Some pics of what an Aussie bushfire looks like courtesy Rob Alexander

[mick]

These were taken Sunday night up Wangaratta way. Eucalypts during a fire give off explosive vapours that ignite above the canopy. These fires are predicted to last 6-8 weeks, unless we get torrential rains, which are not likely.

It topped 44c or about 112 f degrees here yesterday . Today its only 20c where I am, but its still very hot up north. Losses have been limited to 2 houses so far and only one death.

[beemaster]

Thanks for posting these Mick:

Please keep us posted on these, I hope smelling them is as close as you ever get.

Its always sad to see woodlands, no matter if Bush or Pine Forest to burn up, but in the big-picture it truly may be more cyclical than random lightening strikes. Every 11 years (strangely equal to the Sun's solar flair cycle) we loose a great deal of land to dry conditions and lightening, but with in weeks we see ferns popping up and within a few months pine trees again breaking through the surface. Within 2 years, a small forest is reborn and more equally spread out in the same space, all signs of pesticides and fungus gone and healthy trees flourish - within 6 years these trees are full in the woods as they will ever be.

We have talked about it, humans do indeed have short memories. We assume a lot from data gathered and I'm not too certain we have the right to say that "any given day" we observe is the HOTTEST or COOLEST or WETTEST every - that just assumes too much. How long have we been keeping weather records vs. how old is this Big Blue Marble, funny how man thinks it is soooo special - I wonder how man "MAN-LIKE" people have come and gone on this planet just to get us where we are.

Einstein said: "I don't know how the next war will be fought, but the war that follows will be fought with sticks and stones." How true. A peak 1000 years into the future might just shock us all. G'Day.

Keep in touch Mate :)

[Cindi]

Mick, those are indeed incredible pictures, too bad that they bring such devastation.  What John was saying has quite a lot of truth.  It does make for rejunvenated land, the trees have an amazing ability to regrow (and maybe there will be lots of fireweed, LOL).  Is this  fireweed indigenous to Australia?  I would wish for heavy rains for your country, we have had some bad fires in certain areas, as so many all over the world, and the fires really make you get a good grip on how we do not have very much control of what Mother Nature brings.  Please have an awesome day.  Cindi

[Kathyp]

great pictures!

the most frightening things in nature are often also the most beautiful. 

we have fires going in California, same as every year.  i grew up there and the two things that we were afraid of were fire and rattlers.  now i live in Oregon and they don't know fire or rattlers  :-)..at least not on this side of the mountains!  we worry about the volcano.

stay safe!!

[nepenthes]

Kathyp you mean you were more scared of those than earth quakes?

I remember watching a a Discovery channel show about how the Storm heads are part of the problem but you cant really do any thing about that.  Are Eucalyptus tree's fast growers?

[mick]

We certainly have a lot of fireweed (senecia off the top of my head) after fires.

Here is a link showing some great photos of what happens after a decent burn in the Aussie bush.

http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources/mresources/gramps/gramps-fire-pics.htm

Interestingly the ground fire crews have been pulled out of some fires due to the ground crawling with Copperhead and Tiger snakes fleeing the flames. Both are nice snakes, but can and do kill people. The tigers grow to 12 feet on some of our islands to the south, where they have no predators and live off mutton birds. There are so many in the Chapell island Group, that only naturalists visit these islands.

Some Eucys grow quickly, some slowly, all sprout from the trunk after fire, they are prety hard to kill.

Tassie copped it last night, 70mph winds, 23 houses destroyed and dozens of cars. Amazingly there was snow in the south at the same time, 80 miles away.

The fires I have been talking about are now on a 180 mile front. Sydney had fires yersterday, and a mate over in Perth WA, is under threat as I type.

Craigs Hut in the High Country, built for the famous film "Man from Snowy River" has been destroyed as well as some well known ski lodges.

Sadly the annual summer drownings have begun where I live. We have many Migrants who, unfortunately dont know how to swim in the sea. An 8 year old boy drowned the other day, trying to save his 10 year old sister in what we locals would call calm conditions. I pulled three kids out of the local rip last year when the sand bar collapsed, but was lucky enough to skedaddle before the local press and coppers arrived.

Finally, the high temperatures have been downgraded for the next week, so some progress should be made fighting the fires.

[Kathyp]

nep, i like earthquakes!   :-D  it's a free ride......

i used to live in s. ca.  every summer people would camp in the dry washes.  there would be thunder storms up in the mountains and the water would poor down those washes and kill campers. 

nature is a wonderful thing, but it is a deadly thing.  it's hard to convince folks of that sometimes.

[Cindi]

at least not on this side of the mountains!  we worry about the volcano.

stay safe!!

Mount Saint Helens.  I will never forget that day.  It was about a month after my mother passed.  My partner's father had passed a few days prior to Mount Saint Helen's and I will never forget my partner's mother saying that that mountain was a tribute to his passing.  I was thunderstruck!!!!  And I will never forget that day, such awful devastion.  Great day.  Cindi

[mick]

The smoke arived back this morning, you were able to see sunspots on the sun with the naked eye, such was the smoke acting as a filter. Asthmatics struggling badly, everyones eyes watering, smoke detectors going off all over the place. We will just have to get used to it.

[Cindi]

Mick, that is just awful now eh?  I have never witnessed personally this type of devastation and smoke.  I can't even begin to go there in my mind, but it must not be very nice at all.  Oh how I wish it would rain.  that would help so much, wash away the smell and soot, and help the fires to stop.  We had a fire in Vancouver the fall before last that was burning in the place called Burns Bog, it is a place that has alot of peat.  It burned underground for some time, and we about 60 km away could smell a little bit of the smoke, the skies a little hazy, but this is NOTHING compared to what must be going on.  Absolutely beyond what the imagination could entertain.  Am sorry.  Great day. Cindi