WA Bushfires

Gerty Dancer · Guru

WA Bushfires

milo · Guru

very scary and sad

justjo · Senior Member

It's so bad, my 4yo grandaughter and her mother had to make an emergency dash from their home yesterday. I was only there three weeks ago. They live in the wilderness area and spent the night with friends in town, but today tried to get away by going down to Augusta but they now have no power and surrounded even there by very thick smoke her last sms to me about an hour ago. They are trying to get to Busselton but most roads are blocked. Very very worried for them.

Also the latest news has Denmark under severe threat so concerned about John and Ellen.

Jo

-- Edited by justjo on Thursday 24th of November 2011 08:48:00 PM

STEVO · Veteran Member

We are at the Fitzroy Caravan Park at Augusta. Have been watching the fires on the horizon both the Margaret River and the Denmark ones. So far all is calm here and as far as I know the Bussell Highway is still open. Winds have died down now so hopefully the firies will get them under control overnight before the winds start again tomorrow.

aussietraveller · Guru

Hi Justjo
we are thinking especially of you and your family and we pray for the safety of your grand daughter and her mother, we wish you peace of mind and a safe outcome in this situation.

To all living in the path of this wild fire our wishes for your safety and personal comfort go out to you, please please consider evacuating to a safer place well before the fire arrives and dont under any circumstances try to drive out or drive into a fire area to check on others if you do you seriously put your life at great risk, and to others who are curious about what has happened do not go into a fire area after the fire to have a look, people who live in these areas need their privacy and emergency services need to have roads clear and accessible.

For the past 34 years I have been a volunteer fire fighter in the NSW Blue Mountains and I like all fire fighters ask that all Grey Nomads complete a Bushfire Safety Plan and encourage your family to complete one as well as this may well save your life and remember a well prepared home may well save your home but the wisest thing you can do in the event of a wild fire is leave early and dont come back until its over.
BUSHFIRE SAFETY PLANS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE NSW RFS WITH COPIES ON THEIR WEBSITE OR THROUGH LOCAL RFS DISTRICT OFFICES

justjo · Senior Member

Thanks for your wishes dave and chris.

Stevo, are you sure about the Bussell Highway? Will pass it on to Bronwen if so, her last sms said they were 5 minutes outside Augusta and smoke was thick and the highway was closed. I'm sure there is all sorts of confusion at the moment. I've advised her to try and get to Sue's Road, hopefully they get through tomorrow.

Dont worry Stevo, she was 5 minutes outside Margarets, she put wrong place, understandable after her past 24 hours

Jo

-- Edited by justjo on Thursday 24th of November 2011 11:05:23 PM

milo · Guru

i hope there all ok

justjo · Senior Member

Thanks Milo. I'm sure they will be. Just scarey. She will take very good care of Starzia.

Jo

Vic · Guru

On the Denmark Fires they said they are near Scarsdale Road, I think that is the one that the hospital is in and also near the Riverbend Caravan Park.

My sister in Denmark told me tonight that where they are (on the southside of the highway) they have had ash falling onto their house most of the day.

I hope everyone is safe both there and at the other fire locations.

rvtraveller2 · Senior Member

Yes i feel so sorry for them, hmm blankstare this should not happen,when are these loonys going to reallize you dont have controlled burns this time of year,just a bunch of dopes,maybe thats what they are on.It was such a beatiful area.Peoples lives have been destroyed. cry cry cry

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Hi All

there are 3 fires in the Denmark area and thankfully the threat has died down for a while. It was very scarey for a few hours. The worst fire is at the Eastern end of Scotsdale Rd and my place is in the middle of Scotsdale Rd and the fire was moving in the opposite direction away from my place. It did get to a catastrophic level warning and people were being evacuated but thankfully the wind died down. I spent all afternoon and evening watching the smoke and it would die down and then be very heavy all in a matter of 15 minutes or so.

Now I can only see a faint glow of flames.

We have had a wet winter and lots of rain through out Oct and Nov so you'd think things would be a bit safer.

Now it's just a matter of waiting out the next few days to make sure the fires are really out. This is a very windy area and the wind changes direction suddenly.

John arrived here today and is camping down the hill. Haven't seen him on the forum so he's probably sorting out his internet.

But my heart goes out to the people in Margaret River.

There will be more updates tomorrow.

Vic · Guru

Hi Elle, Glad you two are ok, I probably walked past your place when I walked from the Riverbend C/Park to the hospital and then into town during my recent visit. I had an ingrown toe nail, the hospital had a look and sent me to a Dr in town at the medical centre.

In my earlier post I said the news said Scarsdale Rd but it should have been Scotsdale.

My sister lives near Cotswold Rd off Ocean Rd and my neice on Ocean Road, so at the moment they are lucky they are on the other side of the highway.

Take care you two and woofer, hope they get the fire under control.

justjo · Senior Member

Glad to hear you are ok Elle and the news on John. Listening to the news and it sounds as though finally the weather is helping the brave fire fighters so I hope that's the end of the awful destruction.

Smokeydk · Guru

Lets hope this is the last bushfire for this season.....but I doublt it ......*Sighs*

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Elle on Wheels wrote:
Hi All

there are 3 fires in the Denmark area and thankfully the threat has died down for a while. It was very scarey for a few hours. The worst fire is at the Eastern end of Scotsdale Rd and my place is in the middle of Scotsdale Rd and the fire was moving in the opposite direction away from my place. It did get to a catastrophic level warning and people were being evacuated but thankfully the wind died down. I spent all afternoon and evening watching the smoke and it would die down and then be very heavy all in a matter of 15 minutes or so.

Now I can only see a faint glow of flames.

We have had a wet winter and lots of rain through out Oct and Nov so you'd think things would be a bit safer.

