[SOC] Bushfires

[Ian C. Purdie]

Well Sydney's in for it - once again.

Combined weather conditions of high temperatures [late 30C - 90F], prolonged
ongoing drought and a low pressure trough causing high winds of 80 kph [50 mph]
have firemen working flat out.

No one can remember a worse combination of conditions.

At 8.30 yesterday morning my brother-in-law rang [he lives on 5 acres at
Kenthurst, on the northern outskirts of Sydney] to say the fire controller had
just rang to tell him to expect the absolute worst. The fire in the valley
behind was totally out of control.

At 11:30 Carolyn came in crying saying Meryl had rang her to say it looks 100%
certain they will imminently lose the house and everything [they've been
through this before and are very well prepared people] She was worried Johnny
my have a stroke or heart attack over the stress of fighting for his property.
Their four sons had returned to help,

By noon they were under continual water bombing by helicopters with trees
exploding all around, John has a clearance line of 100 metres all around his
house for safety and the lawn, nearly green in the morning, was erupting in
flames with spot fires everywhere. Flames were about 100 metres [300'] high.

Thankfully they just survived, others were not so fortunate.

Overnight winds rose to gale force levels propelling fires, they're to the west
of Sydney as well as the southern Sydney suburbs, further north-east.

I'm 100 km [60 mile] north of Sydney and we're now cut off. The freeway is
severed, rail line severed and old highway severed.

Locally we haven't had much fire activity -YET.

Still want to come and live in Australia?


72/73's

Ian C. Purdie
Budgewoi N.S.W. Australia - Co-ords S33�14', E151�34'
VK2TIP "I'll give ya the TIP mate" QRP-L #1978. SOC #171 FP#91
http://www.electronics-tutorials.com/