Liz Davis wrote:
Thanks, we're OK. We live in Scullin which is basically one line of suburbs away from the open areas, our biggest dangers here are spot fires from windblown or drifting embers, or fireballs. Yesterday afternoon Robin cleared all the gutters on the roof (something we should have done a long time ago, of course), blocked the downpipes and filled the gutters with water whilst I did the other things recommended by the emergency services.Been with ya all day Roger, glad to see you're ok. The smoke and dust bad here, but nothing like you are facing. The winds have died slightly, hoping that's the case there.
388 homes have been confirmed destroyed, 2 people dead, hundreds injured, over 2,000 evacuated.
The 25 or more suburbs on red alert back on to bushland, parkland, and rural areas, they run from almost the western extremity of Canberra's residential area (Holt & Higgins) to its southernmost point 30-40 kms away. The winds yesterday afternoon were gale force and blowing from the west/northwest which literally blasted fires on three fronts down that line of suburbs. The worst hit I think were Duffy (50 homes) and Chapman (40), Weston Creek on the south side, I was talking to one of my sons yesterday evening who lives in Curtin, not that far from those, and he said Duffy 'just went up like a torch'.
Our firefighters have been augmented by many coming in from other parts of NSW and beyond but those areas are also under threat (as you probably know). Also (for our friends overseas) most of these people are volunteers equipped by governments to particular standards. Very well trained, very enthusiastic, but still voluntary. Even with these additions our fire services are stretched very thinly.
There is still danger. A wind change went through last night about 8pm, dropping the temperature and changing its direction so it was coming from east to southeast, gusting to around 25 kms. This increased problems for some areas as what had been fire flanks became fire fronts. The winds dropped totally about 10pm, have not come back yet (8.45am) but are forecast for this afternoon from the west/northwest again, strong and gusty, to be followed by another easterly change this evening. Yesterday's temps were over 38 degrees C, it was 35 in our living room at 3pm. Today's forecast is 34, it's currently 18 outside; tomorrow's is 39, Tuesday 35, Wed 30.
Stories are flooding in of heroism and fear and shock, like the man in Lyons who stood in his backyard wetting down the walls of his home and watched the houses to left and right, back and front, burn to the ground The local abc radio 666 has done a fantastic job keeping people aware of conditions, ACT emergency services broadcasts were non-stop yesterday and are continuing today.
The fires moved very quickly, flames often over 30 metres high. What I am saying here is the fires came out of the Namadgi National Park, crossed 30 kms of grazing and bushland and were threatening the suburbs in less than an hour!
A measure of the smoke conditions and devastation is that in the suburbs worst affected, the only way they could identify what houses were gone was by counting the driveways! One family wrecked both its cars escaping from their burning home, running into flaming trees falling on to the roadway.
At one stage yesterday Canberra was completely isolated, every road out cut or closed. It's not that bad this morning, but there are still many roads closed (roads I drive down every week, some every day, it is personally very shocking).
A water main burst down our street during the afternoon (of course kids thought that was fabulous!), the water not fountaining but streaming out. A repair crew turned up at 2am this morning to fix it so we would have water for today. I really heap enough praise on the public services here during this. Yesterday was so shocking, really beyond belief.
will try to keep you updated, hope that's all right Allan,
roger
