The post I wasn’t going to write about bushfires

I spent Saturday in fear, I spent some of Saturday in tears. The memories were strong. As I said to someone “Already had one crack in my carefully constructed cover today. Can’t have more, too draining to put the demons back in their box”

I was reading some on the vile comments directed at the owners of the Tea Tree Gully Boarding Kennels and they were disgusting. Accusing the owners of not doing enough, of leaving animals to die. The animals were already in a strange environment, the heat would have been distressing them, then the smoke descended. The animals would have been in fight or flight mode and in most cases very aggressive. For the owners to get in excess of 40 dogs out, I believe they did a fantastic job under extremely difficult circumstances.

My biggest concern is in Victoria (and possibly the Blue Mountains in NSW) it is estimated it will take 8 hours to evacuate Mt Dandenong. I don’t think people living there have any idea about how choked the roads will be, I don’t think they have planned ahead about where to go and what to take. What to do with their animals, let alone how to get those animals off the mountain.

At 3am on Black Saturday I found some people in the Coles carpark in Healesville, they had managed to bring a Sheltand pony down from the back of Kinglake in an OPEN 4 x 4 trailer. I’m amazed the pony and the person riding IN THE OPEN trailer (no sides) actually made it down alive.

Imagine being 8 months pregnant and not thinking what to do if a fire was nearby?

Imagine having a 4yo on your hip and you decided to stay?

Imagine not having house insurance and deciding to stay and defend?

Imagine leaving your passports at home and deciding to return to get them?

Imagine the car not having enough petrol and you can’t escape?

Imagine having the windows and curtains shut, the AC on and not realising there’s a problem until the power goes out and the fire is on your front doorstep?

There are ALL true scenarios, I know the outcomes, I haven’t mentioned the location nor the outcomes. Some were good endings, most were not.

Which one are you? What plans have you made?

Are you like the 40yo in Warrandyte who doesn’t need a fire plan, because he ‘won’t be there’

Make a decision, make it early. Get out #LeaveearlyAndLive or make a decision on the day and possibly die.

The deck of cards is in your hands, are you prepared to gamble on the outcome?

The Mickleham Bushfire. (aka Wallan/Kilmore Fires)

I am proud to say (on behalf of ALL Victorians) that there were NO deaths.

Sure houses were lost, along with photos and animals, but NO HUMAN lives.

Thank-you - you listened to the information provided over the previous 5 years.

There are still issues with people being unable to leave big animals, but I do believe these people have now realised, leaving early to a better location is better AND safer, than staying put.

Once again the fires threatened my door, threatened my family, threatened my friends and neighbours. Once again I collected them, like a child collects their favourite toys.

That way I knew they were safe and I felt better knowing that.

Friends in Kilmore watered down and saved their house, without them being there. Friends in Wallan left early and didn’t worry about the house - they were fully insured.

Once again the Southern 80 was taking place and once again my husband and I did the property checks for them

But NO lives were lost, not even in Warrandyte, where many thought they were in 'the city' and didn't have to worry about fire plans.

Did you know that Wallan and Warrandyte are the same distance from the GPO? (35km) Betcha ya didn't know that!

No matter, country or city, if you live in Australia it IS POSSIBLE for you to come under attack from the very Australian Summer risk called Bushfire.

It's not a myth, It can and DOES happen.

So be prepared and you will live, don’t and you could possibly die.

When was the last time you discussed YOUR fireplan with your family?

When was the last time, you thought what to take in case of emergency?

When was the last time you thought about a safe refuge, that as a family you could meet, IF telecommunications where lost?

What plans do have in place, IF you can't load, a website that you consider to a essential to your fire plan?

Think about it, discuss it and remember………. The CFA is only there to protect assets, NOT PEOPLE, NOT PETS, NOT ANIMALS and certainly not fences and the like.

Get out and live or stay and face the possibility you may die if you haven't planned well enough.

Read my blog, comment on my blog, feel free to do so.  It's from my experiences from Ash Wednesday to Black Saturday and beyond. Read it, learn from it and remember only YOU are responsible for YOU. NO ONE ELSE

Stay Safe, the Bushfire season is not over YET. It's only February 2014

 

The TV Bushfire Ads Airing on Commercial TV

I’ve just had the pleasure (not) of watching the new Bushfire Ads, I rarely watch live to air TV for exactly this reason, to avoid media, to avoid news stories, this has become obvious after the Victorian Black Saturday  Bushfires.

I visually saw about 5-10sec and realised it was smoke, I could hear people panicking and then I realised it was one of the bushfire ads, that I have been reading about, in places like this http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2011/11/30/3380039.htm

I lost the plot.

I can smell smoke, my skin is crawling, the sounds, the memories, just because some people will always be dumb, do the rest of society have to suffer?

Remove the ads and save the sanity of those connected to the 173 people that died and the 1000’s that escaped with prior knowledge or by the skin of their teeth.

PULL the ADS before the inevitable occurs and someone is pushed over the edge.

2 years to today – Black Saturday Bushfires - We Remember

Today is the remembrance of the Black Saturday Bushfires, fires that changed many people lives, be it those that lost family members, those that lost friends, those that lost property, those that lost animals. None of those losses will ever be forgotten. Not in 2 yrs – not in 10years – not in a lifetime.

I’ve spent close to 2 years trying to make people aware of the dangers of bushfires and yet time and time again I see people waiting until the last minute, or complaining that they only received 20 minutes warning from authorities. Daily Telegraph - Forget you homes, just get out now! Feb 7th 2011 I’m sorry – but you have eyes and ears, you have radio, you have television. Do not lock yourself inside with the Air Conditioner and think “she’ll be right mate, someone will tell me” – Maybe the phones are down, maybe the mobile has a flat battery.

This entire blog is dedicated to those that were lost in the Black Saturday Fires, not because I dwell in the morbid, but because if I can prevent ONE loss of life with the information contained here then I have achieved something

Today we remember 173 people who lost their lives to the Black Saturday fires, don’t let their loss be in vain. Get out whilst you can. If you know the weather is a high risk day, pack up the night before, go to friends houses.

You know the drill – don’t wait until the last minute I beg you

Think of your children, think of your family.

XXOO

Take care

The memory of Bushfire

It lives with you forever.

This morning the hot northerly wind was blowing, the only difference to two years ago, was the grass was green and the temperature wasn’t 35’c at 8am in the morning.

The words of my father came back to me “Are you ready?” – he called me at 8.15am the 7th February 2009, he knew, I knew, the CFA knew. It was going to be bad.

Just nobody knew how bad.

I never want anyone to go through what others did on that day – and that is why I keep pushing people, be prepared, be alert, don’t turn your back on the outside world.

Sure an air conditioner is great to keep you cool and closed blinds help with that.

Many people weren’t aware there was problem until the power went out, by then it was too late.

Too late to run, too late to prepare, too late to do anything other than pray.

I want people to realize that the CFA website, can’t keep up with the fires, with fast fires like those of Black Saturday. I remember watching the fire start at 11-11.15am in Kilmore and seeing the smoke. The CFA website didn’t list any problems, until 11.30am from memory, by then it was too late.

I can’t stress enough, be prepared, don’t pretend it won’t/can’t happen to you, 173 people died and many only came through by their shirt tails.

Clear your property now, clear your gutters, clear under the house. Remove overhanging branches.

Please don’t think it won’t happen, don’t let your family, friends and parents find out the hard way.

Take care out there – it may have rained, but that has only increased the amount of undergrowth, and thus the overall fire risk. Don’t become a statistic.

Marysville - Almost 2 years on after the Bushfires of Black Saturday

These are some photos I took last week.

