VIC Bushfires

firegun · February 12, 2009, 11:36:14 AM

Love some of the comments in the Advertiser this morning:
"I wish the Australian government would spend some real money on firefighting aircraft then these fires wouldn't happen"
"If they got some of those super scoopers they would have made all the difference
"

interesting observation re the use of plains at fires.
It is my understanding at some of the fires on Saturday (Horsham for instance)that the conditions were that bad that they didn't use the aircraft at times as it was too dangerous.
Aircraft should be viewed as only one tool for fighting fires, not the "great white hope" many non firefighters believe, just because you see time after time the aircraft "saving" an asset.

jaff · February 12, 2009, 11:41:20 AM

Quote from: firegun on February 12, 2009, 11:36:14 AM
Love some of the comments in the Advertiser this morning:
"I wish the Australian government would spend some real money on firefighting aircraft then these fires wouldn't happen"
"If they got some of those super scoopers they would have made all the difference
"

interesting observation re the use of plains at fires.
It is my understanding at some of the fires on Saturday (Horsham for instance)that the conditions were that bad that they didn't use the aircraft at times as it was too dangerous.
Aircraft should be viewed as only one tool for fighting fires, not the "great white hope" many non firefighters believe, just because you see time after time the aircraft "saving" an asset.

AAAAHHHHHH...... BLASPHEMY! ........ ALL HAIL THE SKYCRANE!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D

Zippy · February 12, 2009, 11:45:32 AM

this is certainly a religion that is over the top lol.

Keep training to fight fires without aircraft mates.

chook · February 12, 2009, 01:22:47 PM

For people in parts of the
Northern Country,
Northeast and
Alpine Forecast Districts.
Issued at 3:15 pm Thursday, 12 February 2009.
Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce very heavy rainfall, flash flooding and large hailstones in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Wodonga, Wangaratta, Bright, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham and Mt Buller.
Wangaratta has recently recorded 15mm of rain in half an hour.
Source BOM
Thought you guys might be interested:

cheers

bajdas · February 12, 2009, 01:27:28 PM

Quote from: chook on February 12, 2009, 01:22:47 PM
For people in parts of the
Northern Country,
Northeast and
Alpine Forecast Districts.
Issued at 3:15 pm Thursday, 12 February 2009.
Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce very heavy rainfall, flash flooding and large hailstones in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Wodonga, Wangaratta, Bright, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham and Mt Buller.
Wangaratta has recently recorded 15mm of rain in half an hour.
Source BOM
Thought you guys might be interested:

cheers

Same thing happened after some previous major fires (I think Ash Wednesday II) where heavy rainfall caused flash flooding soon after the fire event. Because the ground was burnt and no vegetation left to hold the ground together, mud slides are a possability.

Some theories about that the amount of smoke & ash in the air causes the rain. :? Some say it is the land beginning to self heal..

I hope this helps the existing fire grounds & does not inhibit the recovery work or relief centre camps.

Zippy · February 12, 2009, 02:00:58 PM

yeah..where there are small solid particles in the air, it will rain.

Strange thing is...SA must not have enough "filtered in the air". Yet when it does rain, it leaves my car scheiße looking.

Bagyassfirey · February 12, 2009, 07:16:20 PM

anyone noticed the community letters on the CFA website. very imformative.

Zippy · February 12, 2009, 07:25:06 PM

seems CFA were somewhat much more prepared in some respects for this size of disaster than...what CFS is prepared for atm....unless its all part of the AIIMS IMT training.

Bagyassfirey · February 12, 2009, 07:29:06 PM

CFS were screaming out for IMT last summer and that compares nuthing to VIC....But the community newsletters are awsum very imformative :)

Zippy · February 12, 2009, 08:09:53 PM

Well now there seems to be Dedicated L3 Teams (Coloured)...which seem to be working well enough now.

rescue5271 · February 12, 2009, 08:11:53 PM

Spoke to some SES people today and they did not know anyting about SES going an dso they went and contacted their regional office and no one has caleld them back yet...

mattthefirey · February 12, 2009, 08:36:38 PM

Quote from: Bill Corcoran on February 12, 2009, 08:11:53 PM
Spoke to some SES people today and they did not know anyting about SES going an dso they went and contacted their regional office and no one has caleld them back yet...

i have heard that 2 ses staff have gone over to assist with imt i don't think any volunteers have been asked for at this stage.

BlackDog · February 12, 2009, 10:18:56 PM

Quote from: bajdas on February 12, 2009, 01:27:28 PM
Same thing happened after some previous major fires (I think Ash Wednesday II) where heavy rainfall caused flash flooding soon after the fire event. Because the ground was burnt and no vegetation left to hold the ground together, mud slides are a possability.

MacAlister River. 2007
http://www.lightninghunter.net/gippsland_floods.htm

Changed the course of the rive in more than one place. Destroyed pastures, banks, roads. Ripped big gutters across paddocks and river flats.

I was up there 4 months ago after deer.
The birds are only just starting to come back.
The small native mammals are still totally absent.
Yet some FOOLS claim that HR damages biodiversity. <snarl>

RescueHazmat · February 13, 2009, 06:25:21 AM

CFA FIREFIGHTER DIES IN HOUSEFIRE IN VICTORIA ~ AFTER SPENDING DAYS ON THE FRONT LINES:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25043481-661,00.html

UPDATE 9.15pm: POLICE are probing a suspicious fire that killed a CFA volunteer after he returned from the bushfire front line.

Country Fire Authority (CFA) mates have named the dead man as Russell Pitt, whose body was found in the burnt-out ruins of his Upper Ferntree Gully home on Thursday morning.

CFA trucks were called to the Jean St address about 3.30am today to find the house engulfed in flames.

"When we got there this morning and the house was going, I think the initial crew was very sad, but we went on with our business until it was under control and then we all got out of it because by that stage I think the emotion was starting to tell with all the guys,'' Upper Ferntree Gully brigade captain Peter Smith told reporters.

Mr Pitt had returned home briefly after days fighting bushfires at Mirboo North in Gippsland and at Yarra Glen.

He was due to be sent out for fire duty again on Thursday.

"It's not fair. It's just not fair that he's been out doing all that, and here he is at home in bed,'' Mr Smith said.

"We're not quite sure what happened. Yeah, it's just not fair.''

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Chris Goldrick, from the Knox CIU, said it could be some time before the body was formally identified.

He said the arson squad was investigating the cause of the fire, which is being treated as suspicious.

One neighbour said Mr Pitt was very community-minded.

"He was a really nice guy, involved with the community, the CFA and the likes,'' he told the Nine Network.

Another neighbour said she tried to save Mr Pitt's house.

"I came out and got the garden hose but I couldn't get close enough to the house,'' she said.

After the arson squad examined the scene, police said the blaze was being treated as suspicious.
A post-mortem examination will be conducted.

Police have notified the next of kin, the Knox Leader has reported.

He was among the team that spent several hours battling the Quarry Rd bushfire on Black Saturday – only a couple of hundred metres away from his home, a neighbour told the Knox Leader.

jaff · February 13, 2009, 09:32:13 AM

100 personel this next deployment!

Bagyassfirey · February 13, 2009, 09:56:52 AM

ahhhh good news another 100 FF from south of Gepps cross..... :roll:

Zippy · February 13, 2009, 10:04:40 AM

KI, Para, Strath, Heysen, and a group from the south east. it looks like so far.

Bagyassfirey · February 13, 2009, 10:08:59 AM

i saw Eastern Eyre were askin 4 names...than had to ask again cos the names got rejected. Im just hanging for the page to ask.

Robert-Robert34 · February 13, 2009, 10:24:53 AM

Dont get your hopes up Mac :| cause they want people to stay behind and keep an eye on South Australia

Bagyassfirey · February 13, 2009, 10:26:52 AM

i heard thats what there leavin teh DOO home 4 :wink:

Bagyassfirey · February 13, 2009, 10:32:44 AM

Attention all opportunities to go to victoria are now open contact station for further info MFS Whyalla 529 Response

Bagyassfirey · February 13, 2009, 10:40:17 AM

CFS: SIG INC: FYI: FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION - DEPLOYMENT TO VIC TO BE 50 F/F ONLY. ADVICE TO FOLLOW LATER TODAY IF APPLIANCES REQD. PLEASE POPULATE IRIS - DSC EDEN. > 13/02/2009 12:03:49 PM CFS R1 HQ Info

Zippy · February 13, 2009, 10:59:04 AM

theyve postponed some groups till Tuesday.

Bagyassfirey · February 13, 2009, 11:28:31 AM

a certain region isn even asking for people interested they are jus tpicking the people who have been before......

49194 · February 13, 2009, 11:40:34 AM

A mate from work is is flying out tomorrow.

~Those who are staying behind, I hear the weather on Saturday in SA is going to be rather nasty..

VIC Bushfires

rescue5271