Victoria Fire Alert....

[feral]

Just received a message on the mobile from the Vic Police...

"Extreme weather in VIC expected Monday night & Tuesday. High wind & fire risk. Listen to ABC Radio for emergency updates. Do not reply to this."

Folks...its going to be very interesting down this way for the next couple of days ;)

[WOLLAPIT85]

Yep the message is being sent to over 1 million Victorians. in the space of 5 mins 5 phones went off here

[Cap]

The funny thing is, we Tasmanians have been getting this message too.

Doesnt sound good, hope it pours with rain!!!

[Phoenix]

Yeah, I got it too. I guess it went out to everybody in the 03 area.

[Shonky]

God forbid we have any more loss of property or life to bushfires at all this season... but additionally, there will be a significant amount of Australias military history in Corowa next week. A Black Saturday type fire at that event doesn't bear thinking about. :(

[loanrangie]

Someone here said that was a scam as emails have been sent out as well ?

[alexander]

Its no scam.

All mobile carriers were asked by VicPol to send this message out today.

This activity has no precedent and its something that carriers managed by whatever means available, which would account for some people in Tasmania also possibly receiving the message.

This will be a learning process for authorities and the industry to come up with new processes and technical solutions in the future.

Alexander

[loanrangie]

Thats good to know its not a scam as you would hate that some scumbag dead**** would stoop that low - even though we know worse has been done :(.

[81stubee]

It was announced earlier today on 3AW that a message would go out. Telstra was the first, while authorities were arranging with other telco's too.

I think its a case of there are a lot of victorians that think that the fire danger is over. Its not, and apparently the biggest worry is that the Yea/Murrindindi fire could break containment lines. My sister lives in warburton and has been evacuated several times.

Stu

[Bushie]

... but additionally, there will be a significant amount of Australias military history in Corowa next week. A Black Saturday type fire at that event doesn't bear thinking about. :(

I hope everybidy heading down there has plenty of cold meats etc as a Total Fire Ban would be on the cards.

Corowa (NSW) so a Total fire Ban would rule out any form of open fire + gas BBQs etc. (even if they are in a tent or camper).

It falls under the southern Riverina fire area (18 on map below)

Total Fire Ban and Current Fire Danger Map - NSW Rural Fire Service (http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?CAT_ID=1109)

Fire Ban Rules
Total Fire Ban Rules - NSW Rural Fire Service (http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?cat_id=1110)

Martyn

[Timj]

Hi Bushie,

I did not think that a gas cook top was a problem even in a total fire ban. It is not a barbecue as such. In Qld they even tell you to make sure you take your gas cooker to national parks where fire are banned.

TimJ.

[Bushie]

Hi Bushie,

I did not think that a gas cook top was a problem even in a total fire ban. It is not a barbecue as such. In Qld they even tell you to make sure you take your gas cooker to national parks where fire are banned.

TimJ.

That's the problem each state is different

The exact wording from the act is

the lighting, maintenance or use of any fire or class of fire in the open air is prohibited for such period or periods as may be specified in the order,
ref NSW legislation website (http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/fragview/inforce/act+65+1997+pt.4-div.6-sec.99+0+N?TITLE=%22Rural%20Fires%20Act%201997%20N o%2065%22&nohits=y&tocnav=y)

My guess is tolerance will be a little short for anyone not complying. The Riverina area is just about as dry as Vic at the moment.

Martyn

[Disco300Tdi]

I think its a case of there are a lot of victorians that think that the fire danger is over. Its not, and apparently the biggest worry is that the Yea/Murrindindi fire could break containment lines. My sister lives in warburton and has been evacuated several times.

Stu

The fire is only 16k SW from here, wind speeds are expected to be around 100kph early morning from the north, then moving around to the SW later in the day with some rain which will only make the fire tracks slippery and dangerous.

Our fire plan has been activated..

Christine has packed the important things including the dog and is off tomorrow morning.

[Disco300Tdi]

Hi Bushie,

I did not think that a gas cook top was a problem even in a total fire ban. It is not a barbecue as such. In Qld they even tell you to make sure you take your gas cooker to national parks where fire are banned.

TimJ.

Can I or Cant I - Country Fire Authority (http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/restrictions/can.htm)

[Bushie]

So it's a NO for Victoria as well.


Martyn

[Disco300Tdi]

So it's a NO for Victoria as well.