90%, maybe 95% of the trees are dead. They will stand as a reminder of what has happened for generations. Falling as those that remember fall.

Do not let the memory of these trees be in vain. Prepare yourself, your family, your house, your animals.

Remember these trees and remember never to forget that preparation is the key to survival in a bushfire.

Black Saturday Transcript - Marysville February 2009

This conversation took place on the 11th February 2009, a casual conversation between friends, taped inadvertently. I am sharing this because I believe that people need to hear what those who fought and survived the Black Saturday Fires in Victoria endured immediately following the devastation of the fires and the trauma and grief they were faced with.

I'm sorry about the length - but I believe that this MUST remain in one piece, in memory of everything that has been lost.

Please take the time to read in full - I know it's long, but the story must be shared. (All names have been changed to protect the identity of those involved)

45 minutes of doing stuff – no speech – some sobbing is heard
Gate is heard to be opened.
Sound of water running.
Sound of a 4x4 approaching the property.
Albert - “I saw you coming” “How are you?” “How’s your stock?” “I know your house is okay” “But how’s your stock?”
Bert - “How you going Albert?” “It was a pretty wild sort of time wasn’t it?”
Albert - Inaudible
Bert - “No problems, we survived pretty well, I was well prepared. I….. I was ready from the week before it got here………
Albert - Yeah
Bert - ………I got the dozers out and cleared bare my place.”
Albert - “How did you get in to here?”
Bert - “The police aren’t there today” Up til now, nobody can get in.
Albert - “That’s ridiculous”
Bert - “Bloody hard” “Colleen went to Healesville 3 days ago, and can’t get back. But The Spurs on fire now.
Albert - Yeah
Bert - Yeah
Albert - “I went to……we went out yesterday, go out and come back, have you got a bit of paper and I know you won’t let me, it’s a bloody trick to get us out. I had to read the bloody riot act to……..
Bert - to get back in again
Albert - ………get back in again.
Bert - Well Colleen got a pass from the cops…….
Albert - Yeah
Bert - …. near our place, took all the details and wrote it down, she gave to the other cops on the way out and couldn’t come back in.”
Albert - Well, now this stuff, ……… this cop where Debra came through, you had any dealings with him?
Bert - he’s a bastard.
Albert - He promised to get it this through to us 2 days ago and never……….
Bert - and never seen nor heard of it. I’ve had runs in with him.
Albert - Everybody has.
Inaudible
Albert - Calling it a crime scene, so I went round a shot a dozen people as the fire came through. That’s what they’re saying.
Bert - Yeah
Inaudible
Bert - We are suffering, more than the poor buggers that got burnt out.
Albert - Yeah but……. Yeah but……..If you listen……….If you listen to the wireless, all you can hear is Kinglake, Kinglake.
Bert - Yeah well, They’re just starting to talk about Marysville now.
Albert - and the …..other thing is that.. the… the….. you know…… all…….. the interesting…….the interesting thing though I reckon, is that… all those who….. stayed, basically saved their house. Are you with me? ……. No, Sorry I’m putting that they wrong way.
Bert - Yeah, I don’t think they did, some people that stayed are gone………. They’re gone, they’re dead.
Albert - Yes
Albert - Yes, they had……..no……
Bert - ……… no preparation.
Albert - ………no preparation…………and……………and………..
Bert - Yes
Albert - Yes
The sound of unpacking from the back of vehicle is heard
Ethel - The kids have really thought of everything.
Bert - Pardon?
Ethel - The kids have really thought…….
Inaudible
Bert - They tossed everything in to make sure
Albert - now………I’ll put the……….. you like a cuppa?
Bert - Yeah……. I’ll be in that thank-you
Inaudible
Albert - first up I’ll sort that out……
Albert - So you’ve been baching on your own?
Bert - Yeah for the last 3 days. Yeah
Albert - How are you off for food? At least……………. Big pantry
Inaudible
Albert - Yeah well, you know after the fire ……. The other problem, why the town ran out of water?
Bert - well there were that many burst water mains for starters
Albert - no, it wasn’t burst water mains, sorry
Bert - I didn’t know you’d run out of water
Albert - there was only one burst water main and that was broken actually
Bert- Up near The Crossways.
Albert - Yeah. I’ll come and show you what the problem was. After the fire went through, nobody…….I went round…………..I went round and turned some of them off the next day. The bloody fire services were still running at Maidmary and Maryshouse.
Bert - Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Inaudible
Albert - Oh Right…………..Thank-you…………….
Inaudible
Albert - Yeah, ……..the modern…. stop cocks, they…….with a bit of heat on them, they…….they just blew out. Now…………. D……….I went around and I did about 30. Can you imagine 30 of those?
Bert - Yeah…………. yeah
Albert - And there were a lot more than that.
Bert - Yeah
Inaudible
Bert - I was expecting a bad one, but never dreamed of anything like this. You even got a wireless…….
Albert - Yeah…………
Bert - There are a set of batteries there somewhere.
Albert - oh yeah….. I don’t know how she managed…………..
Bert - You want a hand to take it. It’s not that heavy. It’s quite light actually.
Albert - I’ll take it up
Albert - I don’t know…………It’s probably easier for you to carry one, than the two………..but………..
The sound of stuff being picked up and moved. Gate crashing open. Sounds of people walking.
Albert - The only water I used here……. That’s all we used.
Bert - Yeah
Albert - That’s all I used. I saw……. but……
Bert - yeah
Albert - I thought we were going to lose the window…….that was where the wood heap was. Just beyond that wall. A HUGE wood heap. (on the neighbours property, on the fenceline)
Bert - what…….Over there?............ Jeez
Albert - I think it was the double glazing that saved us.
Bert - Yeah…….. we’ve got double glazing, but there was no….nothing near our house. The lawns were all watered,
Albert - Yeah………..but the double-glazing
Bert - Yeah, yeah….a lot……….A lot of houses their windows just melted.
Albert - Yeah
Bert - and that’s……..
Albert - Yup
Sounds of stuff being carried water/fuel?
Albert - E……?
Ethel - Yes?
Albert - I’ll start the jenny up.
Inaudible
Albert - Bert reckons the road’s open now.
Bert - I don’t know if it’s officially open
Albert - Yeah
Bert - Fred just came out and said that……..
Albert - how’s his house?
Bert - He survived, he has a good sprinkler system ….off a dam, so he’s pretty……
Albert - Right
Bert - ……… right I think
Sound of generator starting
Inaudible
Albert - I’m glad I …………when I bought that …………….
Inaudible
Bert - Yeah
Albert - I’ll show you what …….. I agree with you about……….
Inaudible
Albert - That burnt right up to the fence there. Stopped there, those shrubs down here………
Inaudible
Albert - I’ve been giving them a dose of water…….
Inaudible
Albert - ……..Just around there, went out to there, just that little bit in a straight line
Bert - It didn’t take much water to stop …….to stop the grass burning with most of the rubbish was gone.
Albert – Yeah
Bert - A bucket of water puts a lot of fire out.
Albert - A sprinkler system goes a lot better……..won’t say a lot better………but….goes a lot further
Bert - Graham & Heidi went to …… went to ummmm…… china
Inaudible
Bert - You need to get it somehow
Inaudible

