Read the daily update on the website. I was at Emma Gorge on 1st September and had been at Kununurra for a week or so. There were many fires around the town, but none seemed to be threatening so I got to be very blase about them assuming all were under control.
Can't imagine the horror of getting trapped in the gorge, burnt, and so far from assistance.
Have lived in Kununurra, and during the dry season there was always fires, and yes was never really concerned about them at the time, but goes to show how things can turn nasty, very quickly.
It would have been an horrific experience for the victims and all concerned. There is no way of predicting these bushfires, and places like a gorge can generate it's own gusty conditions different from outside in the open country. These fires burns hot and fast, and can catch travellers out with no warning. It's very unfortunate. I hope everyone recovers from this very soon. It serves as a warning for anyone travelling through this region, whether it be on the highway or the Gibb River Road. After sucha huge wet season the grass and other vegetation is tall and lush, providing lots of fuel now at the driest time of the year, for these bushfires. If you're travelling through this region, take all due care. In 2006 I came into a fire on the eastern approach to Fitzroy Crossing, and the smoke was a total black out instantly, and the embers from the burning grasses were a threat to my awning and the van. I activated my hazard lights and kept rolling slowly. As I approached the smoke there was no sign of the ferocity or density of the fire. When I arrived at town I went to the local copper to advise him of the situation out there.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Theres such a cavalier attitude to fire up there. I know they burn off often and rarely have any problem, but I found it really scary. We were on the track to Parry's Lagoon near Wyndham one afternoon in June this year and a fire was burning toward the track (which is really rough!) We stopped and watched, nobody was attending the fire, which suddenly flared higher as a gust of wind caught it and it crossed the road. We turned back. Later when I mentioned this event at Parry's farm the response was little more than a shrug...."just burning off".
My best wishes to those who have been through this ordeal.
There are several causes of bushfire in that country. After the wet, very early in the dry season, about May the parks people light burn-offs to reduce fuel during the dry season. It's a bit like the "knock-'em-down" rains but it's fire. Then it's Jiffy Firelighters at 60KPH, called "hunting" by the locals. It's the modern version of traditional burning to hunt the local wildlife. The first at this time of the year are usually the "hunting" kind. Later in the dry season, usually about November, it's lightening from dry storms. Lightening flashes around the horizon day and night, and bushfires abound at this time. They either burn out or go out if the rain is heavy enough. Flying over this country reveals the bushfire scars over previous years. The terrain shows various shades of green, black or grey, and will even show where the fire started and which direction it headed before it was put out or it fizzled out. To preserve fodder for the cattle stations will fight the fires in grazing country. They use water tanks and the grader to cut firebreaks where the terrain allows. It's all part of life in the bush, particularly the Kimberley.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
