Introduction

Dear Reader

I am using this blog site as an outlet for my feelings and to keep people in touch with what is happening. it is necessarily a bit all over the place, as entries come in every day, and you are urged to check in daily during the course of the fires. I will keep it until end of Jan, after which time it will have served its purpose.

This is a background to the fires from 11th to today (15th Jan). I am learning how to use this blog, so it is a bit confusing with pics and when they went up so look at all entries.

• Fire started Thursday 11 Jan 07 from a lightening strike at watchbox creek/ middle creek area, north west of us.
  
• By thurs night it was starting to move towards us with massive plumes of smoke, but still seemed a long way.
• friday, ash starts to fall down, but still no probs. by 5.30 pm it hit the big hill behind us (west of the creek).
• Friday night was the worst with spotting of fires to upper 15 mile, and down into the creek.
• reveg, acted as a wick to move the fires along, and the large blackberry patches on neighbouring land also went up very quickly.
• it spotted across to the other hill across the road and fri night the peak and above the pines was alight, the middle road stopped it going any further.
  
• about 5ha of pines also went close to Merkels.
  
• everyone was suprised how rapidly it moved, hence only local fire crews available, and very spread out between all properties.
• Mike was on fire crew to start with, so I was on my own until Andy Ray, a neighbour from boggy creek came around to give me a hand.
  
• Our place: mike managed to keep irrigation on to walnuts and part of sheep paddock over night, so no stock loss or walnut loss. thank god he got that new line in!
• Mum coincidentally went to see my sister Helen in Adelaide on friday morning, so has been spared all this shock.
  
• Hardest hit was the Park, with all above dam affected. and around the house and hop sheds.
  
• Creek frontage has had a good cleanout!
• NO pumps, sheds or houses lost.
• however both little sheds - one above dam with my lovely gypsy van and johns canoe and other up near chestnuts with andrews merc and stuff of sentimental value to mike have gone.
• Saturday rob and Lou came over and helped fix fences to keep sheep in and allowed us to get some sleep. We had been up for about 30 hrs.
• Sunday, trisha and bill came over to do patrol and put out burning logs and fence posts etc while Anthony and Roze helped mike with more fence repairs.
• I have been mainly keeping the home area prepared.
• Next threat is possibly on tues and wed, when it is expected to warm up with a northerly.
  
• this could blow the fires back towards us, from the boggy creek side.