Bert - Graham and Heidi went last Wednesday to China and uh……….
Inaudible
Albert - Yup
Inaudible
Sound of generator as they approach it again
Albert - look at the end of the ………..
Inaudible
Bert - No, I know that
Inaudible
Albert - to give you some idea, about a fortnight ago, I was going to buy some plastic buckets, but they were too dear, so I bought the stainless steel one……..galvanised one.
Inaudible
Laughter………
Inaudible
Albert - You don’t know what ………
Bert - You didn’t know how much you had and how much you didn’t have
Albert - Laughter
Bert - I went crook at Colleen because ……I was up at 4 o’clock. Ummm…….I couldn’t sleep and I wanted to get out and see if I could help and I see these lights come down Mt Gordon, there’s a HUGE tree across the road in front of our place and I knew they couldn’t get through. But I thought if someone coming at that hour of the morning…..
Ethel - they must need……
Bert - ……..they must need a doctor or something, I wasn’t even properly dressed at 4 o’clock in the morning. so I get in my kit…….. I’ll get the tractor in a minute, just hang on. She said “Don’t bloody worry about that” “you know me”
Ethel - Laughter
Bert - In the dark I didn’t know who it was.
Ethel - Couldn’t see who it was
Bert - anyway, we managed to get past the sign and tree. I said to her you are bloody mad.
Inaudible
Ethel - that’s what I………I mean her brother
Inaudible
Albert - What do you want? Tea of coffee
Bert - Tea, please. A weak tea, please
Albert - You’re a dairy farmer, you’ll have it black
Bert - No,
Albert - Most dairy farmers…………
Bert - yeah, I know that, yeah I know that
Inaudible
Ethel - Then we were worried she wouldn’t get back again, you know……….
Albert - so I said………
Inaudible
Albert - we turned a few of those…………we didn’t have any water
Bert - Yeah
Albert - we went round and turned Maryshouse fire service off and Maidmary’s fire service off and drove a few of those stakes in, we got water to here
Bert - There’s water pouring out at the Catholic Church, that’s running flat out
Ethel - Oh is there? ……. Well we’d better go and……….
Albert - well they were running………as you came in, they’re running?
Bert - Yeah, just now
Ethel - We’d better go round and turn it off too
Bert - I thought to myself, I’ll see if I can nip it up …….. you know……….. on the way back.
Inaudible
Ethel - Yeah, that’s right
Bert - That’s right
You can hear a radio running in the background
Bert - I was talking to Colleen about 2 seconds last night
Ethel - Yeah, that’s right
Albert - We got through …………. Oh and we couldn’t get rid of Irwin off the phone and then………. Next call we went to make……. Nothing. No service. ……..
Bert - yeah, exactly
Albert - We’ve got our shower Ethel. You might like to stand out where you’ve got to stand but………
Laughter
Ethel - They’ll be nobody around to see you love.
Laughter
Bert - we, ahhhhh….we’ve got gravity feed water from our workshop and tanks up there and gravity feeds the house. I’m right for water and I’m right for hot water because I’m using heater……… we’ve got the ahhhh…….
Inaudible
Bert - …….. in the lounge
Ethel - Oh, okay
Albert - you’ve got……………
Bert - Hydronic water
Albert - You haven’t got any chemical in it?
Bert - No, nope. It’s separate anyway
Inaudible
Sneezing
Inaudible
Sneezing
Albert - we put in a very big hot water service. We’ve got a big radio here. 18yo kid put a little special socket into the TV
Bert - yeah yeah, I see that the telcom boys are trying to get the power going at the moment by the looks of it.
Inaudible
Bert - Looks like a portable generator and……..
Ethel - we’ve had people, finally got hold of at the end of the hill and they burst into tears. Jill’s in a terrible state when we rang her, Kennedy wasn’t much better. And Larry wasn’t much better. They’ve rung the Red Cross and the Red Cross have no record of whether they are alive or dead.
Bert - Yeah yeah
Albert - Then I heard on the wireless,………. We……people……Marysville people are in Alexandra, please re-register, there’s been a glitch in their records. We had………Maurice Townsend came around, I don’t know if he was the SES or DS&E. Neville Nelson came around.
Bert - Yeah
Albert - and the police came around
Inaudible
Bert - all the paperwork…….. yeah………. They’ve been out to check us out and……
Albert - but then those people ring up and no record of us……..
Ethel –whether we are alive or dead
Pause
Albert - now, would you want something to eat Bert?
Bert - I’m not physically worried……… I am…..I can…..
Inaudible
Albert - It will be a sandwich
Ethel - Yeah, it’ll be a sandwich
Bert - that’ll be fine
Inaudible
Bert - I’ve got to get…….
Inaudible
Albert - We had ……the other night, we had Ian and……what’s his name, not O but Peter
Ethel - Oh yeah………….Ian………….. Oh yeah. Bert wouldn’t know him I don’t think
Albert - He built on Thomas’s old vacant land
Bert - Oh yeah………. When Rachael and Steven left…. They were about the last people I knew in the town
Inaudible
Bert - We don’t go to the pool anymore you just lose …….
Albert - well, we…….. Debra ……. had a contact somehow with the……woman, and she bought Violets’ old house. You know the two storey brick one, you can………They’re staying. They’re names Warren or something. She said, go down and see them, I went down, never seen her, I said and how long have you been here? Oh 4 years.
Bert - oh yeah (laughter)
Ethel - Actually, her husband is out of town……
Albert - ….but they wouldn’t let him back in
Ethel - let him in. She’s here, they wouldn’t let him back in. so……..
Bert - Colleen went down to………..
Inaudible
Bert - She got a pass from the police up here and thought she could get back.
Ethel - we tried to stock up yesterday…….
Bert - Yeah
Ethel - but, they told us we could, you know……go over to Alex and we could……..
Bert - ………you can’t come back in, if you’ve go out
Inaudible
Albert - ……… they’ll let you out, but won’t let you back in
Inaudible
Ethel - I said to Albert, I’ve got two dogs, the village dog………
Albert - Do you want a dog?
Ethel - It drives………….It barks, it drives you mad.
Albert - Hear that?
Bert - Yeah yeah
Ethel - All day, all night, absolutely drives you nuts.
Bert - Yeah Yeah, I hate a yappy dog
Inaudible
Ethel - Last 2 nights has been up in the shed. Can’t hear him
Bert - Yeah that’s what you have to do. I suppose…… I suppose the poor thing’s traumatised too, just like the rest of us
Ethel - Thinking about it, he probably sleeps on their bed
Bert - Yeah Yeah
Albert - Watched that………explode…….watched that that new weather board down there, that wall, painted, it……. Just ………burst into flames,
Bert - yeah yeah
Albert - This house over here, I must admit……….it’s clear all the way around it, that’s a plastic house, the weatherboards are plastic, the decking is plastic……
Bert - Yeah Yeah
Albert - The balustrade is plastic, the windows are plastic, and it’s perfect.
Bert - It’s unreal……It’s unreal……..isn’t it?
Albert - and yet up here ………..
Bert - The fire goes through and says I’ll have here and ……no don’t want you…..
Ethel - that’s right
Bert –……. I’ll have the next one. Ginger Meg’s house is still sitting up there.
Ethel - would you believe that little old rubbishy house …….
Bert - Yeah Yeah
Albert - The little old one in…….. next door to Albert Conner’s in Smith Street, you know?
Bert - Yeah Yeah
Ethel - Lovely little dump………ummmm
Albert - That little old one…….
Bert – Ginger’s house………..
Ethel - ………the old blue house……… yeah
Bert – Ginger's house …………Ummm……an old weatherboard, and it’s got… ummm…..artificial brick on the ……….
Albert - yeah yeah
Bert –……. On the outside. You’d think it would be……..you’d think it would go up.
Inaudible
Albert - Bitumen……….. artificial bricks had a bit of bitumen in them
Bert - Yeah yeah……….Stick ‘em on……..Yeah
Albert - but, no……. but they were made out of bit of bitumen, but some of them were…….
Inaudible
Bert - Yeah Yeah
Albert - But this Steph………..Which Carter is it? One of Stephanie Carter…..
Ethel - daughters
Inaudible
Albert - Brand new house, they were going to sign for it next week.
Bert - yeah Yeah
Albert - but……….
Ethel - but they hadn’t signed for it, that is the good news,
Albert - but……..
Ethel - They hadn’t signed for it – which is the good news
Albert - well, is it the goods news or the bad news? If it’s good news, they’d have insured it, they’d be right. Now……..If the builder had built it properly, does he have the financial resources to build it ……….to build it again?
Bert - yeah
Albert - and if he hasn’t, they’re left with……. With……..
Ethel - rubbish
Albert - rubbish to clear up
Bert - yeah
Albert - which they……….
Bert - they’ll have to think about that with the legal side
Inaudible
Albert - The Benny guy……
Bert - I don’t know…..Um – he just sold his house, they’ve signed up for it. Ummmmmm…..The deal went through…… goes through on the 4th or something. So he’s got to either replace the house or hopefully because they might….. you know……
Albert - No No……
Bert - …….. back off on the deal ……..
Albert - Yeah well…………
Bert - ……….. and can sue them if he doesn’t replace the house.
Albert - Well, the thing I was always told, that if you buy a house, insurance it straight away as soon as you pay the deposit…….
Bert - before you pay the …………..
Albert - I know one smart estate agent, who bought a house, the settlement was next day and he…… and he thought I’ll oh well the guys got insurance…..
Inaudible
Albert - …….. and it burnt down…….. The other guy hadn’t insured it, that’s a real…..
Bert - Yeah yeah
Albert - the other guy
Bert - that’s just as bad, Dairy farm, ummm, our insurance guy,……. Who…… was married to what’s her name……….ummm. One of the …… ummmm… I think
Inaudible
Bert - in the end, the put their kid……. their son to run it
Inaudible
Bert - …….Bought the property and would be back Monday to insure it
Inaudible
Albert - Yeah well I was…. My insurance guy…….. he sends me a fax, when we buy something
Bert - that’s what they do these days.
Albert - The date is the time on the back of the fax sheet.
Bert - Yeah Yeah
Inaudible
Albert - ......Out again
Inaudible
Ethel – Debra ………….
Albert - Rang Fran Bailey for us and jumped up and down, and the way she dealt with the water board, she said she rang on the Sunday and just tell him that……
Inaudible
Albert - Just tell him that……….
Inaudible
Albert - In 5 minutes he rang her. Yesterday morning they were across here and that’s what got……..
Inaudible
Albert - ……….back on. We turned off that many valves………
Inaudible
Bert - Right now…….
Inaudible
Albert - Are you right now?
Inaudible
Bert - Diesel running now…………….
Inaudible
Albert - What about……….
Inaudible
Bert - that’s why Colleen went to Healesville to get more……….
Inaudible
Bert - No, we’re right now. We’ve got the diesel generator running now.
Inaudible
Bert - Thanks Ethel
Inaudible
Albert - I haven’t got any diesel to give you
Bert - No we’ve got plenty of diesel now
Albert - The Crossways…….
Bert - Yeah. What? He’s dead?
Ethel - No he stayed. He hid under the bridge when it got really…….. then he dived out and started to put the spot fires out.
Albert - Some of those that got burnt……. (sobbing is heard)
Inaudible
Albert - 2 of them are dead, they’re dead (sobbing)

