Disaster Zone One: Australia

[Skybird]

As we all have noticed, in Australia brown stuff has hit the fan. This video shows a firefront overrolling a fire brigade truck - filmed from inside the cabin. Looks as dramatic as war. The whole scenery down there looks loike hell these days.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvy2siEwOZ0



Deepest respect for the courage and engagement of all these many men still fighting. I wonder whether I would have the nerves for this job, i doubt I would. Had experience with a house basement partially in flames once, must not have that again.


It all looks like something from Hironymus Bosch.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_hVCMtZNqA






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkkyfEeFNJQ


I read these fires are so monumental now that they create their own climate zone and according wind- and pressure-zones.

[STEED]

Australia burns while a few hours ago thousands of dollars went up in smoke to celebrate the new year, money that was needed to fight fires. :nope:

I have nothing but high praise to all those fighting theses fires on the front line. :yep:

[Jimbuna]

As we all have noticed, in Australia brown stuff has hit the fan. This video shows a firefront overrolling a fire brigade truck - filmed from inside the cabin. Looks as dramatic as war. The whole scenery down there looks loike hell these days.


Deepest respect for the courage and engagement of all these many men still fighting. I wonder whether I would have the nerves for this job, i doubt I would. Had experience with a house basement partially in flames once, must not have that again.


It all looks like something from Hironymus Bosch.



I read these fires are so monumental now that they create their own climate zone and according wind- and pressure-zones.

In one clip on the BBC last night people were standing on the beach preparing to wade into the sea if necessary.

The fire at that point was less than fifty metres away.

[Reece]

Australia burns while a few hours ago thousands of dollars went up in smoke to celebrate the new year, money that was needed to fight fires. :nope:
Agree 100% talk about bad taste!!:doh:

Thankfully a nasty local fire burning out of control for 2 weeks here in S.A. has finally been put out, though it will take a while to smother the remaining burning logs etc, doesn't take much for sparks to be thrown about with wind.
2 firefighters died in this one and quite a few houses lost. (not sure of the final count)
Going for a top of 37 today and 43 here tomorrow, getting kinda sick of it, the trees are showing stress and some of the big ones on our property are leaning over by about 30 to 40 degrees, hope it rains soon but doesn't look like it!! :hmmm:
Not a very nice start to a new year for many people, especially in NSW. :wah:

Edit:
NSW fire activity map:
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me

Victoria and S.A.:
http://www.incidentalert.com.au/iav4/map.php

[Aktungbby]

NATURALLY YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY IN NAPA TO HELP CURE YOUR P.T.F.S! :o ALL THE VINO'S ON ME! https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=2576638&postcount=84https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2018/11/09/PRRS/04f525be-2951-4b6a-9b72-20adebfcba1b-image-download_1.jpeg?width=520&height=390&fit=bounds&auto=webp In smokey California, we call this 'the new normal'!!??

[Jimbuna]

The son of a volunteer who died fighting Australian bushfires has been presented with his father's medal for bravery at his funeral.

Harvey Keaton, aged 19 months, wore a uniform and sucked on his dummy as he received his father's posthumous medal at Thursday's funeral near Sydney.

Dozens of firefighters formed a guard of honour to salute Mr Keaton's coffin.

He and colleague Andrew O'Dwyer died on 19 December en route to a blaze, when their fire truck hit a fallen tree.

Mr O'Dwyer, also father to a toddler, will be buried next week.

The bravery award was presented to young Harvey Keaton by New South Wales Fire Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also attended the funeral.

The prime minister said he was there to "remember and give thanks for the life and service of Geoff Keaton".

Photos released by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service showed the toddler being held by his mother as they look at the coffin. A mug with the message "Daddy, I love you to the moon and back!" is seen on the coffin.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-50971313

Happy to admit the above brought a few tears when I read it.

[STEED]

Australia's PM Scott Morrison had to cut short a visit to a town ravaged by fire after angry locals heckled him over the government's response.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50973232

Sack him I say. :yep:

And sack the Mayor of Sidney spouting that garbage about climate change instead of calling off that firework display. :yep:

[mapuc]

What brakes my heart is seeing all those animals who are suffering in those fire
So does the news about people who have been killed or wounded and have lost everything due to those fire.
I'm a animal person( I cry more in lost of animals), not exactly a human person.

