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The skies have been tinged all day by the smoke from fires 2000 kilometres away in Australia.

Bloody Australians. Tell ‘em to put them flames out pronto.

You know this could affect NZ toorism for a while. Sue the pants off Canberra I say.

John the best solution is for NZ to put large smoke-free zone signs around the coast. Everyone knows that that will immediately put a stop to any incursions.

Its a shame about the critters who are getting burned.

Free chargrilled grub!

I hope our friends in AU will not lose lives or property.
Bush fires are terrible.

Two lives lost and five people unaccounted for at present. There have never been so many serious bush fires going at once. Hot weather, very low humidity and strong winds. Overnight we copped an antarctic blast that dropped the temperature, but strong winds kept blowing until after midday. This morning we had a strong smell of smoke in the air, but not noticeable at present. It's not even summer yet.
I'm in Sydney, the worst fires are further north into Qld.

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Repeat from the TRAB thread

True Cape. Yonks ago a big bloody mountain bushfire north of Melbourne killed a popular local TV news reporter called Brian Naylor. He owned a Cherokee 6 and sometimes landed at Parafield back then.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_N ... oadcaster)

Damn shame. Nice down to earth bloke in real life.

Here are a few photos of the fires, including a satellite photo showing the smoke.
Photos of NSW fires.

Was flying north to Blighty from Guernsey two years back while an extra tropical depression that marked the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia, an East Atlantic Hurricane, passed to the west of Ireland. The sky turned an extraordinary orange colour. due to the dust from the Sahara and smoke from fires on the Iberian peninsular being ingested into the depression. Most ominous looking and I expected to hear Gabriel's trumpet sound!

Sydney reported to be facing 'catastrophic fire danger'.

Reports suggest some people are trapped in their homes.

Would you sit tight and take what comes or try to make a run for it?

The severity of the fires, has a lot to do with the bloody greenies not allowing hazard reduction burning of the heavy fuel loads on the ground during the cooler winter months,and some of the brain dead politician back them.As to run or sit tight as a fire approachs, neither is an option,it is better to have a plan to move before the fire gets to you as even Roger Bannister could not outrun some of the fire burning at present.

Even homes in cities aren't safe. in 1993, living in Pymble, a Sydney leafy suburb, we could see flames from our patio as a fire raced up the Lane Cove River reserve. A tributary of which we backed on to. Subsequently driving daughter to her high school in Turrumurra drove through fire blackened areas of scrub. Remember chap on the radio advising what precautions to be taken, took a phone call while on-air telling of his house having just gone up. He lived just up the road from us.

I'm just up the road from there Alison - D1 also went to Turramurra High. We're very concerned about tomorrow. The RFS were able to get one hazard reduction burn in earlier this year, but another had to be cancelled.
I've been raking up leaves around the house and the bin is now full, so will have to put today's haul into the compost.
We are probably in a better position than those in rural areas.

Sisemen wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:57 am

Repeat from the TRAB thread

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The smoke can get pretty high. Some years ago there were a lot of fires around the town of Baie Comeau, a hundred miles west of here. Coming back with our Hawker one day we were just on top of the smoke at FL310. Not that there was much of it to burn off anyway but in places the topsoil had burned away down to the bedrock, and some hot spots survived the winter smoldering under the snow.

Turramurra High one of many schools closed tomorrow.

My friend in Port Macquarie reports surrounded by fire and is in heavy smoke. Other than by sea, only ways out are coast roads north to Brisbane and south to Sydney, both menaced by fire. Large numbers of firefighters arrived in town yesterday. He, his wife, daughters, and cat are staying put.

Part of the problem is human nature. You think the worst won't happen and it won't be that bad. The OFSOs one experience with fire coming at the urbanisation made us realise we had to get out, even before the mandatory evacuation.

Friend in Port Macquarie just reported winds dropped, fires slackening, but meteo reports even stronger winds will return shortly.