(Good morning everyone, Eha is our guest Un-Blogger today. As a child she emigrated from Estonia to Sydney on a big ship and now later in an eventful life she is living in a part of Australia that is smouldering with fires. She wrote this for us when she was in the midst of an horrific fire last week, in fact she had her bag packed and at the door in case of evacuation. Over to you Eha. c)
The sirens heralded the disaster. An ambulance? No, there were a series of ululating sounds one after the other and a view out of my window showed long rows of fire trucks racing up the road. The time: Thursday 17th October; the place: the beautiful Southern Highlands south of Sydney; the day: hot, dry and windy . . . the bush had exploded.
Cold shivers ran down my spine ~ I had been there before! Little did I know the same was happening all along the NSW coast and across the Blue Mountains west of Sydney? The city was totally surrounded by fire . . . one of the largest had started about 10 km SE of my community. Ten days later my ‘backyard’ blaze has burnt out some 16000 hectares in a conflagration now affecting some 11 villages and stretching some 40 kilometres. So far this is the worst natural disaster we have faced in fifty years. Our bushfire season normally begins late November and lasts to March ~ Quo Vadis?
Celi had just trusted me to fill in for her on one of the mornings she is to be in California . . . what other scenario could I present to the Fellowhip?
What is ‘bush’ strangers ask. It is an iconic word for us to denote the vast areas of land outside urban development and cultivated land. Oft covered with dense vegetation or undergrowth it is our ‘forest’ with gums or eucalypts being the predominant tree.
These can be hauntingly beautiful but also one of the deadliest trees in the world. They spread from the coast as far inland as vegetation grows . . . we are the ‘dry continent’ after all with 80% of us living within a two hour drive of the sea. The land being oft quite dramatically rugged much cannot be cultivated and thus this bush, including national parks and water catchment areas, almost reaches into suburbia. The terrain is oft quite inaccessible . . . when a fire starts it oft has to burn itself out . . .
A bushfire needs fuel, lack of rain, heat and wind. We had a record breaking warm winter with no rain since June. Hence the gums shed leaves and sheets of bark to carpet the ground. The gums are full of explosively flammable oil. That is the fuel. We oft have a spate of 100 C days in early spring, but October this year has broken all existing records. Hot, wild gales blow from the ‘Red Centre’ followed by line squalls from the Southern Ocean, oft at 100 km speeds.. If a fire begins it may move much faster than a man can run and gain momentum. It can cross wide roads and creeks and jump gulleys. The fire and heat are but some of the problems – smoke inhalation kills more than the flames and the myriads of embers which may move kilometres ahead rob the air of oxygen and start new spot fires to grow.
The spark? I wish I could say lightning or household accidents: well, the biggest this time was caused by army exercises!! But most often they are caused by man ~ a careless flick of a cigarette butt or the sick actions of juveniles playing God! Three of the main conflagrations were started by 11 – 15 year olds who will all ‘get off’ !!!
So, how do we fight nature? Especially if we want to live in the bush as an increasing number of urban folk do? With vigilance and an indomitable spirit methinks! The state of NSW has the world’s largest rural fire service. The administration is paid: the70,000 proud volunteers are not. When the bush bursts into flame they leave farms, shops and offices, don their heavy garb and go on incredibly long, hot and dangerous shifts! Often whilst their own homes burn!!
Once they remove helmets you see teenagers, so many females and so much grey hair!! Mateship whilst the community needs you! Oh, mates from all other states have joined us: some 800 in all! The rural fire service has concise free educational programmes and wonderful media coverage. A warning phone call is issued as a fire front approaches ~ the police doorknock whenever possible. Each house is checked. So many thousands of hectares have so far been burnt and hundreds of families have lost their homes ~ there have been only two deaths: a heroic helo pilot and a guy who succumbed to a heart attack.
I must have seen dozens of interviews . . . barely a tear! Usually it has been ‘It’s OK, mate! Got the wife and kids out! And the photos! Even the dog and cat . . . heck, mate : it was only a house! We’ll rebuild!!’ With their indomitable spirit they will!!
| … Eha |
The Kitchen's Garden 
111 responses to “Living in the Land of Flood and Fire . Guest post by Eha.”