* Then the conversation moves onto those that lost their lives and all parties compare notes, tales, whose cars are still on the property, who is confirmed dead, who is still missing, who hasn’t been seen and for decency I have not continued with the transcription
The recording ends in a little under 2 minutes, it’s quite disjointed as the batteries start to fail.

Marysville V Kinglake, Bushfires and Rebuilding

I've tried to bite my tongue - but enough is enough - HOW DARE THE COUNCIL treat the township of Marysville with so little respect.

The same sign, two different towns, both affected in the same way - both suffering and this what you get.

Data from the 2006 Census reveals:-
To give you an idea of some figures:-
Kinglake (2006 Census) - 1482 population
Marysville (2006 Census) - 519 population

Kinglake:- During the week prior to the 2006 Census, 735 people aged 15 years and over who were usually resident in Kinglake (Suburb) were in the labour force. Of these, 58.5% were employed full-time, 29.5% were employed part-time, 4.2% were employed but away from work, 1.9% were employed but did not state their hours worked and 5.9% were unemployed. There were 291 usual residents aged 15 years and over not in the labour force.

Marysville - During the week prior to the 2006 Census, 269 people aged 15 years and over who were usually resident in Marysville (L) (Urban Centre Localities) were in the labour force. Of these, 58.4% were employed full-time, 31.6% were employed part-time, 1.9% were employed but away from work, 2.6% were employed but did not state their hours worked and 5.6% were unemployed. There were 149 usual residents aged 15 years and over not in the labour force.

The difference between Kinglake and Marysville - Kinglake is considered a suburb of Melbourne, Marysville is not.

A majority of Kinglake residents travel into the outer suburbs of Melbourne for employment

99% of Marysville residents worked within the township. Now there are only a handful of jobs left.

Marysville is dying, no jobs, people can't afford to stay. People can't afford to rebuild. Without jobs people move away.

Kinglake the same as Marysville, there was loss of life, there was loss of residences, but perhaps only 5-10% of jobs were lost in Kinglake.

Complete polar opposites. Yet Marysville gets completely ignored. same Council, same State Government, and the McEwen Electorate.

Council, State Government and Politicians should be ashamed that they so blatantly discriminate against a township struggling to survive.

Mandatory Evacuations in the USA 'V' Australia

I am writing this whilst sitting in my lovely house on top of a hill, overlooking the suburbs of Melbourne. 10-20km north of me are tracks of land – burnt beyond belief. To the north of me 7 people died, to the east of me 164 people died. To the northeast of me the fire got to within 7km of my property, before the winds changed.

I’m trying to give to you a sense of where we stood in relation to the Black Saturday Fires and how close they came.

There have been many tales told of the USA where ‘Mandatory Evacuations” take place and I thought I would investigate a little further. Not everything you can hear is true nor understood fully by the speaker.

The word “Mandatory” means (in context) – (adjective) authoritatively ordered; obligatory; compulsory: It is mandatory that all residents leave the area.

Now mandatory evacuation doesn’t mean that in the USA. In the USA you have 3 levels of alert,
1. Be aware of your surrounding, you may be required to voluntary evacuation to pre-designated safe areas (similar to Australia).
2. Voluntary evacuation – evacuations centres are opened and the public may use them if they choose, or may re-locate to friends and family outside the immediate area of danger. People considered unable to care for themselves should be assisted by officials in the area. This could include children, if authorities deem them to be at risk.
3. Mandatory Evacuations – evacuations centres are opened, people are encouraged to leave the area and move to the evacuation centres, until the danger passes.

Now this is where it gets tricky. If you choose NOT TO leave, when the mandatory call is put out, you are ON YOUR OWN. Emergency services will not attend, food and fuel WILL NOT be available. Nobody will come and rescue you at the height of the danger. You are ALL ALONE.

Some things to consider IF a mandatory evacuation order IS ISSUED IN THE USA. From what I can understand you are effectively under marshal law and could be arrested if you step off private property. Explain Mandatory/Voluntary Evacuation

Now the key to ALL of this working is warnings and people being aware of their surroundings. No matter how diligent the officials are at warning people, some people will be missed. That is why it’s essential no matter which side of the world you live; you pay attention to the outside world.