Markus

[Reece]

Australia's PM Scott Morrison had to cut short a visit to a town ravaged by fire after angry locals heckled him over the government's response.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50973232Sack him I say. :yep:


:yep: :up: :yeah: :Kaleun_Applaud: :salute:

[Cybermat47]

It’s great to spend 12 hours on the fireground while thinking about our glorious leader slacking off at home.

Say what you like about Abbott, but at least he’s one of us, a firefighter.

[Reece]

Nothing wrong with Tony! :up:

My hat's off to you as well, always appreciate the efforts of the firefighters. :yep:

[stork100]

Nothing wrong with Tony! :up:

:up:

[Reece]

Yay!! US firefighters have arrived to help the battle, very grateful. :yeah:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-02/us-firefighters-arrive-in-australia-to-help-efforts/11838086

https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/82175032_3901670749858635_76942767149809664_n.jpg? _nc_cat=1&_nc_ohc=R93SeZxHlZYAQlf_0pLD6LLd88LHkGHfP6Qy2w95yd 6xKuZi9EHk2dQuA&_nc_ht=scontent-syd2-1.xx&oh=96cbe6c6fb49c535032d9a9953c9818a&oe=5EA6B58B

[Jimbuna]

^ Top picture :up:

[Aktungbby]

Yay!! US firefighters have arrived to help the battle, very grateful. :yeah:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-02/us-firefighters-arrive-in-australia-to-help-efforts/11838086

https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/82175032_3901670749858635_76942767149809664_n.jpg? _nc_cat=1&_nc_ohc=R93SeZxHlZYAQlf_0pLD6LLd88LHkGHfP6Qy2w95yd 6xKuZi9EHk2dQuA&_nc_ht=scontent-syd2-1.xx&oh=96cbe6c6fb49c535032d9a9953c9818a&oe=5EA6B58BGod knows they've had a lot of practise lately!: That is certainly a kuality photo:yeah::Kaleun_Salute:

[Reece]

Even where we live in the Mid North of South Australia the smoke is thick from the Kangaroo Island fires, almost makes me sick, a cooler day here today thankfully but by Wednesday it will be back near 40. Hopefully the Eastern states should get this cooler change by Sunday to ease conditions there. :hmmm:

[d@rk51d3]

Agree 100% talk about bad taste!!:doh:

Thankfully a nasty local fire burning out of control for 2 weeks here in S.A. has finally been put out, though it will take a while to smother the remaining burning logs etc, doesn't take much for sparks to be thrown about with wind.
2 firefighters died in this one and quite a few houses lost. (not sure of the final count)
Going for a top of 37 today and 43 here tomorrow, getting kinda sick of it, the trees are showing stress and some of the big ones on our property are leaning over by about 30 to 40 degrees, hope it rains soon but doesn't look like it!! :hmmm:
Not a very nice start to a new year for many people, especially in NSW. :wah:

Edit:
NSW fire activity map:
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me

Victoria and S.A.:
http://www.incidentalert.com.au/iav4/map.php

3 friends of mine lost everything in Lobethal, Reckon they had planned on simplifying, just not quite to this extent.

Also knew the fatality too.

[Dowly]

Japan's Himawari satellite shows the flaring of the fires today:
https://i.imgur.com/AGjXt4h.gifv


Video showing how quickly the fire can spread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/ejuik0/this_is_how_serious_these_fire_are_across_nsw/


Stay safe!

[Skybird]

So much for German national caps and yearly limits to fine dusts...

[Jimbuna]

Temperatures surpassed 40C (104F) in some areas. In Penrith, west of Sydney, temperatures reached 48.9C. Some reports suggest it was for a time the hottest place on Earth.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-50992323

:o:o:o

[Jimbuna]

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service has updated emergency warnings, telling those who have not evacuated at-risk areas: "It is too late to leave. Seek shelter as the fire approaches."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/sydney-suburb-hottest-place-on-earth-as-fires-create-their-own-storms/ar-BBYAK2c?li=BBoPWjQ&ocid=mailsignout

God help them!!

