Just in case you’ve missed the signs, Monday November 19, 2018 is the official start of the fire season here in Victoria.
That means no more burning off. Period. After the 19th, you will only have the weekly green bin collection to get rid of fallen branches, twigs and gum leaves. Given that eucalypts continue to drop branches and leaves right through the fire season, you’ll need the green bin space for new flammable material, not old.
That November 19th deadline also means you have just 3 more days to get rid of the fuel load around your houses. Unfortunately, the only day that will be really perfect for burning off is Sunday. According to the Bureau of Meteorology [BOM], Sunday the 18th of November will be:
Sunny. Light winds and afternoon bayside seabreezes around 10 km/h.
Today will be:
Mostly sunny. Light winds becoming west to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h later this morning then turning southerly 20 to 30 km/h during the afternoon.
Tomorrow is supposed to be:
Morning cloud then afternoon sunny periods. Winds southerly 20 to 30 km/h becoming light in the late evening.
For both predictions, it’s not the heat that matters, it’s the wind, and the wind doesn’t have to be a northerly. The fire that destroyed two houses in Warrandyte on February 9, 2014 could have wiped out the whole township because a really strong southerly was pushing the flames towards the village.
What constitutes a strong wind? I take no chances. To me, 25 km per hour is enough to make me twitchy. If I can hear the ‘freight train’ sound of gum trees wooshing in the wind, I’m lowering the shutters and checking my pumps.
From all indicators, this fire season is going to be a bad one so please become a little paranoid. And take this last chance to burn off.
cheers
Meeks
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NANO 2012
November 19th, 2018 at 3:12 am
I so hope you are fire-free, Andrea. The fires here in the western US get worse and worse every year, and the California fires are horrifying. And it’s WINTER here. I live in fire-country, and we have started thinking more seriously about preparation… knowing our evacuation routes, having gas in the car, having a plan of what to bring with us so we can get out fast. 😦
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November 19th, 2018 at 7:23 am
We’re fine for now, thanks Diana. Ask me in January. 🙂
I didn’t know you were in a fire prone area as well. Do you have eucalypts in your area too?
I have a bad feeling that the fires in California are exacerbated by the gum trees, dry weather and wind. At least, that’s the formula here.
I know it sounds extreme, but have you considered getting a bunker put in?
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November 19th, 2018 at 7:27 am
We’re in the middle of lumber country, fir trees and clear-cutting. We have three roads out, so as long as we have enough notice, we can escape. What we realized from the California fires is not to wait for an official evacuation, just go.
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November 19th, 2018 at 7:44 am
Ugh, firs burn merrily too. Definitely don’t wait!
I hope you get some winter rain soon to settle things down, at least for a while. 😦
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November 18th, 2018 at 8:52 am
We cant burn off behind our house leading onto national parkland, although the caretakers for the aboriginal land two doors down burnt a firebreak that leads parallel right up until two doors away!
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November 18th, 2018 at 10:56 am
That doesn’t seem fair. Can you possibly ask them to do the same for your place?
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November 17th, 2018 at 1:32 pm
Yep, I used to get that kind of ‘twitchy’ during summers in OZ . I lived in the Blue Mountains in NSW surrounded by ‘splody’ eucalyptus trees.
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November 18th, 2018 at 10:59 am
YOu did??? Wow. No wonder you know what it’s like. The Blue Mountains are beautiful but deadly. Warrandyte is similar in terms of distance from the ‘burbs and fire danger, but I think it’s a little less splody than the Blue Mountains. At least I hope so.
I heard some truly awful news on the TV last night, about the California fires. So many people still missing. It’s like Black Saturday all over again. 😦
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November 17th, 2018 at 8:24 am
Surely the horrific example of the fires in Californian, and the 10th anniversary of Black Saturday, is enough to get everyone fire conscious and fire ready. I am glad you have done everything you can to be safe, Meeks. Let’s hope there are not too many irresponsible idiots out there.
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November 17th, 2018 at 10:02 am
Thanks, Anne, and yes, I hope so too, yet my experience so far this year has not been reassuring. There have been a lot of ‘small’ fires showing up on the VicEmergency website, many of them close to home. These fires have been put out very quickly, but it makes me wonder if they’ve been caused by people not knowing how to burn off safely or…people playing with matches. Neither scenario bodes well for when the real fire danger hits. Fingers crossed.
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