Firestorm

Firestorm: Day 4

Bush fire – 2013

Sunday- 20/10/13

I sat on the verandah for an hour this morning, in the smoky air keeping lookout for foxes and feral cats. The 22 rifle moving from resting on my knees to being cradled on my left arm. I try to do a "fox watch" as we call it, a couple of times a week though this morning it's because I caught a glimpse of a mongrel feral cat last night just before I closed the last of the chook pens up. Damn they move fast. Dog and I found its scent trail but it was long gone. It's spring and it will have kittens somewhere. Hopefully I can shoot it soon and put a stop to that successful breeding. 

The fires are an obvious destroyer of the land and its animals, but feral cats have been the cause of numerous extinction's of native species. Bloody stupid people for having a carnivore as a pet that they wont control. Apparently the first cats arrived in northern australia with either the first Portuguese explorers in the 15th century or possibly earlier with Maccassan fisherman. However they got here its been disastrous. The only good cat is a dead cat here in the bush.

The smoke has got to me and my throat is dry and my voice hoarse. It was like sitting around a smoky camp fire and the smoke had that tang of eucalypt. If it hadn't been for the recent destruction I would have enjoyed the smokiness, a sort of bush incense. The breeze is cool and without any of the heat that a nor-wester normally carries. I hope it stays like this. It's supposed to be hot, 30 degrees, but that would normally be a beautiful day. Hopefully it will stay moderate like this and the firies will get a chance to get all of the fires under control.

The news states that 1500 fire fighters have worked over night to establish containment lines, and crews are coming in from interstate to relieve those that have been on duty for days. 280 odd homes have so far been destroyed and still only one death, that of poor Walter. The insurance claims are going in already with millions and millions of dollars expected to be paid out. On the news last night they showed an assessor and victims sitting on camp chairs near their burnt out house. Good onya mate! I wonder though if premiums will escalate excessively for all fire prone areas as they have for all flood and cyclone areas.

A broker I know says that companies are now refusing insurance for anywhere north of the Tropic of Capricorn because of statistics showing an increase of storm damage in the tropics. Insurance companies have dropped insurance for all at risk coastal regions as well now. Politicians who for religious reasons refuse to accept global warming as a fact need to listen to the insurance campanies as the money trail rarely lies.

Well it has turned out a most beautiful day here with a nor-easter coming up about 10 am and keeping the temperatures down and the smoke away. The Lithgow fire is out of control again and another has started in the Royal National Park. Hopefully though the news tonight won't be filled with horror scenes.

The wife has decided to come home early from her three day conference, just in case anything does get out of control this afternoon. It looks like we are fairly safe for today at least now. We can celebrate my finishing the the rewrite of Motherheart Priest tonight and relax and enjoy it. I'll raise a glass to the fire crews and to all those who have lost everything in the last few days, and prepare myself for the stress and trauma of clinic. I would expect lots of complications to everyday problems to occur as the stress filters through everybody in this area.

It is a beautiful night in our little valley. I can clearly see the city lights and the night air resounds with frog calls. I can also see the pall of smoke that hangs over the city and up on the escarpment the closest of the fires flickers menacingly. It is only 6 km from the cliffs where it could drop down onto the hill suburbs. They are on watch and alert status there now. Watching for embers and spot fires. I have friends living in those suburbs, one of them used to work at the state emergency headquarters co-ordinating emergency response call outs.

The Lithgow fire is again out of control and threatening properties, and the Yerrinbool fire has the nearby towns on evacuation alert. Two hot days to go before the showers are predicted to arrive. Even if we don't get rain the cooler days will be a respite, but we sorely need rain.