[Skybird]

:o:o:o
The deserts in the Middle East, and Death Valley can reach temperatures in excess of 55-60°C, I think 40° is still a bit away from that. But last year, we have had three days in a row in Germany where the 40° mark was crossed in places. Too much for my taste.

Have had my share of desert feel, must not want it again myself. I prefer relative cold. The temp in the ME area was the one thing I never got used to, and always suffered of. In Asia'S tropical regions, with their high humidity, it probably feels even worse.

[Jimbuna]

I was in Iran (Khorramshahr to be precise) in the late seventies and will never forget the deck of the vessel I was on was so hot you could literally fry an egg so standing still was not an option and lime juice and salt replacement tablets were regularly consumed yet in the evening it was so cold wearing a sweater was advisable.

[Falkirion]

I don't know how many other Aussies we've got here but I can't be the only one lamenting the horrible show of leadership that's been shown during these fires. All the blame being thrown around Canberra these days just makes me lose faith in the government. I don't think we've had a decent PM that actually led the country since Howard was PM way back in the early 2000's.


I hope the men and women fighting these fires can get on top of them soon. Saw a local blaze while I was taking my daughter on a car trip to get her to sleep over the weekend and it just makes me wonder just what my parents generation has left us to deal with as my generation (mid to late 80s) comes into the leadership roles in the system.

[Reece]

I would say the biggest thing wrong with a lot of people today, especially the PM, is the lack of wisdom, :doh: too many are too busy looking in the mirror admiring the view!! :yep:

[Onkel Neal]

Oh man, that looks bad :(

We don't have any people in this, do we? Tarjack? Cybermat? Reaves? Silverbeard? All ok?

https://twitter.com/marty386/status/1211591399470067712

[Mr Quatro]

Oh man, that looks bad :(

We don't have any people in this, do we? Tarjack? Cybermat? Reaves? Silverbeard? All ok?

https://twitter.com/marty386/status/1211591399470067712

I think Reece is on the edge ... He has a pretty nice place down there too

https://www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_large/public/headlines/aus.fires_.png?itok=sUktsMGH

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/21/everything-burning-australian-inferno-continues-choking-access-cities-across-country?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3wdfqaCusm9ZUFd5v1rYmOqlFyyOnQea_3YKA5Z xwdWfBE_4ETNt4S0dU

[Reece]

We're ok here, I hope it stays that way, Summer ain't over for a long time yet!! :o Yesterday was most unusual, a top here of 17 and light rain all day, the trees sure needed it!! :yeah:

[Jimbuna]

Broke my heart this morning :yep:

https://i.postimg.cc/CK2V404Z/mama-and-baby-koala1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://www.theanimalspage.com/mama-and-baby-koala/

[Skybird]

Broke my heart this morning :yep:
https://www.theanimalspage.com/mama-and-baby-koala/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOo3cAz7w8Q


That was a scene so desperate that it stung me last week. Got wet eyes.



I know a lady over here in Germany who is caretaking of baby red sqirrels falling out of the nest and takes care of squirrels who got found after being hit by car traffic or injured by predators, though mostly it is cars. She got a heavily hit female in late November and videoed about it. When I saw that little life-thing with cramped legs and closed eyes, serious head trauma, hardly breathing, it immediately klicked inside me, and from then on I followed the process of recovery from day to day and talked with that lady a lot. We were not sure at all the little thing would make it. It was a hard fight, her family told her to let her go, I said she should give her the time needed to fight for her life and that neural damages need time and so forth. Becoming conscious again, the animal had three days of cramps and was seriously contorting its body like a cork screw, it was a pain to look at in video. And then - it started to become better. Short before christmas we conluded that she had made it and she was put into the outside voliere. Today she is fully recovered and just will be kept over the winter, say early February or so, whatevr the weather allows, the decision is due to food concerns.


Great relief for me.



