Tuesday, December 12, 2006

False hope...

Yesterday's hope for relief from the bushfires seems to have been wishful thinking.




Hobart Mercury photo.


Victorian fires merge to create giant front

December 12, 2006

FIREFIGHTER'S worst fears have been realised, with two bushfires burning in Gippsland and Victoria's north-east believed to have joined overnight, forming one massive firefront.

The head of the blaze is estimated to span 240km in length.

Together the bushfires have scorched about 250,000 hectares and continue to burn out of control.


Tasmanian town in the line of fire

December 12, 2006

A TOWN in Tasmania's north-east is under imminent threat from a bushfire, with the active front less than a kilometre away.

The fire which razed at least 14 homes in Scamanda overnight had changed direction due to a wind change and was advancing on St Marys, a Tasmania Fire Service spokesman told AAP.

“Visibility in St Marys is down to about a metre,” spokesman Danny Reid. “When I talked to the incident controller just before lunch, he estimated it was about a kilometre from St Marys, so it won't be long before the town is starting to feel the impact of the fire.”



Here's what happened yesterday when the fire went through Scamander:




And now, way across in the west:

Homes damaged as fire hits Perth suburb

December 12, 2006

FIREFIGHTERS tonight finally contained a fire in Perth's hill suburbs which destroyed one house, damaged several others and put three people in hospital.

Those stories, and photos, are in The Australian.


Here are some reader photos sent in to the newspapers from various fires over the last few years. They give some small idea of the scale of these monsters:


Photo. Garry & Sue Francis.




Photo. Paul & Wendy Greenhalg.



Photo. Terry Barton.



Saving a pony. Photo. Tex Ihasz.

3 comments:

Fall In Line.... said...

Have been reading your blog on the fire for some time now. They seem to be getting worse by the day.

Seabee said...

gautam, you were in Melbourne recently weren't you - be thankful you're not there now!

Anonymous said...

Here is a map that puts the extent of bushfires into perspective:

http://www.aus-emaps.com/hotspots.php