In the USA, where there is more time than not, ample warning of an approaching hurricane or similar, I’m led to believe that along with radio and TV, loud hailers and face to face warnings are issued. Mandatory Evacuation

Bushfires because they are not something that can be predicted (i.e. arson or fallen powerlines) then the ability to issue timely warnings can be very limited. But in the instance of the Black Saturday Fires, for three days prior warnings were issued on Television, Radio and Print media. This was effectively Stage 1 of the ‘be aware of your surroundings’

On Saturday the 7th February 2009, the media switched to (Stage 2) requesting people leave their place of residence IF they lived in an area deemed to be a high risk fire area, or prepare to stay and defend. At that stage, NO fire had been reported.

Once the fire got started, there was no going back, the weather conditions on that day were probably the same if not worse than 1939 and the inevitable happened. Even those that had been through the 1939 fires, thought they were invincible and that turned out not to be the case.

Personally I stayed, with my husband, we prepared, as we had prepared every day for this time. Our house had been constructed with fire mesh, with a water supply not requiring any form of power. We had a water pump; we had tanks with CFA connections. We had accessed what could and could not be saved, building wise. Prepared the animals to be transported or left. The neighbours had all been warned and transport arranged for the elderly and infirm. Those with young children packed and left. The fire should have hit us about 3.30-3.45pm on Saturday the 7th February 2009. At 3.15pm the wind changed, and the fire turned flank and headed east. God help those in the hills. I called my parents and told them the fire was coming. They had 3hours to prepare. They did what they could, warned those they could. They survived. Just like many others, who had spent a life-time doing the small things, leading up to that dreadful day.

So you see – Australia DOES have similar steps in place for emergency evacuations, the difference is people here, in Australia seem to think that emergency services have enough personnel on the ground to save THEIR house, bugger everyone else’s.

I’m sorry – there are two words – PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Heed them, look at them and act on them.

The outcome of the Royal Commission and the bushfires of Black Saturday

I’ve read the recommendations, I’m no expert and I don’t pretend to be, but here is what I see:-

Recommendation 1:- “Enhance the role of warnings” This is very hard given the fact that wind changes (which can’t be predicted) caused many of the problems on Black Saturday. People MUST be prepared and accountable for days of high fire danger. It’s not the Governments responsibility.
Recommendation 2:- “Community education programs” I live in an area that was on high alert that day, due to the fires starting about 20km away. I have yet to see a letterbox drop. I have not seen any communication in relation to community education programs. I’m sure they are there, but I have not seen anything advertised.
Recommendation 3:- “evacuation and shelter for vulnerable residents” I’d be interested to know the locations of these shelters, as the general public have nothing put aside for them yet. What about neighbours? – On Black Saturday, our street ensured that the vulnerable residents were accounted for and removed or under the care of someone capable.
Recommendation 4:- “Replacing the 2005 Fire Refuges in Victoria” There were NO fire refuges in Victoria in 2005, all refuges were deemed unsafe due to public liability issues. Personal shelters for individuals, who will monitor these to ensure their ongoing safety compliance?
Recommendation 5:- “encourage individuals—especially vulnerable people—to relocate early” This is the leave earlier policy in different wording.
Recommendation 6:- “national curriculum incorporates the history of bushfire in Australia” We can't teach Australian History in schools, how can we teach bushfire danger to kids, without someone complaining we are terrorizing their children into fearing the bush?
Recommendation 7:- “to develop a national bushfire awareness campaign.” Isn’t that what the stay or go policy is? An awareness campaign about the dangers of bushfires?
Recommendation 8:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 9:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 10:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 11:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 12:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 13:- “introduce a graded scale of emergency declarations short of a state of disaster.” By avoiding calling a ‘State of Emergency’ the local government saves a lot of money. That is why the Black Saturday Fires were not declared a state of emergency because the funding that is provided once this has been declared is greater than if it had not been declared a state of emergency.
Recommendation 14:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 15:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 16:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 17:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 18:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 19:- “provide to all CFA volunteers an identification card” This is good, finally, even when clothed in CFA clothing, water tankers were unable to get through road blocks. Finally some common sense for support vehicles and support personnel.
Recommendation 20:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 21:- “aerial resources that are suitable for firefighting “ Considering we hire/rent/lease a fire fighting aircraft from the USA and that on Black Saturday it was claimed that most aircraft on Australian shores could not fight fires in any degree or fashion.
Recommendation 22:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 23:- these are internal issues for CFA (Why is the DSE not also mentioned here?)
Recommendation 24:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 25:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 26:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 27:- I agree with the replacement of the SWER lines, but this has been recommended for many years. Electricity linesmen have been saying this for years, because of the lack of maintenance performed over the years, and now the state of disrepair of the electricity cabling, we are going to be forced to pay for this, perhaps as high as a doubling of power bills to fund this upgrade.
I have a SWER line 20m from my house, that spans 1km of treed (and housed) area, how can that go underground? The aerial bundling won’t stop the cable breaking, but the replacement of may reduce the risk for many years.
Recommendation 28:- “change their asset inspection standards” This is a certainty and essential commitment that MUST be complied with, as discussed in a sitting at the Royal Commission
Recommendation 29:- is really just a re-hash of 28
Recommendation 30:- “to reduce the risks posed by hazardous trees “ I honestly thought that this would have been part of normal inspection process that is supposed to be carried out on a regular basis.
Recommendation 31:- “the identification of hazardous trees and notifying the responsible entities” is this a form of back-up insurance? To make sure that the electricity companies are doing their job? What other risk could trees be, other than risk to powerlines?
Recommendation 32:- “disable the reclose function” only 6 weeks? – The fire season doesn’t abide by dates or calendars, why only 6 weeks? Yes this will mean more power outages for regional areas, but perhaps it is for the greater good.
Recommendation 33:- Spreaders should be fitting on all lines, regardless of location, I thought this would have been standard practice.
Recommendation 34:- “The State amend the regulatory framework” and “to require it to fulfil that mandate” ummmmm, again I thought this would have already been in place and that being the case, why mandate that the mandate be fulfilled?
Recommendation 35:- “coordinated statewide approach to arson prevention “ The police can’t control arsonists. If arsonists are discovered, they go to court, they are released again on bail (as happened in the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne 2009) How can the police monitor that? – During peak fire season, if an arsonist is caught – they MUST be locked up for the duration of the fire season, it’s the only way to show a) we are serious, b) ease the workload on already stressed Police Officers.
Recommendation 36:- “National Action Plan to Reduce Bushfire Arson in Australia,” Relates again to Recommendation 35.
Recommendation 37:- These are internal issues for CFA and local Government.
Recommendation 38:- These are internal issues for CFA and local Government.
Recommendation 39:- These are internal issues for local Government
Recommendation 40:- These are internal issues for CFA and local Government
Recommendation 41:- These are internal issues for DSE and local Government
Recommendation 42:- These are internal issues for DSE
Recommendation 43:- These are internal issues for DSE
Recommendation 44:- These are internal issues for CFA
Recommendation 45:- “to urgently adopt a bushfire policy” Why is the Murrindindi Council singled out here? There were other townships affected. But I do agree with the principle of the idea
Recommendation 46:- “develop and implement a retreat and resettlement strategy” Good idea in theory, but non-compulsory? – What does this mean? We all know under ‘compulsory’ acquisition, that the value is well-under market value. What does this mean to landowners who choose this option?
Recommendation 47:- “reducing the risk of ignition from ember attack” is a MUST for buildings in high-risk areas. In fact common sense in reality.
Recommendation 48:- is really just Recommendation 47 worded differently.
Recommendation 49:- again Recommendation 47 & 48 reworded
Recommendation 50:- “develop a standard for bushfire sprinklers and sprayers” This is a MUST but in saying that – people can’t afford copper piping AND the cost is massive (and the risk of theft the same) – what else can be done?
Recommendation 51:- “existing buildings in bushfire-prone areas can be modified” This is a good idea – but again, the building owners should have already thought and put into action further protection means for the buildings.
Recommendation 52:- “the regular assessment of landowners’ compliance with conditions” The council will baulk at this – the cost and manpower required will incur cost and the councils will be reluctant to follow through.
Recommendation 53:- “amend s. 32 of the Sale of Land Act 1962 to require that a vendor’s statement include whether the land is in a designated Bushfire-prone Area” A good idea and allows for the potential purchaser to make decisions accordingly. The only failure of this, is that CFA are not compelled to attend properties in dead-end streets, This should also be commented on in the section 32, as a reminder of how alone you will actually be under the threat of fire.
Recommendation 54:- “issue fire prevention notices.” (Delegation is not a real issue) The CFA and MFB already do have this power, along with the council.
Recommendation 55:- “providing regular training and guidance material to planning and building practitioners” This should be encompassed under the council approval processes
Recommendation 56:- “a long-term program of prescribed burning” Correct, but there will be elements within society that disagree with this.
Recommendation 57:- “Department of Sustainability and Environment report annually on prescribed burning outcomes” again, as prescribed burning is done wholly within the domain of the DSE, This is covered within Recommendation 56.
Recommendation 58:- “long-term data collection to monitor and model the effects “ again, encompassed under Recommendations 56 & 57, with the reporting and increasing of burns.
Recommendation 59:- again encompassed under recommendations 56, 57 and 58. The use of wildfire was apt for the day of Black Saturday, but a ‘normal’ bushfire should be classified as such. A wildfire is just an increase in the strength of words, which is what the government wants.
Recommendation 60:- “the provisions allow for a broad range of roadside works capable of reducing fire risk” This decision (or change in rulings) will not appease some members of the community and cause Local Councils and Vicroads much hardship and possible confrontation in the field.
Recommendation 61:- “on resolving the competing tensions arising from the legislation affecting roadside clearing” addresses my exact concerns. Will the State and Commonwealth Governments have the guts to do this properly? The fires funnelled up the roadsides and creeks because of the quantity of scrub and rubbish in these areas.
Recommendation 62:- is just a rewording of 60 & 61.
Recommendation 63:- These are internal issues for Government and DSE and CFA
Recommendation 64:- “replace the Fire Services Levy with a property-based levy” This recommendation has long been fought for by insurance companies, the problem is will property insurance rates drop or remain stagnant because of this decision and what will be the effect on council rates?
Recommendation 65:- “a national centre for bushfire research” sounds like a good idea
Recommendation 66:- “assess progress with implementing the Commission’s recommendation” is definitely required, but will the time frames be fluffed to appease certain groups?
Recommendation 67:- “The State consider the development of legislation for the conduct of inquiries in Victoria” Is this a slap in the face for the Victorian Labor Government, in essence the governments response and knee-jerking regarding the interim report?

