Fire Storm
9:15 am Saturday 3 January: I am still in my cosy relaxing under the breeze from the airconditioning. Usually we listen to the gardening program at this time on Saturday, but today is a day of catastrophic fire danger and fires (huge fires) are burning uncontrollably in the hills.
We are in Adelaide but we are thinking of friends near Lobethal and Cherryville and hoping they are safe. So there is no gardening program on the radio, only a continuous broadcast about the fires, mostly warning people.
High winds are about to spring up at 11:00 a.m. and the fire bombing planes won't be able to fly and the firefighters will have to leave.
Everyone in the towns South of the rampaging uncontrollable fire is being told to implement their fire plans and leave immediately if that is their plan.
What happens is the fire rages forward, sending the eucalyptus trees up in flame, as they are full of combustible oils, then sparks fly forward of the firefront alighting on more vegetation, or houses, which in turn catch fire. So the fire can go at a huge speed, as spot fires ahead of the main fire front then become the main front.
We are also afraid for all the domestic animals and all the native animals living there. I feel helpless lying here, but Lynettea says that is all I can do. People from the fire areas are moving into community shelter areas and even places like football ovals and animals are being evacuated from shelters into Adelaide.
Outside it smells very smoky.
We are in Adelaide but we are thinking of friends near Lobethal and Cherryville and hoping they are safe. So there is no gardening program on the radio, only a continuous broadcast about the fires, mostly warning people.
High winds are about to spring up at 11:00 a.m. and the fire bombing planes won't be able to fly and the firefighters will have to leave.
Everyone in the towns South of the rampaging uncontrollable fire is being told to implement their fire plans and leave immediately if that is their plan.
What happens is the fire rages forward, sending the eucalyptus trees up in flame, as they are full of combustible oils, then sparks fly forward of the firefront alighting on more vegetation, or houses, which in turn catch fire. So the fire can go at a huge speed, as spot fires ahead of the main fire front then become the main front.
We are also afraid for all the domestic animals and all the native animals living there. I feel helpless lying here, but Lynettea says that is all I can do. People from the fire areas are moving into community shelter areas and even places like football ovals and animals are being evacuated from shelters into Adelaide.
Outside it smells very smoky.
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