[SOC] Re: Bushfires

Wed, 22 Jan 2003 08:38:46 -0800

What species of pine are we taking about?  Our eucs tend to explode in fires
unlike, and much more dangerously than, any other tree we have.  BTW, has
anyone figured out a plausible cause of this fire?  73 de tim kg6irh.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian C. Purdie" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>; "Flying Pigs" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 4:52 AM
Subject: Re: [SOC] Re: Bushfires


> Timothy-Allen Albertson-KG6IRH wrote:
>
> > We've had some problems with them the San Francisco Bay Area in
wildfires.
> > They were imported not being indigenous.
>
> Yes, if I'm correct in your thinking Tim, you're 100% correct. At the time
it
> was quite a surprise to the "locals", the affect of eucalypts, planted I
believe
> in the 1920-30's.
>
> Actually, many of us in Australia now believe this is also a prelude to
the
> northern hemisphere summer. Time will tell. At least US fire fighters here
have
> gained valuable experience, not so Europe [as far as I know].
>
> Interestingly, in the "early" post mortems about the current Canberra
tragedy,
> one salient point has already emerged. The "sap" of eucalypts has a much
higher
> boiling point than imported pines [a problem last Saturday] or other
introduced
> species.
>
> That means, the last to explode is the eucalypt.
>
> [FACTS}
>
> Early post mortems from friends and close acquaintances:
>
> Unbelievingly, the close proximity [<1 Km] of pine forests wasn't a
factor - OK
> shot down every theory I had - the combination of a number of factors came
into
> play - this is early days and totally unofficial.
>
> SCENARIO:
>
> N.S.W.. My State has a bush fire in progress, literally about a week ago
last
> Wednesday, several Km's [miles] from Canberra. No undue concerns, it's a
fire,
> so what? At the time Australia had around 300+ individual fires.
>
> The fire [is miles away] because of wind conditions, it gets a head of
steam and
> "olliver sudden" becomes a problem.
>
> Independently the "Weather Bureau", already blooded two years before,
because of
> the Sydney-to-Hobart yachting race fiasco and bringing to bear every
> technological marvel known to man, "including real Australian technology
to
> predict weather an hour from now in your backyard", go full on and predict
> basically that "Canberra is in deep, deep SH**" in the next few days
[Friday and
> weekend].
>
> Fact well publicised because Weather Bureau ain't carrying the "can" for
any
> more stuff ups beyond their control.
>
> The NSW fires proceed according to wind direction and speed. These are
> unstoppable.
>
> "Oliver Sudden" - again
>
> They hit, Saturday morning or late Friday, Canberra's beautiful Pine
> Plantations. They [the fires] "rage" through. Unstoppable.
>
> In Canberra - Stoppable: - all modern technology is in place, no worries.
>
> Local ground temperatures are increasing toward 45C, wind speeds are
picking up
> to a predicted 100 km/h without the affects of a huge fire which raises
speed to
> Hurricane/Cyclone proportions.
>
> An unsuspecting City waits.
>
> Out of the pine plantations, fireballs on a 35 Km front rain down, pine
burns
> easy, worse - the 1 Km or more "grassland", as a natural fire break erupts
into
> flame and given the now high winds feeding upon itself, propels itself at
a
> frightening speed toward the outer suburbs.
>
> Closest houses erupt into flames, gas meters explode all around in the
intense
> heat.
>
> {This is entirely Ian, VK2TIP's professional building speculation from
here on].
>
> Every gas meter exploded, one man made valiant efforts to have the gas
totally
> turned off as he saw 5M flames from his own gas meter, a fellow at the Gas
> Company whom he finally contacted as all disintegrated around him said:
"I'm in
> Sydney mate, Piss Off"
>
> Sad, but TRUE
>
> IMHO a very significant factor.
>
> The outer suburbs were never hit by fire as we conventionally know it.
They were
> hit by a rain of burning embers, fireballs from the super-heated aftermath
of
> pine plantations, burning grass from the fire breaks, *ALL* propelled
along by
> high winds, most of it self feeding as in the "Fire-Bombing of Dresden".
>
> Fire never hit Canberra in the conventional sense. A rain of burning
embers
> [firestorm] in cyclone wind conditions "raining down" everywhere.
>
> Don't minimise it, 100's of photo's and video's of heroic folks living and
> fighting within literal "wall of flames". All imported on "hurricane winds
of
> fire".
>
> The unconventional did the unthinkable.
>
> A number of deaths, well and truly 500+ houses lost, and that will climb
as they
> realise some houses simply can't be re-claimed.
>
> I'll offer my technical services and professional expertise, prolly be
rebuffed
> as a stupid "old bugger" past his time.
>
> Oh well...
>
>
> 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/
>
>
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