That was not fun
Jan. 26th, 2007 11:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catalyst2Got home from the beach at about 7:30 to find three large bushfires only about 4 streets away with a plume of smoke hundreds of metres high and tailing away for kilometers to the West.
We got the two youngest spawn away to a friend's place (about 30 km South of here)for the night because they were quite scared and then prepared to stand our ground. Bearing in mind it was still high 30's, I put on a long-sleeved hooded sweatshirt and jeans and then started dampening down the lawn bushes and roof. It wasn't too bad our end - just some moderate ember drift but the smoke got very thick so I put some goggles on and covered my nose and mouth with a wet cloth. Then they evacuated the houses directly in the fire's path and a very distressed elderly couple drove up our driveway and asked to stay.
I got them inside and did the name thing - they were Alison and Ron. They were sure their unit had been destroyed and were, naturally, very distressed particularly Alison so I had to talk her through a couple of panic attacks. The embers were starting back up again so I had to go outside. Worried about how Alison would cope, I gave her the "job" of looking after the eldest spawn (aged 11). That got Alison completely focused on something other than her own loss and calmed her considerably.
The embers came thick and fast, still drifting, not an ember storm or anything, but still frantic for about half an hour or so. Teamwork with the neighbours kept everything firmly under control. I did notice the next door neighbour, Sharon, struggling so I went over. With six children, she was finding it hard without her husband who was away on shift. Got the three youngest into their big 4WD so they could calm down and then got the three oldest to each take a bit of the garden.
Then the transformer over the highway went - the biggest bluest flash I have ever seen, I think. Power went out so it was all dark. The concerning thing now was that all the fire tenders drove away, leaving only one of the original three fires burning, with the comment that it would burn itself out. They had to take off because the fire had jumped two roads and was moving close to a nursing home a few kilometres away. The Fire Brigade made a bit of an error though and the "small" fire now roared into life again and the smoke became extremely heavy and the embers came thick and fast. Less prepared people got some minor burns but I soaked my self from head to foot and was fine. The Fire Brigade now raced back and struggled for the next two hours to get the fire out. Eventually they managed it but it had shifted then so we got no more embers from this point on.
I went back inside to see how Alison and Ron were going - OK, they said but he needed some medication since they had run out without it. Fortunately, The Spawn Bearer returned with great news - their unit was fine and untouched by fire. The Police were stopping people from going back to their units though but TSB went back down, talked her way through the Police lines, put a roof fire out, got two terrified elderly people out of other units, helped another elderly woman get her very frightened and confused husband (who had Alzheimer's disease) into the car and away and then managed to find the time to get Ron's medication! We eventually got them evacuated to their son's place. Quiet though TSB is most of the time, her focus and determination in times of crisis is something to behold - people who don't know her are always surprised by the transformation. Having seen a number of times now, I just sit back, let her lead from the front and follow her instructions - she's good at this kind of thing!
Eventually the night calmed, but with no power, only my laptop was still going so we sent e-mails to relatives in case they were worried. And now I am tired so I think I am going to bed!
This type of excitement I can do without! Oh and Happy Australia Day!
We got the two youngest spawn away to a friend's place (about 30 km South of here)for the night because they were quite scared and then prepared to stand our ground. Bearing in mind it was still high 30's, I put on a long-sleeved hooded sweatshirt and jeans and then started dampening down the lawn bushes and roof. It wasn't too bad our end - just some moderate ember drift but the smoke got very thick so I put some goggles on and covered my nose and mouth with a wet cloth. Then they evacuated the houses directly in the fire's path and a very distressed elderly couple drove up our driveway and asked to stay.
I got them inside and did the name thing - they were Alison and Ron. They were sure their unit had been destroyed and were, naturally, very distressed particularly Alison so I had to talk her through a couple of panic attacks. The embers were starting back up again so I had to go outside. Worried about how Alison would cope, I gave her the "job" of looking after the eldest spawn (aged 11). That got Alison completely focused on something other than her own loss and calmed her considerably.
The embers came thick and fast, still drifting, not an ember storm or anything, but still frantic for about half an hour or so. Teamwork with the neighbours kept everything firmly under control. I did notice the next door neighbour, Sharon, struggling so I went over. With six children, she was finding it hard without her husband who was away on shift. Got the three youngest into their big 4WD so they could calm down and then got the three oldest to each take a bit of the garden.
Then the transformer over the highway went - the biggest bluest flash I have ever seen, I think. Power went out so it was all dark. The concerning thing now was that all the fire tenders drove away, leaving only one of the original three fires burning, with the comment that it would burn itself out. They had to take off because the fire had jumped two roads and was moving close to a nursing home a few kilometres away. The Fire Brigade made a bit of an error though and the "small" fire now roared into life again and the smoke became extremely heavy and the embers came thick and fast. Less prepared people got some minor burns but I soaked my self from head to foot and was fine. The Fire Brigade now raced back and struggled for the next two hours to get the fire out. Eventually they managed it but it had shifted then so we got no more embers from this point on.
I went back inside to see how Alison and Ron were going - OK, they said but he needed some medication since they had run out without it. Fortunately, The Spawn Bearer returned with great news - their unit was fine and untouched by fire. The Police were stopping people from going back to their units though but TSB went back down, talked her way through the Police lines, put a roof fire out, got two terrified elderly people out of other units, helped another elderly woman get her very frightened and confused husband (who had Alzheimer's disease) into the car and away and then managed to find the time to get Ron's medication! We eventually got them evacuated to their son's place. Quiet though TSB is most of the time, her focus and determination in times of crisis is something to behold - people who don't know her are always surprised by the transformation. Having seen a number of times now, I just sit back, let her lead from the front and follow her instructions - she's good at this kind of thing!
Eventually the night calmed, but with no power, only my laptop was still going so we sent e-mails to relatives in case they were worried. And now I am tired so I think I am going to bed!
This type of excitement I can do without! Oh and Happy Australia Day!
