Yesterday I had to travel 60 kms east to another town for the day and I refused to leave my poodles at home. Today is another day of howling Nor' Easters. They woke me in the early hours when they cranked up again after some respite during the night. There is still an 'advice', not a warning, for a fire burning 19 km Northeast of us. Someone told me recently that a fire front can jump 5 km at a time.
FESA's 'Alerts & Warnings' website is now in my 'Favourites' and I am checking it regularly. We have bought a CB radio and so far managed to collect a couple of our neighbour's contact details. Yesterday I bullied my significant other into facing the possiblity, however slim, that we should have an 'action plan'. Nothing fancy, just things like, which route would we take if..... I am not completely neurotic, I accept that it may not, possibly will never happen. But our heated debate over which route we should take in unstressed conditions clearly revealed that these conversations really can't be left until the critical moment.
Augusta residents a long way up the S/W coast are now evacuating. Any half sane Australian would have said: 'Enough. Let's stop burning. It's obvious that we can't control these burns in these condiions'. But not the DEC (Department of Environment & Conservation) in their infinite wisdom. After the recent debacle in Margaret River I am completely stunned that they had the gall to push ahead with their bureaucratic timetable and start another 'controlled burn' the day before yesterday, with these conditions forecast. I really want to know who makes these decisions. They cannot possibly hide behind their Excel spreadsheets - these decisions are made by real people, in real conditions.
This is the arrogant mentality of the over-hormoned alpha-male - his refusal to accept that he is just an insignificant part of Mother Nature and can't control very much at all. Or perhaps worse, these are people who simply don't have the balls to reject government protocol and make the call to abandon prescribed burns. Heads will surely roll!
It has also occurred to me that we have an arsonist high up in the ranks of the DEC.
Photo: Margaret River fire. Google Images.
8 comments:
The trouble is that they like a fire to fight as that is their job!
Yes, but they have obviously foregone the 'conservation' aspect of their jobs. And if this is so, then they need to do psychological testing on ALL prosepctive empolyees of FESA and the DEC.
Scary times, Michelle. I hope you don't need to put your plan into action but I appreciate that you need it and need it now.
So do I Elisabeth. I think it just isn't wise to have the mentality: it won't happen to us. It's just so random.
It's crazy weather at the moment. Unbelievable time to burn.
I said to Old Salt last night that the timing is good to exhume his Anti-CALM Party that he got going in the 80s!
It's the arrogance of the admin that bugs me - in all facets of their work; dying whales, islands, fires, putting walk trails through pristine dieback-free Fitzgerald, copper logs and interpretive plaques ... Bah.
We did a stay or leave routine for our home a few years ago and even in my fairly tame abode, it's fill the bath, plug the doorways and windows and then "leave" on catastrophic alerts. I can totally understand your alarm.
My sister, whose house burnt down last week, went to Augusta for refuge. Sweet irony hey.
God, yes, ironic alright. I agree, the DEC or CALM as we knew them once, has an appalling track record. I think this time they might have to make someone accountable, because I can't see those middle-class Margaret River yuppy residents backing off anytime soon. Class action here we come. And then maybe something will change.
John and I drove through from Dunsborough to Denmark on Tuesday last week and the whole of Stewart Road was being controlled burned. Unbelievable how they think they can control a fire in that kind of country in that weather. It's an oxymoron, really, "controlled burn."
Absolutely. I agree with Sarah Toa that there has to be a shake-up of the DEC (CALM in different clothng) Their practices in relation to many issues are really suspect, as Sarah says - whales, islands......and especially now their way of dealing with the fire risk. I really would like to see them consult traditional owners. I'd bet money that they would not have been burning this late in the season.
Post a Comment