Now it's just a matter of waiting out the next few days to make sure the fires are really out. This is a very windy area and the wind changes direction suddenly.

John arrived here today and is camping down the hill. Haven't seen him on the forum so he's probably sorting out his internet.

But my heart goes out to the people in Margaret River.

There will be more updates tomorrow.

Hi Elle, my thoughts are with you and all over there, I have been through the Ash Wednesday and Black Saturday fires so know how things are over there.

Cruising Granny · Guru

The authorities which started this hazard reduction burn off should have their hands cut off.
This sort of burn off should happen in September/October, not when the hot weather has begun to dry things out to a dangerous level.
These university educated environmentalists just haven't got a clue about the terrain and vegetation they are in charge of.
They work for national parks departments because they're greenies and wouldn't get a job anywhere else.
Locals know the dangers of their regions. Ask the locals.
Newcomers who live in these beautiful areas don't reduce vegetation to create a fire break, and then all hell breaks loose when a fire is started on purpose as a burn off, or by lightning and fire bugs.
Dead wood is the worst fuse for ongoing bush fires. These logs smoulder for weeks, and a hot wind will set things off again.
There needs to be a lot of work done to clear dead foliage and timber all around this country to reduce bushfire risk.
At least in WA they have pruned all roadside trees back to fence lines to reduce the "fuse" over the roads. I don't know how effective this has been, but when these fires move at more than 100kph it's very hard to stop.

Smokeydk · Guru

Hey CG.......the fires in the Gawler Ranges started same way

Elle on Wheels · Guru

All's well in Denmark this morning but the Margaret River fires are still raging. Rain is expected later this afternoon so I hope they get some of up in Margaret River.

Vic · Guru

justjo wrote:
It's so bad, my 4yo grandaughter and her mother had to make an emergency dash from their home yesterday. I was only there three weeks ago. They live in the wilderness area and spent the night with friends in town, but today tried to get away by going down to Augusta but they now have no power and surrounded even there by very thick smoke her last sms to me about an hour ago. They are trying to get to Busselton but most roads are blocked. Very very worried for them.
Jo

Hope they and others in the region will be safe Jo, it must be a great worry for you, keep us posted as to their safety when you know more.

justjo · Senior Member

Vic wrote:
justjo wrote:
It's so bad, my 4yo grandaughter and her mother had to make an emergency dash from their home yesterday. I was only there three weeks ago. They live in the wilderness area and spent the night with friends in town, but today tried to get away by going down to Augusta but they now have no power and surrounded even there by very thick smoke her last sms to me about an hour ago. They are trying to get to Busselton but most roads are blocked. Very very worried for them.
Jo
Hope they and others in the region will be safe Jo, it must be a great worry for you, keep us posted as to their safety when you know more.

Thanks Vic. They have made it to Busselton and safe with good friends. They had not long moved down there and were living in a converted shed in bush next to a friends house. Beautiful surrounds with lots of kangaroos, sheep, chooks etc wandering around. She is an artist and I'm hoping all their belongings are safe. Such a lovely place and such terrible devastation. Poor people. I'm on my way today to Bunbury to help my other grandaughter and her mother as they are packing up and moving to Karratha at the end of next week so will take a trip to Busselton to see them.

Jo

Vic · Guru

Just be careful on the road Jo, we will be thinking about you all and the others caught up in these fires.

Someone just sent me this on email about the Denmark fires, I can't see when the warning was issued but it appears to have been today;

* Residents flee Denmark homes

ANOTHER fire emergency has developed in Denmark, where one fire is burning out of
control while another was contained this evening.

"A bushfire emergency warning is in place for the Somerset area within the Shire of Denmark and FESA has advised that the fire, which is burning along Scotsdale Road, west of Porch Road, is still a threat to lives and homes.

A second fire in Denmark, near Centre Break Road in Mount Lindesay National Park, has been downgraded to an advice alert and authorities say fire behaviour has abated under
cooling conditions.

Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan told ABC radio he had heard one person was seriously injured in the Denmark fire but could not confirm the report."

I hope Elle is aware of it.

Vic · Guru

Here is the latest FESA update on the fires for Denmark and the South West;

http://www.fesa.wa.gov.au/alerts/Pages/Alert.aspx?ItemId=2861

http://www.fesa.wa.gov.au/alerts/Pages/Alert.aspx?ItemId=2857

http://www.fesa.wa.gov.au/alerts/Pages/Alerts-List.aspx?Incident=Bushfires%20in%20the%20South%20West%20region%20%2D%2024%2F11%2F2011%205%3A00%20PM

Happywanderer · The Master

It is such a sad situation, so many homes lost and people sent scattering.
From what I saw on last nights news from the Incident Controller, this was from a Prescribed Burn off that was done in September. The heat and the wind caused it to flare up again.
When will they ever learn to make sure the fires are out at the end of a burn off. It happens every year and they never learn. They also don't seem to act very sorry, just saying it's not our fault. Someone has to take the blame, this situation is unacceptable.
So glad I haven't personally experienced anything like this, it would terrify me.

aussietraveller · Guru

Justjo
Thanks for the update that they are both safe and ok, hope it stays that way they should certainly be safe in Busselton.

justjo · Senior Member

Best laid plans... Only made it as far as Jurien... Murloc (border collie) isnt travelling well, upset tummy. Think he swallowed sea water this morning when fetching the ball. He's also picked up a stick fast flea (or tic) on his ear as we had to stop so often in the bush for him tummy.

Anyway will start off again in the morning, and there could be worse places to be stuck!

Sms from Starzia and mum saying they had hit Target as they only had the clothes they stood up in and two day old undies were getting old quickly! Glad to see her sense of humour is still strong :)

Hope everyone in the southwest is safe.

Jo