I have a footnote to this post. Seems my information was incorrect. Under the trust deed of the NSW Rural Fire Service, money donated can be used only “to meet the costs of purchasing and maintaining fire-fighting equipment”, for “training and resources” and the “administrative expenses of the Brigades. No monies go to fire victims" The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund..endorsed by the Victorian government and managed by Bendigo Bank.. will give out grants approved by an advisory panel. In South Australia, a similar fund has been created, called the State Emergency Relief Fund.
Australia thanks you for your generosity Lois. Heavy rain is now falling in Greater Sydney and further north and south over the fire grounds so it may only be a matter of weeks not months before all blazes are extinguished. Our crippling draut will go on and on tho the meteorologists are saying as only minimum falls are expected thruout our parched inland.
I am now hoping this thread.. like the fires.. is reaching its end. Sorry to appear to have hogged some threads over recent times.
Let the rain pour ..YEAH ...... .I’d imagine some would be complaining about rain now ...I know what I’d prefer the rain is not going to pollute our lungs like the toxic smoke
Spot on @Milla Jonas. Rain also replenishes dying matter. Yes now we are facing flash floods and landslides but beats fires and everything parched. Some good news. All the world's botanists are rejoicing today over the news that the world's oldest living plant..the Wollemi Pine otherwise know by scientists as the "dinosaur" tree.. has survived the wildfires. Those botanists can thank Australia's amazing firies and government forestry departments for the close call. The rescue mission involved water-bombing aircraft and large air tankers dropping fire retardant. Helicopters also winched specialist firefighters into the remote gorge to set up an irrigation system to increase the moisture content of the ground fuels to slow the advance of any fire. Below pic shows the success of the Save the Wollombi Pine operation. https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/a091...=max&dpr=2&s=876857dcb30d83332b7290dc8062709a
Just when we think we are out of the woods after recent heavy storms have extinguished many fires and contained others..Sydney is primed for 40c today and even hotter in the west where I am. It was a cool 33c yesterday and same tomorrow. Our brave and exhausted firies are back on alert. Can we please fast forward to the middle of Autumn (Fall) then look outside to a smoke free sky and burnt foliage beginning to show signs of regeneration.
I can't remember when Australia wasn't having either fires or floods. Some years the fires are worse than other years. Some years the floods are. This year the fires seems biggr and worse than most.
I was so happy when heavy rain came, then you had floods ! I saw awful pictures on the news of the floods I'm so sorry for all this turmoil in Australia
Sadly 3 brave firefighters from the US were killed in NSW today when their large air tanker plane crashed it’s not known why or were they lived in the US at this stage https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01...-near-numeralla-bushfire/11893554?pfmredir=sm
Sadly fires, harsh dry spells and floods are a way of life down here in the Great Southern Land. You have a warm heart @Patsy Faye.
The southern coast continues to lose homes and property after a sweltering 40c yesterday reignited the earlier blazes.The good news is they have been contained as of this morning. @Milla Jonas you Vics have had further fires too I am hearing. Yes Milla Australia's hearts go out to the families of the three selfless Americans who flew thousands of kms to aid their fellow fireys.
We are still getting smoke from a controlled burn off actually I’ve got a cough from the never ending smoke my throat tastes like a smoker smells to a non smoker ..if that makes sense Cough /splutter sneeze excuse me while a blow my nose AGAIN