Stay safe.
Thank you Michelle! I’ll try my best . . .
The TV reports are scary and heartbreaking, but your photo’s brought it all much closer to home. Praying that this all burns out without any more tradegy. Stay safe. Laura
Hello Laura ~ Thank you for your wishes . . . Most of the bushfires burn in very rugged and oft inaccessible country – what we badly need are days and days of rain to put them out and none is on the horizon – just more hot days and high winds! Please read ‘two engaging goldens’ wonderful story above . . . now she lives 900 kms north of me and about as far inland as I and it is tinderdry and just waiting for a spark there too!
First and foremost, I am relieved that you are live and well! Urban sprawl…some just don’t get it until something like this happens. Amazing coverage of the fire…from a most personal and educational point of view. We don’t have paid fire fighters or first responders in our rural area of ND, USA. All volunteers. Our trucks, equipment and supplies are paid for by the people in each township through donations and fund raisers. Amazing brave individuals putting the needs of the whole ahead of their own. I have been following your fire on fb. I have a friend from down under who keeps us updated.
We have been in drought here for two years now. Combines catch on fire while harvesting due to the dry conditions. Almost lost a good friend this harvest when his combine caught fire. Extreme weather, careless people or simply an accident with devastating results.
Rural people all over the world are hardy and resilient. They also will give aid in everyway… selflessly.
Take care Eha. Saying prayers for you and your community. “Please let the rain fall dear lord!”
My computer is really mucking up [new one in the wings] ~ my comment to you is two places down: sorry!
Eha, this was a very interesting post, chock full of emotion and passion. Your photos tied it all together… giving us a real feeling for the perils and power of nature. We too deal with fires, but not in so much of an inaccessible area. I just finished reading an article on the nineteen Granite Mountain hotshots who lost their lives in Arizona, US in June this year, battling the 2K acre Yarnell Hill fire. Natural disasters happen throughout the world.. yet we still choose to live where we do… because it is what we call “home”.
What a lovely name you have Eha. Do you know the origin?
~Lori
Hello Lori ~ I so agree with your sentiments about ‘home’. Most of the time this is a very natural and beautiful area with no pollution, no traffic jams, greenery all around and just peace and quiet with the most varied bird life . . . besides Australian cities have become amongst the dearest in the world . . . the ‘average’ house is stretching towards seven figures! If one is willing to make a ‘tree-change’ matters are much more logical! Oh ‘Eha’ ~ I am Estonian by birth, this is very Estonian and means ‘the last light of day’: had a very romantic father!!
Eha, thank you for sharing this. I too have often wondered about your lovely name. It is so beautiful, and thank goodness for such a romantic father!
Thank you so much Mere Frost. Well, you have winter coming, so for you not this year, thank the Lord! Yes, the practical me knows my meteorology only too well, the spiritual one does look up to the Greater Powers and says ‘yes you can, please’! Our Rural Fire Service in NSW is centralized and very modern with fantastically set up Headquarters in Sydney. It was started by an Act of Parliament in 1997 ~ I think the Government pays for all the equipment but the guys put their lives at risk for free. Look at ‘two engaging goldens’ : her husband has just travelled with his Brigade some 800 km to do their stint!
Yes! He is most definitely a hero! I hope he comes safely home twogoldens! So many putting their lives on the line. God bless them all! Everyone doing what they can to contain a monster fire. It has been tough for so many these past few years. Fires are terrifying and violent.
It’s heartbreaking when people are fighting for their lives and homes.
Yes. Winter is coming and early. Not looking forward to it…uffda.
Your fire service sounds very high tech. That is a huge plus for you!
Take care Eha…
Dear Mere Frost ~ One cannot change the furies of Nature but one can make use of the latest technology to ‘answer back’! Yes, I wish an ‘introductory walk’ through the marvellous Headquarters in Sydney could be shown worldwide: I only recently saw the film and simply could not believe my eyes. But then in the 2009 Black Saturday fires in Victoria just under 200 lives were lost . . . never mind whole communities being burnt out. See my commnet to Chgo John at the end of the comments should you perchance come back . .
