42 degrees tinder dry and a decent NW..hope we get through in one piece.This dry weather is good for NE for sailboarding but scary from a bush fire survival perspective. Hope everyone stays safe today/ this season.
Rather average for summer in 2 or 3 other states dunno what all the excitement is about?
). With the amount of dry fuel that has been growing over the past couple of years thanks to the generous rainfall, combined with the very little amount of controlled burning & earthworks done by the gov't (no doubt due to budget cut-backs) this year could be the worst bushfire year Vic (and maybe NSW also?) has had for a long time.
PERTH IS OK EVERYBODY!
Quite a few "out of control" here:
www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me
"NSW faces 'worst ever' fire danger day"
www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-07/nsw-faces-27worst-ever27-fire-danger-day/4455368
Hope it all goes well over there over the next few days.
Property and stuff means nothing compared to life. Get out quick.
^^^ True, but the point is - the amount of dry fuel laying around here in Vic is just an incident waiting to happen. 'Our' (Vic gov'ts) reaction to bushfire is to decrease controlled burning but put the onus on the public by increasing planning/building regulations so that we spend more now on building a home than ever...the biggest issue I see is that the public are building homes based on a 'BAL' (bushfire attack level) rating and will assume that because their home is designed for the conditions, regardless of how much vegetation has grown around the home in the past few years, they are safe to stay in it if/when a bushfire comes knocking.
The safest place to be when a bushfire hits is far away from it. If the home owner is making an educated decision, is confident that they have done the preparation needed - sure they can stay to protect their home - personally I'd rather protect my family.
all good points i didn't realise the difference. I assumed that with such hilly terrain and higher population and forests that there would be MORE controlled burns over there not less 
dunno about over there but here the vast majority of fires on high risk days are arsonists. That is who needs to be eradicated...
Unfortunately not all states have a fuel reduction program. My old man whos been in charge of his local QLD fire brigade for close to 15 years reckons WA has the best reduction of fuels. That being said, they seem to do it where it doesnt count. Probably for the reasons stated by Ian K.
Both the Roleystone/Kelmscott fire and the Marg River fire would not of been as bad had've there been recent controlled burns. Ironically, the Marg River fire was due to a fuel reduction burnoff getting out of control.
I'm a residant of Roleystone and predictably enough the same people who complained about having combustable fuel on the ground for the last 20 years, are the same people who didn't want the burns in the first place.
Having been through fires myself, I wish all the East Coast good luck today.
Don't leave it too late to leave with todays forcast condidtions. I doubt (ok,ok, except for maybe your kiteing or windersurfing gear), that there is anything in your house worth dieing for.