Now remember the above is MY PERSONAL views on the subject. I understand that CFA/DSE/MFB/Victoria Police policies along with Government rules and regulations, all have an impact on my life, but it’s not for me to dissect these decisions and possible outcomes. That is why I have avoided comment on recommendations encompassing those areas.

I still don’t think enough emphasis has been placed on personal responsibility; each and every adult who lives in a high fire danger area has a personal responsibility to every child and aged adult in their care. I don’t think this has been stressed enough.

Something that the media and the general public have been avoiding commenting on is the issuing of fire warnings. For three days prior to the tragic day of Black Saturday, the media was crawling with the Premier, the Chief of the CFA and others who stated quite clearly that Saturday the 7th February 2009, was going to be the worst day that Victoria had seen in many decades.

I understood that to mean that the risk of fire was basically inevitable and consequently could not be ignored. I was on alert and saw the smoke of the Kilmore fire long before anything was in the media. From that moment onwards I enacted our fire plan and ensured that everyone on the street was aware. Once the fire situation made it to the media my father was calling me, checking that we were organised, checking that we were okay.

The public were warned, perhaps not on the day – things were moving too quickly, I could only follow the fire from what I could visually sight. Not from the media, or the CFA website simply because the information must have been coming in too quickly.

I have blogged previously about the events after this time. I have no wish to re-visit that ground, it has been done and nothing can be changed.

Remember this blog is MY PERSONAL VIEW.

Double-Glazed Windows

I was having a conversation with my 13yo, about his grandfather and some conversations that they had in the past.

My son said to me that grandpa thought the only reason that their house didn’t burn too, was because of the double-glazed windows. This surprised me, I wasn’t aware that my son knew what double-glazed windows were.

I was right – the next question was – “mum, what are double-glazed windows?”

I then explained to him that double-glazed windows are two sheets of glass with air in between, held in the window frame, so that the two pieces don’t touch and the air in the middle is like a cushion, that stop s the house getting too hot or too cold and during the fire it did the same thing.

Mstr13 then pipes up and says, “Yeah, that’s what grandpa said. He said single-glaze windows cracked and then the drapes (USA speak URRGGHH) caught fire and then the house burnt.”

Mstr13, then went on to say that Nanna burnt her fingers when she touched the window frame, when the fire was outside.

I knew these things, but had never discussed them with my children, I didn’t want to scare them anymore that I did that Sunday/Monday when I went to Marysville.

As it was Mstr13 was nearly suspended from school, for checking his mobile phone during class on Monday, thinking that I may have called. It took some quick talking with the school to avoid that.

This conversation has only come to light in the last week. I’m not even sure why or how.

Children are constantly thinking and talking, you’d be surprised, don’t think your children don’t want to know, they do, share your knowledge, it might save their life one day.

Before and After - The Difference 110 Days Makes

I don't think you need any more words. I didn't realise I had these photos until tonight.

20th October 2008

February 8th 2009 approx 5.30am

October 2008

A little closer than the original - taken about 5.30am 8th February 2009. Notice the bucket? - I used that to stop the smouldering retaining wall.

Royal Commissions and Arse-Protection

I’m not going to pretend I’ve been following all the goings on in the Royal Commission for the last 150 days, I’ve had other things to deal with.

But what I have seen from the media and the transcripts doesn’t make for pretty reading.

One thing that has upset me from the day the fires hit was the removal of the fire refuges, due to public liability issues. The State Government passed this responsibility onto the councils and the councils promptly shut down 99% of the fire refuges, due to public liability issues. When people needed somewhere to turn, there was nowhere.

Then the State Government steps in at the release of the interim report from the Royal Commission and instigates a whole raft of proposals, regulations and rules with little thought for the consequences.

One example was/is the release of the “Code Red” days and warnings and the closing of schools, education centres. Fine in theory – but in real life will not work.

Then there are reports in the media of some councils closing council properties on these declared days in the hope of avoiding responsibility in the case of another fire like Black Saturday.

It is now 18 months after the fact, there has been no real change in protection of the communities previously affected, nor those that weren’t affected, but need protection.

In 18 months, a Royal Commission started by the State Government, has now become a ball and chain for the Labor State Government and possibly the Federal Government, especially with the election looming on the horizon.

People that they placed in command that day have openly lied about their whereabouts on that fateful day. How could a serving member forget their whereabouts on a day now labeled the worse in Victoria’s History?

I’m sure if you think back you could remember where you were and what you did. Given 20 years things may be different, but 18 months after the fact the memory will still be fresh. So explain how someone so heavily involved could forget?

Then there is the lost fire path prediction maps – thrown out by the cleaners? – I don’t think so.

The half-arsed CFA pager system – No wonder the CFA volunteers were struggling. Between the metropolitan digital system and the analogue country system. They had no chance.