Martyn

Correct Martyn :nazilock:

[hiline]

So it's a NO for Victoria as well.


Martyn


sure is ;)

how do i know :angel: as camp coordinator once they gave me the warning or pay the fine....................

and i think the hours are from midnight till 4am the following day
not 24hrs

i always thought gas BBQ's were fine..........

[p38arover]

Such a warning system wouldn't work with me. I often don't see that I've received an SMS for days afterwards.

[dullbird]

Such a warning system wouldn't work with me. I often don't see that I've received an SMS for days afterwards.

And if they sent it by email:o.......my god the earth would have burnt down before he opened it :lol2:

[abaddonxi]

The fire is only 16k SW from here, wind speeds are expected to be around 100kph early morning from the north, then moving around to the SW later in the day with some rain which will only make the fire tracks slippery and dangerous.

Our fire plan has been activated..

Christine has packed the important things including the dog and is off tomorrow morning.

Hope it doesn't come to that, good luck.

Simon

[Bushie]

Radars out of Melbourne, Yarrawonga and Bairnsdale all look pretty good at this time (0818hrs). Just hope it keeps up for a few hours, so that at least it gets Vic through today without any major dramas.

Then of course a return to traditional victorian weather (light drizzly rain) for a few weeks would be great - the last thing wanted is heavy rain over the fire areas.


Martyn

[Bushie]

sure is ;)

how do i know :angel: as camp coordinator once they gave me the warning or pay the fine....................

and i think the hours are from midnight till 4am the following day
not 24hrs

i always thought gas BBQ's were fine..........

Looking at the CFA web site Total FIre Bans appear to run from 0000hrs to 2400hrs.

In NSW it is definately midnight (0000hrs) to midnight (2400hrs) in both states they can run over multiple days.

Both states prohibit gas BBQs (in a camping context) but may allow them close (<20m) to a permanent residence.

Martyn

[Bushie]

Such a warning system wouldn't work with me. I often don't see that I've received an SMS for days afterwards.

Let us know when you are working next Ron, we'll put a message on the train up from Penrith.


Martyn

[JDNSW]

Radars out of Melbourne, Yarrawonga and Bairnsdale all look pretty good at this time (0818hrs). Just hope it keeps up for a few hours, so that at least it gets Vic through today without any major dramas.

Then of course a return to traditional victorian weather (light drizzly rain) for a few weeks would be great - the last thing wanted is heavy rain over the fire areas.


Martyn

I went into Melbourne this morning from the western suburbs. Rained, but not enough to use an umbrella (not that you could have in that weather, although some tried to their discomfort!). By the time I came back an hour or so ago the rain had turned to dust, and the wind was getting really strong - there is at least one tree down on the median strip of Ballarat Rd at Caroline Springs. A look at the weather radar doppler wind shows wind velocities at the limit of the scale (90kph), and several surface stations show wind velocities in excess of 60kph.

I had hopes this morning that there would be enough rain to make new fires unlikely, but I am no longer confident of this, and certainly the rian there has been will be irrelevant to existing fires given this wind, which will probably increase as the front approaches and then switch round to the south.

[p38arover]

Let us know when you are working next Ron, we'll put a message on the train up from Penrith.


Martyn


Good idea. Give it to the rightaway on the train, I always go out onto the platform and talk to them.

[hiline]

Looking at the CFA web site Total FIre Bans appear to run from 0000hrs to 2400hrs.

In NSW it is definately midnight (0000hrs) to midnight (2400hrs) in both states they can run over multiple days.

Both states prohibit gas BBQs (in a camping context) but may allow them close (<20m) to a permanent residence.

Martyn

talking of permanent residence we had our campervan there as per normal
others with us had camper trailers and some tents ...........

the Ranger informed us all that the ONLY place we could cook was in our campervan:o
so 7 familys took it in turns of cooking in the van over a 3 day period

[p38arover]

Driving from Mildura to Adelaide today the winds were bloody strong. If some idiot had lit a fire between Mildura and Renmark, there is no way it could have been stopped.

We went through quite heavy dust storm, too.

[abaddonxi]

I was talking to a neighbour who was a firey in the fires round Jenolan Caves in 1957 (and still active in RFS).

Apparently similar to the fires of a couple of weeks ago. He said they shared the combination of days of high temperature, high winds, high fuel load, and near zero humidity.

Simon