Does someone have to die before Barwon Water is called to account?
Today several of this districts public spirited citizens were out following up one disaster created by mismanagemenet of our underground water resources when the very thing predicted to cause yet another type of environmental impact, had started in the peat on Boundary Creek, Yeodene .
Smoke .
They rang the fire service and got the fire listed . The point is, you can't easily control fires in peat. Last time this happened, the fires got away and one in 1998 nearly tore through the Otways ( the Yeodene fire of 1998)
The Yeodene fire on 12th March 1998 started in this drying peat and was going so well it spotted into near Forrest within minutes . A call went out to evacuate the Otways as there was no way anyone would survive between Forrest and the sea . Amazingly , an earlier than predicted wind change prevented a really big Otways blaze .
Another fire got out of control there in 2007 .
Why worry you might say ? Well on the 12th March1998 the smouldering stuff had been monitored quite closely, but it was obviously not monitored closely enough. Peat fires caused by excessive pumping of the water out of them are almost impossible to put out .
What does this mean for the residents of Forrest , visitors along the GOR , Lorne Wye and holiday makers along the coast and Otway hinterland?
A fire could start anytime day or night in the Yeodene area , and be outside your door within a very short time . There is possibly nothing the government can do now but sit on such areas fulltime when the bushfire risk is high .They can't put such fires out ; not even with something bigger than Elvis. ( you heard it first on blogger 11.30pm 2nd March 2010).
Smoke .
They rang the fire service and got the fire listed . The point is, you can't easily control fires in peat. Last time this happened, the fires got away and one in 1998 nearly tore through the Otways ( the Yeodene fire of 1998)
The Yeodene fire on 12th March 1998 started in this drying peat and was going so well it spotted into near Forrest within minutes . A call went out to evacuate the Otways as there was no way anyone would survive between Forrest and the sea . Amazingly , an earlier than predicted wind change prevented a really big Otways blaze .
Another fire got out of control there in 2007 .
Why worry you might say ? Well on the 12th March1998 the smouldering stuff had been monitored quite closely, but it was obviously not monitored closely enough. Peat fires caused by excessive pumping of the water out of them are almost impossible to put out .
What does this mean for the residents of Forrest , visitors along the GOR , Lorne Wye and holiday makers along the coast and Otway hinterland?
A fire could start anytime day or night in the Yeodene area , and be outside your door within a very short time . There is possibly nothing the government can do now but sit on such areas fulltime when the bushfire risk is high .They can't put such fires out ; not even with something bigger than Elvis. ( you heard it first on blogger 11.30pm 2nd March 2010).
posted by Little John at 11:49 PM
5 Comments:
I'm standing in Lorne, 9am, and a veil of smoke still sits over the town. Last night at around 11pm, we could smell thick smoke. It stung our eyes and was visible across the bay. We drove up to Teddy's Lookout to get a look across the Otways and saw the red-orange glow of a fire along the horizon over the trees. We headed into the town to find out from the police if any alert had been issued. We rang the bell at the unmanned Lorne police station five or six times, no response. We rang 000, and were curtly told a controlled burn at Big Hill was responsible. After explaining this fire was hundreds of kilometres away from Big Hill in the opposite direction, we were told not to get 'defensive'. That was the end of the discussion. I've since discovered on the CFA incident website there was a blaze at Yeodene. And after reading your post this morning, it seems we were right to be worried, however disinterested the Shire and emergency services might have been regarding our concerns.
Thanks Emily,
Having worked in the system makes one well aware of the limitations that your experience too so well symbolizes. The media and wannabe focus on quickfix means our governments (http://thestockade.blogspot.com )are treatment focused, rather than prevention focused. Bookmark some sites and keep posting . The internet revolution is here to help keep the comfort zone retains some competence and credibility .
Imagine if this fire started in November ( no reason why not) . Precious little rest from the risk for this district if it had . Now we hear the smoke has reached Tasmania.
Not quite sure our leaders quite understand about who should warn who when about danger http://crywolf.blogspot.com . Mayor Coker is in the paper today (Mar 25th) saying the danger period is over - burning off may be possible but not always appropriate; nor is the risk always low - should an appropriate fire officer be saying these things?
Its now 24th May and the news last night from the Bush fires Roayl Commission is that we may be able to use the word evacuate again . Another win for common sense .Problem is it should not be our responsibility to tell government how to do its job - it should know how to do its job !
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