Australian Bush Fires

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Posted by Paul Lousick on 14/01/2020 05:46:24:

A bit of trivia:

" Bruce is a good Aussie name and well suited to a Wallaby", Back in the 1960's, Bruce was the name of a wombat in a childrens story book.

Young Aussie males travelling in the UK were all calleld "Bruce" (around the time of the baudy movie character, Barry McKenzie) because of their reputation with the ladies. Wombats are fat, lazy animals that eats roots and leaves.

Barry Humphries has a lot to answer for

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Dave Halford on 14/01/2020 11:52:39:

Barry Humphries has a lot to answer for

So have Monthy Python.

I saw a long report on the BBC, they are having to cull some badly burned animals.

One rescue centre said they are receiving far fewer animals than they would expect, suggesting low levels of survivors.

The loss of wildlife is very sad, alongside the human tragedies, the pets and farm stock.

Neil

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Steviegtr on 13/01/2020 16:50:55:

Do the houses catch fire easily. As I believe most are constructed from wood. ???

Not really the problem, it's the sheer scale and ferocity of this type of wild-fire that matters. Imagine an area bigger than the whole of the UK has suffered a series of bad droughts over the last twenty years and this year is the worst so far. It's midsummer, about 40C, all vegetation and buildings are tinder dry, and there's a steady breeze. Then fires start; whether accident, nature or deliberate there are likely to be hundreds of them, with a serious risk they will spread rather than burn out naturally.

Initially the flame front travels at wind speed. This is risky because pedestrians may not be able to outrun it, especially the unfit retired gentlemen who favour this forum. But it can get much worse: really big fires like those in Australia cause an up-draft that accelerates the flame front faster than wind-speed. Now the fire might catch a car speeding away at 70mph. The radiant heat is enough to ignite anything inflammable several metres away and it sprays a shower of burning embers capable of travelling long distances, starting more fires well in front of the main one. Not to be compared with a giant out-of-control bonfire next door, these are genuine infernos, possibly with flame fronts several kilometres long.

Very difficult to control. Best tactic is to run away, abandoning home and property to fate. Even a concrete bunker won't save you from a really big fire.

About as bad as it gets – an unimaginably nasty experience. Ironic if the droughts are in any way related to Australia exporting a Billion tons of coal a year to China.

Dave

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Dave Halford on 14/01/2020 11:52:39:

.

Barry Humphries has a lot to answer for

.

Perhaps narrating that excellent wildlife series that I mentioned earlier was his penance.

MichaelG.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

The tragic thing about Barry Humphries is that he was taking the p**s out of Aussie yahoos by exaggerating their mannerisms. But a whole generation missed that point and took his Barry Mackenzie character as a role model. Life imitating art.

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

I phoned a property at Burrowye where I occasionally go to help with the computers and hunt feral pest animals (rabbits, foxes and deer) to enquire about how the family were faring during the firestorm near their property.

A sad reply." Danny, the road is closed so when you can make it through bring your .22 as there are hundreds of animals to be put down, You can show your firearms licence at xxx as they have offered to donate ammunition. we have run out so grab a few cases."

* Danny M *

P.s. The smoke has cleared a bit and a waterbombing helicopter just dipped it's bucket into the lake

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks for the update, Danny

What Australia is going through is almost unimaginable.

MichaelG.

.

P.S. … Hoping that this is acceptable as informed [rather than political] comment:

Sir David Attenborough has spoken

**LINK**

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Here’s an amazing graphic from Reuters : **LINK**

https://graphics.reuters.com/AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-SMOK/0100B4W52R7/index.html

MichaelG.

[Paul LousickParticipant @paullousick59116]

Rain has finaly arrived in many areas across Australia. It is welcome but has caused other problems.

More then 250mm has fallen in some areas but because the grasslands have ben burnt it is not restrained and has caused flash flooding. Ash from the fires has poluted rivers, absorbing the oxygen and killing thousands of fish.

Fires are still burning but has given the fire fighters a hand in creating fire breaks to stop its advance. In some cases the rain has hindered them by making roads boggy and stopping the trucks. Mother nature can be savage at times !

Paul.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Ouch. I hope (but don't expect) that this rain is the end of this episode.

Neil

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Yes, relief but floods in some areas. Bit of a respite in others. As we are now at about the start of our usual bushfire season, they are expecting more between now and Easter.

Footage on the news last night of koalas being rescued from flood waters. Never a dull moment for those guys.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

And now Melbourne is getting pelted by golf-ball sized hail stones, which are shredding the trees that did not get burnt.

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