

In Canberra, our national capital, 4 people dead, at least 402 homes lost, and about 30 in hospital from burns and injuries received while trying to save houses. Mt. Stromlo Observatory was destroyed, as well as a fire station, a service station, a school, a medical centre and the home of Gold Medallist marathon runner, Robert de Castella, and probably other things not officially listed yet.

The worst hit suburb was Duffy, which lost more than half of the 402 homes. I saw some terrifying film taken in one of the fire trucks as it was driving through that area. The people there are just shellshocked.

The threat is still very much alive, with fires still burning to the north west of Canberra, and extremely hot dry and windy conditions expected tomorrow.

There are also fires burning in Victoria in the Snowy Mountains area, and on the NSW Central Coast. There was a fire in one of Sydney's suburbs on Saturday but that was stopped with only one house lost.

Because of the longstanding drought conditions we have had, and the continued expected hot dry weather, there is still a very high risk of more fires, and they can spring up very quickly. Canberra's fire was believed to have started from lightning strike, and there is the possibility of more dry storms tomorrow in the afternoon, in Canberra and Sydney.

Sydney is still very much at risk. Although there were bad fires here in December, the amount of bush burnt was only a tiny part of the total amount of bush, and everything is tinder dry.

I started a thread "5 objects to take if house on fire" at that time, when a fire sprang up in the next street, and came uncomfortably close. That sort of thing certainly makes you think about what is really important!

Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bassic
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 04:32 AM

Good luck to you all. Keep safe. Posessions can be replaced, you cant.

G

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: JennyO
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 04:56 AM

Amen to that, Bassic!

Thankyou.

Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 09:23 AM

G'day JennyO and all,

Fires are certainly still alive further south. I have just been on the 'phone to Ian Simpson - concertina and whistle maker / leader of the oldest traditional band in Australia (coming up for 150 years of family traditions in dance music!). Ian is just across the border at Nariel - just south of the Snowy Mts - and fears that fires could destry his farm at any time. Another concertina player, in nearby Corryong has been fighting close fires for days.

And tomorrow will be a scorcher! (again)

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: JennyO
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 09:31 AM

Hello Bob. Are you there Sandra?

I was wondering about Nariel and Corryong. Hope they'll be all right.

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: alison
Date: 20 Jan 03 - 09:53 PM

Nariel was very dry when I was there a few weeks back.......

I was at a friends place on Saturday (Glenorie.. where the worst Sydney fires were a few weeks ago)... it was 49C (120F)at 3pm thats way too hot for me!!

glad you're OK Yorkshire Tony

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Rustic Rebel
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 01:10 AM

We don't have any snow here (Minnesota, US) to send your way Tony, but I will send rain thoughts your way. And slow wind thoughts. And cooler temps. (now that we do have here, 25 below zero F. tonight)
Like Bassic said, possessions can be replaced, so everyone over there, stay safe.
The fires will bring green back and flowers will bloom again and in more abundance.
Many rain songs here to get us thinking about RAIN!
Take care, Peace.
Rustic

Rain
listen listen
listen to the rain
listen listen
listen to the rain


softer softer
listen to the rain
softer softer
listen to the rain
listen listen listen listen
listen to the rain


louder louder
listen to the rain
louder louder
listen to the rain
listen listen listen listen
listen to the rain

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bluesmike
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 03:01 AM

My thoughts are with everyone in Canberra where the threat is still not over. High temps are still forecast in the mid 40s for the rest of the week. I have spent the last week moving from the island to a 450 acre bush block just across the river. Woke up this morning to thick smoke and spent the day watching fire boats and choppers charging by. I always had an impeccable sense of timing. So instead of unpacking I have my Guitars lined upin their cases by the front door. One of these days I'll get it right. There is no likelyhood of rain but a cool southerly has just blown in which should ease the threat. For those Catters not in Oz this drought is the worst on record and continues unabated.
If I can help any Canberrans or others in need please don't hesitate to get in touch, I have a car and large trailer at your disposal or if you have any other problems you only have to ask.
Kind thoughts
Michael Chandler

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 06:27 AM

G'day Bluesmike,

I take it you would have got something from either the small storm that passed from the northeast a few hours back ... or the one now heading northeast from Sydney. Unfortunately, both were not much better than a Darling Shower ... three rainspots and a handful of dust!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 06:32 AM

G'day again,

... A bit of esprit de l'escalier ... now that I come to think of it ...

It's probably all thse MudCatters praying / dancing / singing for rain for Canberra. They aren't too hot on Australian geography ... or meteorology ... and they keep sending conflicting directions. Poor old Jupiter Fluvius doesn't know which way to spin!

Regards to Kat and all MudCat wellwishers for the burnt out ones,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 07:35 AM

We've just had a little bit of rain here in inner Syndey (we'll grow a good crop of tar & concete!) - I don't know how widespread it was or whether it got to where it's needed.

