It is that time of year again up here on the station. Storms have been brewing with a lot of hot wind, noise and not much else. As soon as you see those storms you know there is a chance of fire. The lightning from these storms is not our friend – this is what causes the fires.
Sometimes the fires up here can have a 90km front on them and can burn for weeks on end. One of the biggest fires we have had here burned an area of 3,000 square kilometres – to put it in perspective this is equivalent to approximately 740,000 acres – yes seven hundred and forty thousand acres! You will not hear about these massive fires on the news and often they only have a crew of about 7 or 8 people fighting them.
When there are some decent storms on the horizon you can sit on the verandah, watch the lighting strike and then see an instant glow. It is quite amazing and spectacular to watch but not much fun to fight.
Yesterday we had our first fire for the season start. The sky was dark and the kids came home from school telling me they could smell fire. This was the view from my verandah yesterday afternoon, you can see the first hint of smoke if you look really closely…
And here are some photos from fire seasons gone by…
The crew work tirelessly when there is a fire. Often it is not much use going out during the heat of the day if the fire is massive, out of control and in thick scrub. Sometimes you just have to let it burn and often you need to fight the fire at night. They get a bit of sleep during the day and go out all night long fighting the fire. They are absolutely busted by the end of it but they soldier on.
Here are some photos of a ute with the fire fighting unit on the back. They fill this up at a trough. The unit has a motor on it that they use to fill it with. They really only use this unit to patrol the break and protect the grader…
The grader is deployed to put in fire breaks which are then used to back burn from. Back burning is where you light a fire from the break – back towards the original fire, when both fires meet they put each other out. You just pray that the fire doesn’t jump the break (which it often does) and start a new fire. In which case you need to grade another break and start again. Here are some photos… This fire had 2 graders out there fighting it…
To light the fire on the back burn they use what is called a “bug”, it has a little fuel can thingy with an end that you light, you just go along dropping fire… god I am so technical aren’t I. Tom is just here telling me: “The bugs are two parts diesel and one part petrol”. When you light the wick on the end of the bug the fuel drips out and hence drips fire onto the ground. Here see for yourself…
As I type this I can hear the plane flying around, going up to check out the fire situation. These shenanigans will continue now until we get some proper rain to make things too wet to burn. The UHF will be running hot. Sometimes when the fire is in thick crappy country you just have to let it burn.
Happy days.
Wow, listen to me – I am basically Wikipedia. Ha ha ha ha.
Do you have fires on your station at the moment?
I know many of you have been fighting fires. It isn’t much fun. Goodluck!
Great photos mate, I’m grateful we don’t have fire to contend with! We’ve had a few big storms these past few days – woke the other night about a metre off the bed when lightning struck the paddock next to the house!
Hope they get it under control today. xx
Oh god Amanda, I am so scared of storms…. I would not cope at all well in a Cyclone. I would have been the same as you – I hide under the doona when there is a storm – Mr Chardy thinks I am loopy. ha ha ha.
I love reading your updates – and those photos are amazing. We thought moving to the Barossa was moving to the “country” but I read your posts and I realise just how different life in the country really is. I grew up in Wollongong, 2 streets from the bush and so I have had a real fear of fires. I remember the Sydney bushfires in 1994 and having my bags packed with all my precious stuff and being so relieved to hear the sound of rain on the roof. Stay safe and willing some rain your way. xx
Hi Ange, don’t worry – you have moved to the country, just not the outback, ha ha ha – or should I say Woop Woop. Oh god that would have been so scary for you in 1994!! Our fires are different… they are very big but there is never a fear that our house will burn or that we will need to leave because the station is so big and the fires are generally so far away. Although when you can see that glow through the trees at night time it doesn’t seem so far away and does scare me sometimes. So don’t worry, we are always safe but some rain to put them out would be good. 🙂
Hi Miss Chardy, I haven’t commented on your blog before as I am relatively new to subscribing. I, too, am fascinated by your stories. I remember seeing a series on Channel 10 a few years back called “Keeping Up with the Joneses”. It was about a family running a cattle property in the NT and I remember one episode when they were out fighting a fire, just as you have described. Reading your posts reminds me of this TV programme. I really admire your tenancity and outlook on life.
Hello there Maggie…so lovely to hear from you, I am so glad you have commented! Yes, I guess life here is a little similar to Keeping up with the Joneses, but we don’t fly everywhere in a chopper and catch crocs, ha ha ha. Their station is a lot further north than us. Have a great day! 🙂
Wow wow wow. That’s pretty amazing. And scary….I’m not a fan of fires. Except little tiny contained ones that I can toast marshmallows on!!!
Oh nothing beats a campfire and a toasted marshmallow!!! I like my marshmallows on fire and burnt! ha ha ha.