Rad bushfire

[Nungali]

Been going since 4 am .  Now three choppers trying to control it ( but its been soooo dry , river is too low in the usual spots for a chopper to get its bucket in )

 

If it gets over that ridge to the west, it will be down into the base of the escarpment cliffs, with a big dry plateau above it. 

 

Last time it got into the base of the cliffs, there are steep ravines choked with  old dry logs and stuff, there were four going off along the cliffs at night like Roman candles.  The usual easterly from the ocean running up the valley just started   about an hour ago.   Should be wild visuals tonight ! 

 

Hopefully, like last time, it wont spread beyond there .   But I went up the steep mountain on friday (by road ) and I realise how dry it was and how much fuel there was ... ready to go at any moment !  

 

Thunderclouds approaching ... but being driven back by easterly .  Hmmmm ... mabe a night of Roman Candles and lightning !  

 

I'm off up the hill to spy what I can .

[Marblehead]

Well, stay safe.

[cold]

Yes, be safe.

[cheya]

You climbing around the hills on that new hip?

Well, that part sounds pretty good!

 

Don't leave us in suspense!

[Nungali]

They knocked off just before sunset, the wind dropped , but no rain. 

 

Man !  Those guys !   I was watching the chopper go down INTO  swirling billowing clouds of fire illuminated smoke (in daylight ! ) and disappear for 10 - 30 seconds, then come back up and out of it .    What a job ! They making me nervous ! 

 

It appears  to  have not got into the base of the cliffs but has worked its way up the escarpment and crossed the ridge above the cliffs.  The choppers were back at 7 am .  The big hill in front of the cliffs is burning in this side , I think they are letting that go, as it goes down to the river and no  farms there .  if it gets up that ridge into the steep escarpment , with the farm land on top .... ? 

 

Also  I think they are easing off on this front as there appears now thicker smoke  coming from the ridge to the east (where I can't see ) , must have got into that last night .  ... today's easterly wind just arose .  

 

Aside , yeah, hip is doing good ,  got a massive scar , still gets sore at night  after a hard day,  I have stopped the paracetamol pain relief (I am reactive to norman pain meds so I been doing the recover in  hospital and out on paracetamol ... and 'mind power'  ) .   Started going back to training  to ..... but   ummmmm .....   < hangs head >   I   donked someone a bit hard , right on their third eye  with a jo defending against a sword attack  .... ooops !  .   ( I  wish people would stop telling me my techniques won't work in a 'real situation'  when I try to demonstrate them  slowly and carefully . . . . and then 'rush me ' .    he was ... Oh well .... but I was "  Ohhhhh   shiiit! "   and he "What ? " .... ummmm ,  there's blood . "  )

 

Still, doc says ,   up to another 3 months to go for full recovery .      

Edited November 27, 2016 by Nungali

[Nungali]

      

[Nungali]

Wow !  Last night ;  2 Roman Candles going off from dusk to dawn .   The fire crossed the ridge and spread up the other side of the valley and up into the steep escarpment .  At night it was a long twisting fire snake, now close enough to see it from my bed out the window. 

 

I saw an interesting phenomena last night , wind coming off the plateau ( see  by watching the smoke) and going down the escarpment , the smoke was below the fire , this drove the fire downhill  and got into the cliff base.  CHoppers knock off at 6 pm , but the fire doesnt .  They say it is 'under control'  hmmmm .    Spectacular night for a fire that was under control !  

 

Choppers back at 9 am  and pumping it again.   I have to go to town later, I will get a closer look then when I drive out the valley .  

[Nungali]

Conclusion;

 

It started spreading up the other side of the valley at the base of the escarpment - towards farms .  Then this big 4 prop air force plane flew down the valley at low altitude, came back and dumped about a 1 km long run of chemicals on it . and then it rained and put the fire out anyway . 

 

So .... chemicals dumped on the rain forest and National Park,  a few hundred metres back from the river, with the rain washing it into the  ground  and river - great !

 

What the hell was in that stuff ! ?  

[Brian]

We've had a few of our own here recently...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That last one, the map, is from November 11th. We had rain over most of the area last night which should have helped significantly.

 

At least some of them appear to have been arson.

 

[Marblehead]

Yeah, last I heard three dead in Tennessee from the fires.

[Brian]

Yeah, last I heard three dead in Tennessee from the fires.

Looks like Gatlinburg has been devastated.

[Marblehead]

Looks like Gatlinburg has been devastated.

 

Yeah, I just saw that.  Sad.

[Kar3n]

Sad situation, indeed.

[Nungali]

Bummer !    How far away from it is your place Brian ?   ... and what the hell is in that  pink maroon stuff  ! ? 

[LAOLONG]

.

Edited January 24, 2017 by SHINTO

[Brian]

Bummer !    How far away from it is your place Brian ?   ... and what the hell is in that  pink maroon stuff  ! ?

 

 

The pink red stuff

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_retardant

It's probably Phos-Check.

 

Gatlinburg is about 50 miles from my house in Cruso, sort of WNW. That fire (called the Chimney Tops 2 fire) wasn't on the map I posted above because it was started after that. The Pinnacle Mountain fire (on the map above) is about 30 miles due south of that house. The Party Rock fire (on the map) is about 20 miles due south of our Black Mountain house. Depending on which direction the wind blows, the valleys have been filling with smoke like a heavy fog for weeks. The rains of the last couple days have helps greatly.

 

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov

 

You may have noticed I said "it was started" above. It is suspected that the fire which hit the town of Gatlinburg was arson. A man confessed this week to starting two other fires, and a reporter was arrested for starting yet another in order to get the scoop on the story. A couple others appear to have been intentional as well.

Edited December 1, 2016 by Brian