Animals, also little kids, can touch us so intensely. I am getting easily furious if humans handle them carelessly or show no sign of empathy for them and say "its just an animal". No. Its not just an animal. It never was, and never will be. Or as I read in one of my squirrel rescuers' signature over here: saving an animal does not change the world - but the world all of a sudden changes for that one animal.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.ibb.co/mBrC3w0/81600924-1500195883463616-430194605951025152-n.jpg (https://ibb.co/b3jgkZF)

[mapuc]

A friend posted a link, to what I would call a none-reliable source

The headline said

Nearly 200 people arrested across Australia for deliberately starting bushfires"

Is this correct ?

Markus

[Jimbuna]

A friend posted a link, to what I would call a none-reliable source

The headline said

Nearly 200 people arrested across Australia for deliberately starting bushfires"

Is this correct ?

Markus

Plenty of sources here: https://www.google.com/search?q=Nearly+200+people+arrested+across+Austral ia+for+deliberately+starting+bushfires&rlz=1C1PRFI_enGB770GB770&oq=Nearly+200+people+arrested+across+Australia+for +deliberately+starting+bushfires&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Mr Quatro]

String them up :o

but a really nice man in Arkansas lost his wife and daughter to a wild fire started by two teenagers and he forgave them. I'm still learning what forgiveness means, but that is some example. :yep:

https://abcnews.go.com/International/24-australians-arrested-deliberately-setting-fires-season/story?id=68108272

Two dozen Australians in the state of New South Wales have been arrested since early November for intentionally setting fires as record-large blazes continue to burn across the country.

There have been 24 people charged with deliberately setting fires among 183 facing legal action in the state, according to the New South Wales Police Force.

In addition to those facing the most serious charges of starting fires intentionally, authorities said another 53 people are facing legal action for not complying with the state's fire ban and 47 people have faced legal action for discarding a lit cigarette or match on land.

MORE: Using US map to examine scale of massive Australia wildfires
Starting a bushfire intentionally and being reckless in causing its spread can result in up to 21 years in prison, authorities said.

[Skybird]

A friend posted a link, to what I would call a none-reliable source

The headline said

Nearly 200 people arrested across Australia for deliberately starting bushfires"

Is this correct ?

Markus


https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/07/australia/australia-fires-police-action-trnd/index.html

"Police have charged at least 24 people for intentionally starting bushfires in the state of New South Wales, according to a statement (https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/news_article?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJ GJTJGZWJpenByZC5wb2xpY2UubnN3Lmdvdi5hdSUyRm1lZGlhJ TJGODIyNjQuaHRtbCZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D)the New South Wales Police released Monday. NSW Police have taken legal action against 183 people, 40 of whom are juveniles, for fire-related offenses since November 8, the statement said. The legal actions range from cautions to criminal charges."

[mapuc]

(An off topic answer to Jimbuna and Skybird)

I have developed a suspiciousness against homepage like Gates of Vienna and similar.

I have throughout the years discovered they have an ability to add, change or fabricate a story.

Markus
(End of An off topic answer)

[Reece]

So much for Snot Morrison's compensation offer: :doh:

https://www.facebook.com/Mark.M.Aldridge.Independent/posts/10158007641769124

[Skybird]

In an ideal and fair and just world, Morrison's property, house, appartement, whatever would be threatened by fire. And then no fire fighter shows up. Real justice has real satisfaction.

[Jimbuna]

So much for Snot Morrison's compensation offer: :doh:

https://www.facebook.com/Mark.M.Aldridge.Independent/posts/10158007641769124

Disgraceful and hopefully the disclosure will bring about a fair change around.

[Catfish]

Thai elephants march in silence for australian bushfires

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-bushfires-thailand-elephant/thai-elephants-march-in-silence-for-australian-bushfires-idUSKBN1ZC0K9

[Jimbuna]

Carrots dropped from helicopters feed wallabies.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/newsbeat-51098239/australia-bushfires-carrots-dropped-from-helicopters-feed-wallabies

That I found quite moving.

[d@rk51d3]

A friend posted a link, to what I would call a none-reliable source

The headline said

Nearly 200 people arrested across Australia for deliberately starting bushfires"

Is this correct ?

Markus

It wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Talking to a local copper a couple of years ago, entire fire brigades in my area were under surveillance because in some cases, they're all known to be "firebugs".

:down: