Bush fire brigade

Cobba and wee-allis,
Keep your chin up and do what you can. We are all wishing all the best for you and yours.

Cobba, It would be better to be beaten over the head by flying turds (although to be serious, there are different stages of water purification at the treatment works) than have burning trees on your head or house roof!

If I could catch the firebugs, I would chain them to a tree in the path of a fire they lit and get rid of them!

My Wife just saw a message on facebook asking that when the fires are over and the fire-ravaged areas are safe, those of us outside the area visit with low fuel tanks, empty eskies, etc. and buy from your local businesses, stay in your hotels, etc. do everything we can to support your communities.

We will come up there in the next few months to support what we can on our limited budget. We live outside the fire area, still in Gippsland but closer to Phillip Island.

Thank you Morris,
We would welcome that at any time but right now. The tourists who were warned about the conditions here and asked to stay away for safety already had their plans made and turned up in their droves. On Wednesday and yesterday, when ordered out, once again for safety, they cleaned out the local shops, fuel supplies, bakers and the like. No supplies left for the local masses. They were going home to the big city for shit sake. Shops open there.

Yesterday while I was waiting in line for 40 minutes to get some fuel for our generator, (No power, no water situation), some bloody citi dwella walked to the head of the line with his jerry can to get some fuel to go fishing. When confronted and told to get to the end of the que like all the rest, his answer was, I only want a bit and it won't inconvenience anyone. Arogant prick.

We were visiting friends in Bright for New Years and came home yesterday as we planned. As we hit the Hume at the Snow Road they announced the evacuation plans for the High Country and Gippsland. The Hume was more like suburban Melbourne in peak hour or the Easter holiday rush but even more impatient. There was some 80kmh vehicles (1940's and 50's vehicles) in the left hand lane and a truck overtaking them on the right with me a couple of cars behind him but people were overtaking the lot in the emergency stopping lane to the point where the truck couldn't safely pull back over. The situation resolved itself when there was a car changing the tyre in the emergency stopping lane.

Then late yesterday the SES ran a town meeting in Bright telling everyone what to expect and to be prepared to leave. Today they are saying tonight or tomorrow are the latest to get out.


Our friends from Bright just rang - it looks like we are getting some unexpected (but welcome) visitors for a couple of days. Apparently Bright is like a ghost town with all the shops shut and the main street deserted One can't leave as he works in a nursing home in Myrtleford so is needed to help with the residents there (and if they need to be evacuated) and another 4 are involved with the SES so will be helping out there.

The fires around and near us are quite small as compared to what is going on down South where Wee-allis is. So far as the ones start up here they pounce on them so fast and are put out almost as quick.

I just had a call from the guy who bought my all original C1300,"Hercules". Sadly it was destroyed in the fire west of Cobargo on Tuesday. If I had kept it here it may well have been destroyed in the fire we are expecting to get here tomorrow.

Stay safe please.

From my inbox

The WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services has closed the Eyre highway (linking WA and SA) for a minimum of five days. The Trans Access road is also closed for a minimum of 5 days.

It is being requested that companies do NOT send vehicles to WA until formal road clearance has been given by Main Roads WA.

cya

.
. No amount of thanks can ever be enough for the efforts put in by all those
that are connected with fighting the bush fire situation, ...………………..
And a good flogging for any body that is involved with starting any fires would
also be appreciated.
Lets hope that the millions of donated dollars ends up in the right pockets and
does not go to any opportunistic people that hold their hands out. …………..
also that the donated money does not sit in bank accounts , or government coffers
for donkeys years as has done in the past and still has not reached those that
it was intended for. ………………
…………………..Billy...………………….

Yep!
I'll second that!
Dave_64

Looks like a few celebrities are donating some serious money to the victims, well done to them.