Myrrhee fires

cfa stuff up our water supply

So in the light of day today, mon. we find out what happened to our water.

Ane we are livid!

Evidently no one was briefed last night about the tanks and pipes being our domestic water supply. Even though mike had explained it to a CFA guy on friday night.

So, the dozer drivers made good use of the tracks mike had put in including one that gave mike access to pipe line for maintenance. They have smashed the line in about 6 places, including toppling a header water tank. They also ripped through the line feeding our storage tank from the spring. Mike had deliberately planned that system to be resistant to fire, but of course didn't in his wildest dreams think about a rampant dozer coming in!

What makes us really angry is that this should have been avoidable as it was a controlled burn (although why the burnt up from the bottom of the hill we don't understand), we were home and just across the road for God's sake and surely a phone call/visit etc could have clarified what the tanks were for. Even then after they smashed the pipes, we were not notified. At least mike could have turned off the valve to stop all our precious water running into the ground.

We have spent the last hour trying to find who to talk to in the CFA, (probably a futile task), and seeing if they will accept some responsibility.

Mike rekons it will cost at least $3000 to fix with dozing, pipes, tank and labour. As if he needs something esle to do at the moment.

What makes us mad is that they also sucked loads of water out of our dam with their choppers on saturday to put out the fires that had started on the top of the hill. and Now they go and burn more of it, and now those fires will need to be put out and probably want our water to do it. And in Mikes considered opinion, what they did hasn't really worked anyway!

oohh, I feel a bit better now having expressed all that....better go and get the camp shower and water cans out. (we will drag water over from the rainwater tank over the creek) at least the CFA can't get to that!

pics from the start of fire

This pic mike took on thursday night.

monday 15th Jan am

Can't sleep any more because the dozers have been working all night across the road to do a back burn.

after having put out the wildfire that was on the top of the hill above the pines on Sat, they decided last night to then burn the rest of the hill!

I believe they call this containment, but it looks like vandalism to me! I suppose they know what they are doing.

So I sat in the lounge chair in the dark and watched the sound and light show on the hill.

Unfortunately, that means our house water supply has been damaged .
Also the shed on the top has gone, and sorry, andrew so has the Merc.
Don't know about the chestnuts or waratahs, but probably all gone too.

As for all the wildlife…I can’t bear to think about them.

map of fires

for a fire update
copy and paste the address below into your web browser

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/images/news_image/20070116_0730hrs_Tatong_web_12643.jpg

they are referring to the area as Tatong fires, on fire updates website.

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.