Alison - if you can't cope with Western Sydney's temperatures, no one can! Saturday I hadn't realised how hot other folks were until talking to Jenny at 4.30 about going to her BBQ/session - my part of inner Sydney was not at all hot. I left my rather ineffective fan to go to the phone & ddn't need to bring the fan with me. But it was oven hot walking to the station & still warm at her place 2 hours later. I couldn't believe it was supposed to be 39 around my way & had been in the 40's & 50s out in north western suburbia.

Rustic -thanks for the link. We also have a great Rain song - Hey, Rain, by Bill Scott - referring to tropical downpours in the wet (cyclone) season. I have at least 2 versions of it, but no words. It has lovely images of the river rising 38 feet (overnight) & a Johnston River crocodile living in the fridge.

Australia is the land of "droughts & flooding rains" (from Dorothy McKellar's classic poem "My country")


sandra

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Callie
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 07:57 AM

Hi all

I'm hoping that the sudden downpour we just had on the coast is on its way South West ...

The sky has been completely grey with smoke today - all the way out to the sea's horizon. Very eerie.

Lots of tragic stories about people losing everything ...

What are people's feelings about going to the Numeralla festival this weekend? As far as I can make out it's away from the "action" at present. Not sure if it would be fairer to keep the roads as uncongested as possible at this time. Anyone heard anything?

Callie

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: nutty
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 08:36 AM

Hey Sandra ..... The words of the rain song have already been posted here in the DT.

Hey Rain

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: JennyO
Date: 21 Jan 03 - 09:28 AM

We had some thundery flashy things and a bucketful of rain between 9.30 and 10 tonight, just as I was talking to Simon. I didn't stay on the phone as long as usual because of the lightning.

Anyway, it's all gone now and I don't think it would have helped much.

Sandra and Bob, we should get Lenny to sing the rain song again - it always seems to rain when he sings it! But he'll have to direct it towards Canberra. At least he knows where it is!

I won't be going to Numeralla. I'm going to stay at George's on Saturday night and go to the Woy Woy thing on Sunday.

Seeya, Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: JennyO
Date: 22 Jan 03 - 09:03 AM

Guess what? It rained this afternoon.

Thanks for all the wet energy, you folks who are sending it!
Not sure how much they got in Canberra, though.

Last figure I heard in Canberra was 500 houses destroyed.

Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 22 Jan 03 - 09:49 PM

G'day JennyO,

I really should reach back a few decades into our traditions ... and start singing Duke Tritton's Send It Down, Hughey!. This was always held to be good for a quick downpour back in the ealrly days of the Bush Music Club's Concert Party ... and, thus, banned from any outdoor performances!

Incidentally, Duke wrote the song back in 1905, on his first shearing job ... sessioning with the rouseabouts, including the mate he calls Dutchy in his autobiographical novel Time Means Tucker, rather than the shearers, to whom he was just a raw new chum. Of course, the rousies wanted rain ... they got paid anyway, but the shearers where just on rations as long as the sheep were too wet to shear.

BTW: Duke and <>Dutchy just picked on the name "Hughey" to fit the song, using the music hall tune Swing me just a Little Bit Higher, Obadiah, Do! ... and thus gave a name to the Australian personification of God (at least, in re rain). As someone remarked ... "Only the Australians would presume to be on first name terms with God!"

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bluesmike
Date: 23 Jan 03 - 03:45 AM

Hi crew- no rain but a funny mist yesterday afternoon. Digging out my dam this morning saw a fresh water crayfish walking cross country- no I haven't had a drink in weeks. My son saw a green tree snake and we saw a Lyre bird. What is this 'Woy Woy" this to which you refer? I still have me guitars and the urge to sing sometimes comes on so strong I go weak at the knees.

Kind thoughts to all
Michael

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: GUEST,Canberra Chris
Date: 23 Jan 03 - 03:48 AM

Sorry, too busy to get on Mudcat myself, but thanks for thinking of us. If anyone wants to see what midnight at 5pm in summer with half of hell coming at you looks like, I have some photos taken by someone further down the line who had time to record it. They are about 875KB, I'll send them to anyone who asks.

But I do write songs.

There is a small hill behind my house that gives a panoramic view of the
southern part of Canberra including the full sweep of surrounding hills, and
I went up there first in the early afternoon to see what was coming from where, then in the night after the day's battle, then the following dawn.

In my head going non-stop all that day was the stunning recording of Ashokan
Farewell by Mark O'Connor with Pinchas Zukerman, that I had been listening to that morning.

DAWN CHORUS (to the tune 'Ashokan Farewell')

As I stood upon the hill
And I looked out over all
Where the blood red smoke rose
In a towering pall,
From the hillsides all ablaze
That we will not see again
It swept on down the slopes
Like a runaway train.

Of time and of help
We were standing bereft
Garden hoses were all we had left,
Then the fire got behind us
And dropped all around,
There was nowhere to go
But defend our own ground.


In the night upon the hill
When I looked out over all
Too exhausted to stand,
Too defiant to fall,
In the darkness I could see
Just the glitter of the band
Not of stars, but of fires
On the still-burning land.

In the dawn would I see
That most houses survive,
And the gardens of green would revive?
But the whole land around them
Would look like the moon,
It would heal with time
But it would not heal soon.


