Bushfires in QLD

[Bruce Micheal]

I thought I'd share with you a couple of pics I took from October 2002 down Stanthorpe way in Qld.

It's not as bad as it looks.

[Bruce Micheal]

I'd better throw in these!!!!!

[Bruce Micheal]

It looks impressive, but was all over in a matter of minutes.

[journeyman Mick]

Pretty impressive, I've spent a bit of time on firegrounds (3rd officer in local brigade) and I've often thought that some of the scenes were worth a photo, but my digital camera is a large, bulky expensive number and not something I'd want to have with me. I wouldn't mind getting a small cheapie as some of the most brilliantly photgenic scenes I've experienced have been on the fireground. (Think of a steep bush track, last light, headlights picking out the retro reflective tape on the uniforms and helmets of the crew lighting a burn, flames leaping up in the gully below them, sheer magic (only detracted from by the sense of urgency as we were trying to save a very stupidly located house).

Mick

[Bruce Micheal]

Mick
I have an "expensive digital camera" for work but these shots were not taken with it (I'm a dumb bas#$%d and don't really know how to use it). These were taken with my own canon eos (I really am dumb bas#$%d for taking my own camera to the fire ground) with a 300mm lens and scanned into my computer. So the fireries and the truck were a fair distance from the fire, and most importantly, so was I.
You are right about the great photo opportunities at fires, but a camera is never at hand. Those smaller digital cameras on the market now are fairly cheap and would be ideal to carry around if the opportunity arose.
You also mentioned the location of a house you were trying to save. It was pointed out that at least 90% of the houses and structures destroyed or damaged by fire at Stanthorpe, Toowoomba and Tara at the end of 2002 had standing timber within 20m of the structure.

regards;)

[journeyman Mick]

This house was on the tip of a ridge, more like a three sided pyramid. An extremely steep and narrow access track (so narrow that I was flat out driving the truck up there), no turnaround at the house (needed to do a 11 point turn to get out). Timber pole home, not too much standing timber, but at the top of a hill like that even a grass fire will roar up and a few well placed floaters would send the lot up. Mind you that wasn't the worst one, he lived down on the river flat, about 200M away from the river, trees and scrub right around, crowded in on the track which was so narrow that the scrub was scraping the side of the truck. The extensive gardens around the house were mulched with (tinder dry)paper and cardboard. We lit up the other side of his creek bank and then blacked it out to provide a break and left him to it. He's being told this year that we won't go near his place unless he does some mitigation works. We're volunteers after all and my wife can't use a dead hero to pay the bills.

Mick