The Photo Albums are by the Door
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382693)
Rockingham, Australia
December 28, 2015 1:14am CST
There is some excitement here at the moment. There is a big bushfire only 3 kilometres from us and it is threatening parts of our little town which is 7 kms away. Some people have already been evacuated. It is blowing away from us and unless the sea breeze comes in strongly and the wind direction changes we are quite safe. So I feel a bit of a fraud even writing this.
However, it is possible for the wind to change. The fire is out of control at the moment and it's 40C. Embers are dropping up to 100 metres ahead of the fire. I have cleaned all the rubbish off the back verandah, we've moved the bus to a bare area down in the paddock and I have Herc's collar and lead ready. The photo albums are stacked by the door and Vince is trying to ensure the generator will start. For some reason it doesn't want to go today.
There have been fire bombers going back and forth all day dropping water on the blaze. Vince took a photo of one this morning when he went on a 'recce'. Our area is not included in any warnings but this is a good chance for us to put our 'fire plan' into action. Hopefully no homes will be lost. I can think of little worse than to have your house burnt to the ground. Unless of course it's to have it flooded like the poor people in northern England.
26 people like this
25 responses
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
28 Dec 15
I hope there is not serious damage to anyone living in the heart of the fire and I hope that you are yours will remain safe and out of harm's way.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
28 Dec 15
It is good to have a plan in place. I have my tornado plan that I put in place as soon as they utter that word tornado.
2 people like this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
29 Dec 15
Our dogs bark at the smell of a fire, did yours show any instinct to fear it?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 15
Thanks. There has been no lives or property lost. It was mostly bushland that burnt. Herc knew there was something wrong - it was probably the continual noise from the planes - but he was baaing at us all day. He had to have extra bread to assure him that things were okay 
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 15
@41CombedaleRoad We don't have a dog but Herc certainly wasn't at ease.
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
29 Dec 15
Hopefully by now the fire will be under control if not actually put out. I have seen one of those wild fires since coming to Greece, I was quite frightened by the speed in which it moved. Fortunately it was on the outskirts of a nearby village but where we were standing we could already feel the heat.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 15
These fires travel so quickly and develop an incredible force and speed. It is under control now thank goodness.
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
2 Jan 16
both are equally horrible and hurricanes and tornadoes.... I'm glad you are safe, and I hope there is no loss of life in your little community.... andvhappy new year wishes to you also......
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Dec 15
It's all blown over, so to speak. The fire crews are just mopping up now. I have found burnt leaves around the place. They have travelled a few kms to get here. We feel safe enough to go away for four days.
@troyburns (1405)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 15
I've been in a similar situation with fires just a few hundred meters from our home, but thankfully, the wind didn't change direction that day. Things happen quickly if it does change so it's good that you're well prepared to move out if necessary. Fingers crossed for you.
1 person likes this
@troyburns (1405)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 15
@JudyEv - Are there controlled burn-offs in your part of the country?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 15
@troyburns Yes there are but they are years behind. They are all so scared of fires getting away that they'll only burn when conditions are exactly right - which doesn't happen often.
They did the area directly to the south of us in 2014, maybe 2013 but it rained before they got around to the area on the east. There is only a few hundred yards of bush there then a road where the fire shed is so they'll always take good care of that then orchards so there isn't really the scope for a huge, hot, intense fire from that direction.
We have a patch of bush on our property and last year we got the brigade in and they burnt it for us so we feel quite justified in staying and defending should we get a fire. We do have woodchip one side of the house as we're not great gardeners and this is probably a bad idea. We might have to come up with something else.
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 15
There is just no controlling some of these fires. There were two water bomber planes, several helicopters dumping water and a heli-tanker they call Meg which dumps 9,500 litres at a time. They were coming and going over the house all day. Thanks for the crossed fingers but we're fine now - and that much safer for having such an area burnt.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
2 Jan 16
How scary! We live in a part of California where brush fires are common. I heard that homes have been lost in the fire. I hope you and Vince are doing OK.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40852)
• Laguna Woods, California
4 Jan 16
@JudyEv - They say the same thing here when we have a large burn. It prevents more fires for several years in the future. However, so much of California is built on slopes that it does increase the risk of mudslides when there has been a fire in an area. That's the biggest danger here.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
19 Jun 16
There is beauty in such a threatening image.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Jun 16
That's true - and another reminder that it's Mother Nature who is really in charge.
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 15
Thanks Patsie. Luckily no lives were lost and no houses damaged so we were very lucky.
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Dec 15
It is a pity you can't easily see the water bomber in the photo although it is there.
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
28 Dec 15
hope your property will be safe - flood damage is bad when it happens but often the house itself survives with lots of mopping, bailing and some repairs - it takes a very severe flood here to actually destroy a house while a forest fire would always totally destroy the property so that is worse by far
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 15
Hello Maria! Lovely to see you here. I must have missed you along the way. I'm following you now. The danger from the fire is over now thanks.
@Marilynda1225 (91201)
• United States
28 Dec 15
I'm hoping they get that fire under control and you won't have to leave.
Sounds pretty scary
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Dec 15
The danger is past now. One good thing is that the fire now makes the area that much safer although there is still plenty of bush around.
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
28 Dec 15
Although our area if flooding here in the USA, I still have my photo albums all in one tub so that I can grab it and go if need be.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Dec 15
The photo albums and the hard drive are important. We would take these things but people in third world countries take blankets and pots and pans.
