Greetings OZ..

[boatman61]

May all you Bruce's and Sheila's have a..
BONZA NEW YEAR in 2020..

[Fore and Aft]

Right back at you Boatman61.
Cheers

[El Pinguino]

Thanks Boatie, sadly not a real good new year for many here..... seems that the whole east coast from the Qland border to Bass Strait is on fire...

http://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-info.../fires-near-me

[Topspin]

Happy New Year from Cairns, QLD

-Richard ( VK4WRS)

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Thanks Boatie, sadly not a real good new year for many here..... seems that the whole east coast from the Qland border to Bass Strait is on fire...

Very sad to see lives lost, wildlife and property go up like that. It's making prime time news in the UK at the moment.

However, happy New Year.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Thanks Boatie, sadly not a real good new year for many here..... seems that the whole east coast from the Qland border to Bass Strait is on fire...

http://emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-info.../fires-near-me

Yeah.. Really bad $*it mate..
Hope the Victoria situation goes well if the worst happens and Naval evacuation becomes the last resort.
Sincere sympathies for the losses and sorrow for the deaths of fire fighters and so many of all species.
The arsonists should get life for their actions.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Yeah.. Really bad $*it mate..
Hope the Victoria situation goes well if the worst happens and Naval evacuation becomes the last resort.
Sincere sympathies for the losses and sorrow for the deaths of fire fighters and so many of all species.
The arsonists should get life for their actions.

Not an arsonist problem.... these latest fires are lightning strikes associated with 'dry' thunderstorms coupled with drought and tinder dry forests. Many have been caused in the past by 'tree down over powerline' issues but that has been largely addressed.

They are offering up 42º C , thunderstorms and NW'ly hereabouts for Saturday... not a lot of fun. We are inland... no dramas so far this season.

Some interesting satellite pics here https://www.theage.com.au/national/v...31-p53nz6.html

https://www.theage.com.au/national/n...31-p53nxe.html

[JPA Cate]

People in Canberra were told today that the infrastructure cannot save them: it will be everyone for himself. So far, our friends are staying indoors, with the air conditioning on to filter the air. It is not clear if there is a safe way out of Canberra, at this point. There is a lot of water there, at the town centre, perhaps people will congregate there.

This is being a slow motion tragedy developing. Too many friends in danger.

Ann

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Not an arsonist problem.... these latest fires are lightning strikes associated with 'dry' thunderstorms coupled with drought and tinder dry forests. Many have been caused in the past by 'tree down over powerline' issues but that has been largely addressed.

They are offering up 42º C , thunderstorms and NW'ly hereabouts for Saturday... not a lot of fun. We are inland... no dramas so far this season.

Some interesting satellite pics here https://www.theage.com.au/national/v...31-p53nz6.html

https://www.theage.com.au/national/n...31-p53nxe.html

37º C here in Sydney yesterday not far from the coast, smoke eye wateringly extreme with worse to come on the weekend, supposedly.
Personally my sincere respect and heart goes out to the volunteer firefighters that are going far above any expected norms to try and contain this inferno.

[JPA Cate]

Absolutely, Uncle Bob, the firies are outstanding! Hats off to them, etc. Well done, all of you.

Ann

[Mr B]

Back at ya Boatman61, All the best for the New Year,


From all the Blokes and Shiela's from OZ,

Bruce is a white pointer, Very large shark, Usually,

Cheers Brian,

[Toccata]

Had to laugh today
ABC radio presenter "I dont understand why more private boats aren't helping the Mallacoota evacuation"
It's an Open Sea trip. Not that many boats capable of that trip, let alone at a moments notice, and not all owners/skipperslet are capable of safely doing the trip along a very exposed coast line, with a bar crossing to get back into port (Lakes Entrance)
Nearest Victorian port with capable boats is about 100nm away.
Eden NSW is closer but fewer private boats there. 4 5 or 6 passengers at a time, is hardly going to make a dent on the 3500 people there needing assistance
The single road into Mallacoota has melted in places, many trees down and others still burning and falling across the road.
Finally in this rant: The tourists were advised to leave at least 3 days before the inferno, approx 3000 chose not to. Should they be charged for their evacuation???
1200 locals are a different storey.
I live locally, and its bad. Complicated by single road access to many places and people being stupid (driving around looking at the damage, looters already taking advantage of the disaster)

[ozsailer]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Not an arsonist problem.... these latest fires are lightning strikes associated with 'dry' thunderstorms coupled with drought and tinder dry forests. Many have been caused in the past by 'tree down over powerline' issues but that has been largely addressed.

They are offering up 42º C , thunderstorms and NW'ly hereabouts for Saturday... not a lot of fun. We are inland... no dramas so far this season.

Some interesting satellite pics here https://www.theage.com.au/national/v...31-p53nz6.html

https://www.theage.com.au/national/n...31-p53nxe.html

While many of the fires are a result of lightening strikes there are just as many that resulted due to arsonists. Today police charged a RFS volunteer with lighting several fires over the past couple of weeks. I have the highest respect for our RFS (rural fire Service) we would be lost without them but unfortunatley he is not the first and will not be last that has been caught lighting fires.


Greg H
Lagoon 440

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by ozsailer

While many of the fires are a result of lightening strikes there are just as many that resulted due to arsonists. Today police charged a RFS volunteer with lighting several fires over the past couple of weeks. I have the highest respect for our RFS (rural fire Service) we would be lost without them but unfortunatley he is not the first and will not be last that has been caught lighting fires.


Greg H
Lagoon 440

Yeah.. Up here its being reported over 200 people have been arrested to date for arson..
Thats a lot of new (strategically placed???) fires potentially..

[Alan Mighty]

The long term analysis of wild fires (aka "bushfires") in Aus has long suggested that:

* about 87% are caused by humans:

- 40% deliberate arson; and

- 47% accidental (not intended) fire starts by humans.

* leaving about 13% caused by 'nature' including lightning, sunlight focused on kindling, meteorites, volcanic pyroclastic clouds, etc.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/nat...17-p53bcl.html

Aus gets the governments and politicians that Aus voters choose. A goodly proportion of Aus voters are disengaged and vote only because attending a polling booth is compulsory. Any mug who has their name on the electoral roll can vote. After an election, pundits blame politicians for 'being unpopular', 'not selling your policies well' and so forth. The real story is that a large proportion of Aus voters make uninformed choices and/or bad choices.

So Australia's mug voters produce mug politicians with mug policies and so on.

Bushfires are much the same. Any mug with a match or lighter can start a bushfire. Bushfires in Aus are very democratic.

You get the sort of landscape that people want: whether it's the litter of abandoned trash or the ashes of forests.

And much of the arson deliberately goes unreported. That's in recognition of the copycat factor: once the media report that QLD, for example, has had 100 fires started by QLDers, then other mugs think it's a more than acceptable social behaviour, and start a few new fires.