Until recently (like April 2010) there was an open URL that could be used to trace all the CFA pager messages that went out from the search and rescue messages, to road accidents, out of control fires, to admin messages advising where keys were located for stations. I’m not sure who else was aware of this ‘leak’ but it got patched once the CFA pager problems were made public. That URL had been operational since March 2009 that I am personally aware of – as I am the person who located it.

The Royal Commission has resulted in many people in many areas falling into self-protection mode and not telling the WHOLE truth for fear of retribution, be it from their bosses or the public. A public office position is highly coveted and thus many people will forgo morals and ethics in favour of public opinion or they will do as they are told by those higher than themselves.

I foretell now that many recommendations put forward by the Royal Commission into the fires of February 2009, will not be implemented, just as the Royal Commission into the fires in 1939, sees many recommendations not implemented today, some 70 years later.

Therefore the Government, both State and Local need to step back. An example of a resident trying to do the right thing before the fires. He requested (four) 4 trees be felled and had to pay a fee of $94.00 and was prohibited from removing others from the same block.After the fires the owner was allowed to removed 194. Can anyone see a problem with this? – I know I can. Oh and the removal permit of $94 was also overlooked in the aftermath of the fires. That’s local government for you.

Australians have always liked the bush, therefore many of us choose to live in the bush, amongst nature, amongst the tall trees, amongst the animals. It is OUR responsibility to ensure we are safe, to ensure that we survive, not the governments, not the councils.

Christine Nixon and Black Saturday

I wasn’t going to enter the fray regarding Christine Nixon and her dinner date whilst the state burnt, but I think now has come the time for me to discuss MY thoughts and opinions regarding this issue.

People have been loud in their support for and against Christine Nixon.

Neil Mitchell has taken a caning, yet he is only reporting what was said in the Royal Commission, word for word, public opinion took over from there.

The Thank-you concert at Federation Square last night saw Christine Nixon cheered as she approached the stage.

Kevin Rudd and John Brumby have both stood by her and say that she has done nothing wrong.
Ted Baillieu of the opposition is calling for her resignation.

Fran Bailey the local member for Parliament for the seat of McEwen, the seat hit hardest by the fires, is also calling for her resignation.

Tony Abbott is sitting on the fence, saying that “She made an error in judgment”

The blogging community can’t decide to support or sack Christine Nixon. The blog “Telling it Like it is” has made these comments on Hysteria Burning hotter than ever

Then you have the blog “CarringtonBrigham.com” which stands on the sacking side with Nixon made un-acceptable mistake when Victoria needed her.

Only the people directly affected should really have any say. My personal opinion is YES she made an error in judgment, but what hurts the most is the fact, she tried to cover it up, either lie outright (as some have done) or tell the complete and utter truth. There is no in-between when dealing with what is now a Royal Commission and therefore a fact finding mission, not a blame game.

Remember this is MY PERSONAL OPINION and nothing more, nor less.

Christine Nixon made an error in judgment, she had a moral and ethical duty to be standing side by side and shoulder to shoulder with the men and women who were fighting the battle, be it on the ground or in the control room. She should have been there, to witness the suffering, to witness the panic, to witness the way HER organisation managed or didn’t manage all aspects of the situation.

She had a duty of care and she has been negligent in her duty.

Christine Nixon is now no longer in the position, in which she failed, perhaps that is a good thing, but to say that she needs to be sacked is a completely different thing. Perhaps she was already aware she had let ‘The side’ down on that day and by her filling the position she now does, she is compensating for the lack of care and attention.

Only one person knows and that is not you and me. Only time will tell if she is strong enough and has the guts to stand up to the critics and face her personal demons, just like those that survived that night have to do.

Also in closing remember she is not the only member of our emergency services who failed us on that day, many many people decided not to turn up to work on that day, because it was too hot, because it was Saturday. Some of the absenteeism records for that day are abysmal, she is not the only person that should be singled out if you want to play the blame game.

Yes the houses would have burnt, yes lives would have been lost, but morally she had a duty to be on duty - that's what we paid her for.

When is an Official Warning not an Official Warning

26.03.10

3AW Issued an 'Official Warning' Yesterday for the Western Part of Victoria for Sunday. Which you can View Here

An Exert --> "Certainly on Sunday we need Victorians in the western part of the state to be prepared and alert," State Control Centre spokesperson Caroline Douglass said. "People need to understand that even towards the end of the bushfire season the risk of a significant fire is still very real."

This morning, Saturday the 27th March 2010, I checked both the CFA and the DSE sites for media releases or anything that might indicate a danger for people in the western part of the state, and other than the entry on the 3AW blog titled "Extreme fire conditions on Sunday" I am unable to find any reference.

Remember I am only an ordinary resident of the state, I could live anywhere in the state and yet I hear (and see) that a major player in the radio news field issues a warning for an area, that I may live in, may be travelling through, or perhaps have family in, yet I am unable to follow this threat up with either CFA or DSE. Nothing in media releases. nothing on the home page.

It feels like mis-information all over again.

The BoM (Bureau of Meteorology) is showing what appears to be some weather activity to the West of the state which will likely impact the state late Saturday or Sunday. The Official Warning also states "That weather pattern, combined with a strong chance of dry lightning, presents a significant chance of fires."

I don't like putting the cart before the horse, neither do I believe in crying wolf, but it would seem that the CFA/DSE and media outlets either go into overkill or they completely smother the warnings.

I know the Government thinks that most people are idiots and can't look after themselves, but seriously - don't we have the right to KNOW when we MIGHT be in danger, when OUR lives MIGHT be at risk, WHEN OUR families MIGHT be at risk?

If there is such a risk present, then perhaps the CFA/DSE need to ensure that the media releases page located Here SHOULD make reference to what appears to be an official media release by a fire agency?

We have a RIGHT TO KNOW.

Look at Black Saturday, people time and time again claim that they were not warned. There were warnings three days in row that the threat of fire was imminent and yet people claim they did not hear these warnings.

We MUST BE informed, we MUST be told, we MUST Have the ability to make decisions of our OWN accord and live and die by those decisions.

Your Thoughts

And if you are wondering WHY I keep harping on lack of notification or information, this is why My Story I don't want others to have to go through what I and many 1000's of other people did on the 7th February 2009, now known as Black Saturday

A Forgotten Victim of the Black Saturday Bushfires

My Father

He fought the fires, he survived the fires, he saved his house, He saved some friends, but he could not save them all. in losing his friends and his town, he lost his life.

He never recovered. His nightmare lasted for 13 months. He's free now.

Love you

Black Saturday - Royal Commission – Some Sense until tomorrow?

John Brumby has come out and said that banning building in fire-prone areas is not feasible. Hooray for someone seeing the light of day. The only problem is that I think this may be all politician speak and nothing more.

The Shire of Murrindindi which was one of the hardest hit areas is predominantly a Working Class area – Which although the seat of McEwan is currently held by the Liberal Party,The last election was very close and saw the seat contested for 7 votes.

John Brumby is quoted as saying "If you say in Victoria that you can't build in any area that's heavily forested you'd be removing close to a million Victorians from their homes - that's the reality.'' [1]

Where do 1,000,000 people go? 90% of them would be unable to afford to move, as I discussed here Black Saturday - Royal Commission Experts The fact that John Brumby is not only referring to the area of Marysville, but state wide, from Bendigo to Ballarat, shows that someone has seen the light.

I can’t make political comment on areas that I don’t know and to tell you honest truth, can’t be bothered checking out. (Yeah I know lazy) – I don’t get paid for this – unless you want to donate!!!!!!!!!

John Brumby is also quoted as saying "This is all about, I think, living with the risk of fire and we are a dry continent, we're also a very beautiful continent, our eucalypt forests are stunning places and they're beautiful places to live.”