In the dawn upon the hill
When I looked out over all
And the few birds that sang
Heard no answering call,
From the country and the hills
To horizons all around
Of that full devastation
Came no living sound.

As a mercy, the view
Was still veiled by the haze
Of the smoke I will smell all my days,
And I wondered, as those terrors
Alone we had braved,
What we thought we had fought,
What we thought we had saved.

            Chris Clarke
            Kambah, Canberra, day/night 18th, dawn 19th January 2003

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 23 Jan 03 - 06:53 AM

Thanks, Nutty, I never thought to look for Bill Scott's song. It's a great song & as Jenny says, when Len sings it we often get rain.

Hello,Chris - good to seeya on Mudcat.

If anyone wants to see Chris's pics, contact me to get in touch with him - of course, Chris if you JOIN Mudcat folks can contact you directly!! And you know what a wonderful place Mudcat is.

I've had a lazy day off work today - reading 3 books & visting the library to top up my pile of unread books (9 new library books + 3 left of the 9 I bought last week!!), so I haven't heard much news, tho I know more hot weather is expected in Canberra on the weekend because one of my Canberra colleague told me that on Wed.

Our Central office (2000 staff) was evacuated on Mon - fires were 10 km away, but lots of staff were fighting fires or protecting their homes - including all the fire wardens & first aid officers!! so the office closed. Some techo folks stayed as we have a national computer system & any staff who would be safer at work were also allowed to stay. As of Wed 4 staff had lost their homes, and an unknown number had damaged homes.

sandra (10.50 Thurs night)

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: JennyO
Date: 24 Jan 03 - 11:26 AM

Bluesmike, the Woy Woy thing to which I am referring is an Australia Day celebration run by Gosford Council, held in front of the C.W.A. hall down near Woy Woy channel. It's on Sunday, and I believe it goes from 10am to 4pm.

There will be stalls, a reenactment of Gov. Phillip's landing at midday, Us Not Them at 11am, the Wheeze and Suck Band at 1pm, and the Troubadour folk club will have a table and some musicians dropping in to play a bit. That's all I've been told. Drop in if you're interested. I'll be there.

Jenny

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bluesmike
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 03:51 AM

Thanks Jenny

I unfortunately have made other arrangements for tomorrow- I would like to know of any regular "come all ye's" north of Sydney. Someone spoke recently of the Mooney Mooney Workers club reopening - that would be good as I could row there.
Kind thoughts to all
Michael

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Jan 03 - 06:37 AM

Bluesmike - a new folk club is opening at Mooney Mooney Workers Club in the bowling club pavilion, Fri 7th Feb, 2 groups & floor spots. Details in Dec Cornstalk


sandra

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: JennyO
Date: 26 Jan 03 - 06:09 AM

Hi Sandra,

Is that the one being run by Jackie Luke and Greg?

Jenny (back from a hot, but good, day at Woy Woy)

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: alison
Date: 27 Jan 03 - 12:15 AM

yes thats the one... the Dang-lyn-Moon club.... going to be held on the 1st Friday of the month

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Callie
Date: 27 Jan 03 - 06:16 AM

Numeralla was great, folks. Numbers were down of course but a good time (and much swimming) was had regardless. Met some locals who were very pleased that the "show went on" as things have been pretty dire out that way.

On the way home (through the rain - hurrah!) we heard that Nariel was evacuated.

Callie

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 27 Jan 03 - 06:25 AM

G'day Callie,

I spoke to Ian Simpson a week or so after the Nariel Festival, ordering Tickets Please the new CD of the Nariel Creek Old Time Band, which I have reviewed, but I wanted to buy my own copy. Ian was worried then about imminent fires ... but my CD arrived late last week ... so the post was still there ... then!

We've just had a light sprinkle of rain over Sydney ... and the Radar indicates that it has come right up the coast ... but I doubt that much fell inland of the Great Divide!

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: There'll be bushfires ..
From: GUEST,alinact
Date: 30 Jan 03 - 04:15 AM

I've just listened to the news; Canberra 37C, winds around 40 - 50 kph from the northwest, the towns of Wee Jasper and Michelago, both about 20 K's (in different directiuons) away on high alert to evacuate - very similar to the conditions of 18 January.

I posted above, about 8 hours after the fires did their thing and before I knew the end result was 4 people dead, 3 still in intensive care in Sydney with 3rd degree burns and approx. 520 houses destroyed, and I said there were going to be questions asked.

Well, they are being asked and bloody right, too.

20 years of self government in the ACT (which very few people voted for), by governments that couldn't rule in their own right, who accepted money from any radical group that wanted to be heard just so they could (pretend to) balance the books, who are now saying "Oh, this was a one in a one hundred year event" that hasn't happened in the last 99 years (although it nearly did just 12 months ago) and for which the government was totally unprepared (or didn't know how to prepare without upsetting those certain radical elements), despite the fact the fires started (by lightning) 10 days previously and were moving slowly, but inexorably, towards Canberra during that time.

Too bloody right questions should be asked!

Okay, rant over. Be aware, for those interested, I've posted a correction to The Innisfail Song, referred to in nutty's post of 21 January, to the original thread.

Allan