Stay safe everyone

He's alive!

Six fires in NSW including to West and SW of Canberra upgraded to "Watch and Act."

 

Damn unpleasant to put it mildly.

As an aside put some sugar in the bird bath peoples. Poor things will need some energy boost. Info from the Ornithology Society.

 

Thanks @geoffw. It is probable I misheard the advice so it's good to have it was corrected.

 

That could be good.

I heard business at Bungendor and Braidwood a pleading for Canberrans to drive out as they are really hurting due to lack of passing trade. No one from Canberra is going that way and stopping for a coffee, etc. If you cannot get to the coast why bother is the reasoning. Not sure what would be at the coast now though.

May head out that way over the weekend.

 

The coast is still at the coast. Most businesses are now up and running and really wanting clientele. RFS Now encouraging people back to the Shoalhaven (last night was the last forecasted crazy weather day here as far as I can tell) however Kings Hwy still shut Braidwood to Batemans Bay so understand the lack of Canberra traffic.
NSW RFS - Shoalhaven

On a side note the highway from Sydney been open most of the last week - we have an enormous amount of gear arriving donated from Sydney. I spent this morning with about 100 locals at Milton Showground pulling goods off trucks and stacking in order then redistributing to the homeless families and farmers. Still hearing sad stories of rural folk finally coming in after a week of no power no water... everything gone, some uninsured... just exhausted and devastated. The kind of people who never ask for help from anyone and don't even want to ask for help now. The community is wrapping their arms around them in a way I have personally never seen before. There was a busload of Sikhs from Sydney helping today, local resaurants are taking turns cooking, and everyone with a 4wd or van is loading up to drive goods out to the remote properties that people won't leave.

It is incredible. I won't forget this summer in a hurry.



`

 

Did a trip to Braidwood yesterday. Whoo. Could walk down the middle of the main road with my eyes closed and not worry about being hit by traffic.

Had a meal. Lady said usually they would sell over 1,000 coffees a day but they'd be pushing it to do 40 or so lately.

 

There must be two Braidwoods as it was reported custom increased over the weekend. Traffic was close to nothing when I was there and I didn't buy as much as that.

Still a covering of smoke haze here although it is considered unhealthy which I suppose is better than completely appaling. Be a while before it clears here or anywhere else I think.

I'd hate to sum the total of the acreage burnt. The Dunns Road (Tumut/Batlow area) fire alone is over 330,000 hectares and still classified as out of control.

Aside from the lives lost which is tragic, it is likely to be very, very hard going for a lot of families.

 

What goes around comes around. NASA is estimating the smoke from the fires will shortly lap the globe and come back to OZ.

Understand the air quality in Melbourne isn't great at the moment.

Shades of "The Year Without a Summer" although that was due to volcanic activity.

 

yup, just got to the city and you can barely see a faint yellow looking sun and a few buildings. Breathing tastes bad too

 

The ride in this morning wasn't great (had to use a p2 mask). It's even worse now.

 

It's pretty bad, I can't imagine having this for months as experienced by people in other cities. There will be a few rain starting tomorrow, so hoping it will help.

 

I feel for you and everybody else having to live and breathe in the muck.

Certainly was interesting here on New Years Day when the air quality was 22 (?) times hazardous levels.

It was amazing last Sunday week when the entire place was yellow.

Home Affairs Department temporarily closes doors over Canberra air quality concerns

A start thank goodness.

 

Looks like some rain on the horizon. Hope so but then it could itself cause problems. Very little to absorb the run off so if it gets to heavy downpour....