Which is 100% correct, since the day that Australia was settled; there has been a battle for water, some years are good, some years better and some years very poor. At other times there is so much water, we are literally swimming in it, while standing on what was previously dry land!

John Brumby is also quoted as saying "So this is about making places as safe as possible while recognising the beautiful amenity that we've got in so many treed areas across the state."

So, let’s make the state safe, if that is the case, get off your backside and nominate the areas deemed to safe, places that the population can evacuate to if they choose to. Not leave these people and communities hanging around waiting for you to make a decision.

It’s been 12 months since the fires of Black Saturday, and most fire-prone areas still remain without ‘safer places’

Drop the fancy terminology also, either we are in danger or we are not. The old fires index signs, run and operated by the CFA – clearly showed at 100kph what the state of the area was you were entering – now we are presented with a tiny little sign that shows NOTHING. CFA signage

The Government needs to stop talking the talk that people think they want to hear and start actioning some of these so-called good ideas. Kick the bureaucracy in the backside and start doing SOMETHING.

The sooner the government stops meddling and bringing false hope and starts actually doing something and bringing real hope, will be the day that people and townships start pulling and putting themselves together again.

[1] The Australian February 16th 2010

Black Saturday, Royal Commission - Experts, Messperts, - What do they know ‘perts?

I have a vested interest in this topic for many reasons, some of which are contained in this blog. Others are too personal to be written about in the public domain.

The last 24-48 hours has seen so-called experts claiming that places like Marysville (notice they ONLY cite Marysville as the example) should not ever be re-built. My first bone of contention is that Marysville is, was and will not be the only place ever threatened/destroyed by fire.

Other places also affected:-Kinglake, Flowerdale, Bendigo, Narbethong, Strathewen, Steeles Creek, Yarra Glen, Humevale, Wadong, St Andrews, Callignee, Taggerty, Koornalla, Beechworth, Long Gully, Maiden Gully, Redesdale,

I’ve made comment before and I’ll make it again, places closer to the CBD receive more support from the media and social services than those places ‘out of the way’ I know for a fact that several families in the township of Strathewen ONLY see 1 person on a daily basis. Nobody else bothers, because it is too hard and they are forgotten. People in Marysville and no doubt other places are in the same boat, yet Kinglake and Flowerdale get all the accolades for re-building, and fighting etc.

This fire was perhaps a once in 100 year event. Yes lives were lost. Yes, people’s lives have irrevocably been changed. Yes, children have been affected by what they saw. But this trauma has been occurring since man became self-aware. At some point in life we all suffer something that changes us forever; some people suffer more than once.

Experts, like Roz Hansen have been quoted as saying “I was disappointed and somewhat alarmed about allowing those communities to go back and resettle. And I think we've really got our hands full in terms of guaranteeing them their safety in the future, unless we change the major considerations around those areas in terms of bushland setting," [1]

Another ‘expert’, Michael Buxton is quoted as saying “a large scale government buy back should be considered to move people away from areas of unacceptably high bushfire risk.” [2]

These people probably live in the yuppyland, sipping on skinny soy decaf latte with no thought for those that live in these areas, that work in these areas and that put the food on the tables that they eat from. Without people in rural areas, there would be no food, and if this was the case, the Greenies would be screaming blue murder about the emissions caused by the people driving to and from the place of employment because there is no public transport. Isn’t that the rage these days – work, live and play in your local area and source your food from the same area?

People choose to live in these areas and work in these areas, because they like the people, they like the environment, they like the lifestyle. They like having their horses nearby. They like hearing the birds in the morning. They realize the danger, they accept the danger. If a person cannot accept the danger then they shouldn’t live there – that I do agree with. There are dangers living in the suburbs, from assaults, to burglaries, to not knowing your neighbour. In the country there are different dangers, which more often than not, pose less danger to the person and just means you have to be more self-aware.

How dare these so-called experts claim that perhaps for the greater good places (like Marysville) should not be rebuilt.

Other areas in exactly the same position are not mentioned, not even touched upon. Is it only ONCE the devastation occurs that the spotlight is turned on these townships? Had the prescribed back burning been done, then perhaps things would not be so bad. Perhaps if the communication between the fire agencies had been better, things would have been different, perhaps if the people in charge had more experience things would be different. There is little purpose in looking back now, only forward. To dwell on the past means you live in the past.

You can’t change what happened, but neither can you destroy further the lives of the people affected. People need to stop jumping to solutions that won’t work, either in the past, present or the future. Instead offer solutions, like safe havens, like ovals, with water supplies that can never run out, open spaces. Bring back the fire sirens and don’t let the Sunday tourists turn them off. I grew up in Marysville and if the siren sounded, you headed to the oval. The siren could be heard in the valley and all except for Sunday at 10am – you went to the oval, you knew something was happening. You could be out on the horse; you could be at a friend’s place. IF that siren sounded, something was wrong.

Bring back the sirens, bring back the safe havens, stop trying to destroy townships, livelihoods and what people know and accept.


[1] The Age 16th February 2010

[2] The Australian 15th February 2010

Marysville - Steavensons Falls - Black Saturday

This group of four photos was taken by a 12 year old. There was no input from an adult - as has previously been seeen - he just takes photos. This is the area adjacent to and in the Steavensons Falls Reserve, access to the public was not permitted at the time. He accompanied an adult on an inspection tour

Notice the trees in the both these photos? - Very little foliage and unlikely these trees will grow back.

The photo below - shows the total devastion and the dead trees that have been cooked from the inside out and never to re-grow

As the sign says - NO ENTRY - with these tracks and roads shut, there is little hope for tourism to return. With much hard work - bus tours are now returning to Steavensons Falls - but it will be many years, possibly decades before this area is anywhere near what it used to be.

364.25 days ago - Black Saturday 7th February 2009

I was trying to sleep and couldn’t – I realised what I was planning to do was possibly suicide and I could possibly end up dead – but I HAD TO DO it.

I left Whittlesea at 2.30am in the morning and got to Marysville at daybreak – I don’t remember very much of the trip – other than what I have recalled in My Story – I drove with eyes ONLY for the road, I didn’t have a choice. The dangers were many, the sights from my car window too scary to comprehend.

The smell is something that will never leave my mind. Driving over electricity wires is scary even when you know that the power is off – it’s unnatural.

Then seeing some animals alive and looking fine and to see others either dead or near dead – was heart-wrenching.

To see cars and trucks ‘parked’ in the middle of the roads was strange – like an apocalyptic movie, where you know the people have gone mad and just run off into the distance chasing some figment of their imagination. That was what it felt like.

To see burnt out shells of vehicles – you dared not look, just in case. Power poles cut at the knees, where the fire had burnt them through and they fell across the roads.

I did what I did because I am me.

Some people have lost everything they have loved for as long as they can remember – their loss must be enormous. Some people have come forward and have shared their stories; I congratulate them on being so brave. By sharing their stories, they are trying to make sure you don’t suffer the way they have. I can’t thank them enough; the pain of retelling must tear at their already broken hearts. I hope if I was in their shoes – I’d have the guts to do the same.

May the next 12 months be better than the past 12 months and may every year that passes be better than the last.

On that note:- thank-you to all the people on the ground fighting these fires, thank-you to those people who after the fact, stepped up the mark and assisted with everything from toilet paper to cars and accommodation. You did a wonderful thing.

Let us hope that we never again suffer as we did on February 7th 2009.

Let us be vigilant of our surroundings and of people who may pose a threat to our homes, our families, our lives. If you see someone acting suspiciously please make a note of anything and if you feel it necessary report it to 000. Lives, maybe your life could be a risk for not doing so.

Take care out and remember Mother Nature talks to each and every one of us – perhaps you might need to turn the music down a little and listen once in a while.