Fire Emergency Report 4

This morning we were actually greeted with wet ground, thick mist (mixed with a dash of smoke) and a sprinkling of real live rain. The temperature was about 13 degrees and things looked re-assuring.

We even got the chance to pop into town, have a coffee, exchange news with a few people and get some detailed information about what has been going on. Now that the dramatic picture opportunities have died down and there's a paucity of destitute survivors, we no longer seem to rate much mention in the main stream media. Too cynical? Mmmm. Yes. I should be ashamed.

Quite a lot of people along Hat Hill Road (which theoretically faces the main potential threat), have either left town or taken up temporary residence in the Community Centre. They report a certain relief at being able to exchange anxieties, share stories, get information and ease the obvious tensions with those living through a similar plight. 

People around the town are happening upon small fiery breakouts which are then pounced upon by the fire trucks still patrolling the suburban/bushland interfaces. Popes Glen (between Hat Hill Rd and Govetts Leap Rd) is still offering trouble spots now and then as is Braeside (between Govetts Leap Rd and Evans Lookout Rd).

There is thick smoke everywhere.

4:45 pm
The chopper sky ballet described yesterday has resumed, performing to a chorus of sirens. This time the issue appears to be a grass fire at Seiberi Close, further down Evans Lookout Rd and also at the bushland edge of the golf course, nearby.

This picture was shot earlier from Valley View Lookout, way down the end of Evans Lookout Rd. Amazingly we found that we were free to go there. The place was totally deserted. It is about the last remaining National Park vantage spot still open to the public. I'll bet it'll be closed tomorrow, though. The plume of smoke coming from over the headland, (near as we can figure) may be rising from the vicinity of Popes Glen ... but we could be mistaken. It is certainly somewhere in Blackheath. Everything is just so deadly dry and ready to erupt in flame at the slightest provocation.

The temperature is 22 degrees. Through the smoke haze, we see an uninterrupted grubby blue sky.