This is an amazing post. Living in England, I see footage on the news of these fires and it always looks so heartbreaking, but I’ve never gained the insight from that footage that I have from this post today. I hope you and your nearest and dearest are safe and well and I hope you stay that way.
Hello Hetterbell ~ Thank you for your much appreciated good wishes. Knowing green and fertile England rather well, yes this would be hard for you to imagine . . . I had lived for decades in Sydney just reading the newspapers and watching TV and cursing the soot on my washing line ere I understood the toughness of those living rurally – either regarding flood or fire . . . forces there greater than the human ability to fight such . . .
Dear Eha, darling girl, how dreadful that more fires have started so close to you, I find it mind boggling that arsonists fine this terrible devastation so entertaining. And your firies and their brilliant generosity of mind, body and time. The kids who do this should do a mandatory week long stint with these brave men and women, that would put them straight I am sure. Lets hope today is a little better for you.. and thank you so much for your post.. c
Celi darlingHeart . . . altho’ the wind has picked up early [have just surfaced at 9am 🙂 !] last I looked the firefighters had done a wonderful job again and most of the 20-odd new fires were burning but contained! It has been a rare pleasure to write the post: I feel I have received so much more from the Fellowship of the Farmy than I have put in! Thank you so much for your trust and the privilege. Am smiling at how many Aussies you seem to have reading: well, our indomitable spirit meeting yours, Milady!! Much love!!!!!
oh.my.
thank you for your openness and honesty, sharing this post.
and gratitude to the firefighters of all ages….
sending you love.
Thank you pencilfox. I am but ‘the messenger’ . . . yes, gratitude to our firies BUT more so to all people in all countries who do not look for fame or money but find satisfaction in service to the fellowman, be it in whatever area of help . . .
Dear Eha, hello from N. California. What a trying situation for you and for your neighbors. Thank you for taking the time to say hello and to share with us. My DH is retired from fighting fire for 30 years. Wildfires. It is stressful and hard work. He always came home with stories of so many wonderful people with indomitable spirits. Who always offered help and encouragement when they so needed it. Sending prayers for all and stay safe!
Bev: Thank you so much for commenting from across the Pond. California has seen such horrible devastation from wildfires itself and you obviously have more immediate experience thereof than most. How proud you must have been of your husband! Kudos for his long service!! And you people have to cope with the fear of earthquakes as well, which are rare in this country. The sun is shining outside: let us hope it will be a repairing day!!
How very scary. I cannot imagine. The photos are incredible and your words equally so. Be safe. You and your neighbors and all those who bravely fight these fires.
Lovely lady: I wish I was young enough and strong enough to fight myself . . . . and not feel so overawed and indeed very frightened when the smoke, embers, billowing clouds and noise advance . . . .So far I have always felt I would get out, but to lose all my books and music and art would be intolerable to think about . . . somehow they are my soul . . .
Terrifying story, even with the heroism of so many volunteers. I will never again complain about the days of rain and our temperate climate.
Hello Viv ~ Celi originally wanted me to write about some of my own personal story. My mind was on this 🙂 ! As all the above comments have shown, the locals with their experiences have added SO much the story [thanks to all!] and those in different climes perhaps will look at Daily News a little differently. Hope you are getting better and stronger: have not been able to visit as often as I would have liked 🙂 !
Puts our small problems in perspective, Eha. Moving post.
Thank you Roger ~ Your comment so much appreciated . . .
This has been a most shocking disturbing post. To see and smell and hear and feel such fearsome power so very very close! Just gripping and those heroic fire-fighters–well, there are no words for them. No words for you, either, Eha. I can only say God bless you, take care of you.
Hello Equus ~ Whether one calls them bushfires of forest fires or wildfires ~ they all frighten with their power, flatten homes, livelihoods and take lives: wherever one resides . . . Nature can so easily wreck your life . . . with not much choice as far as you are concerned. This time around it was the turn of New South Wales . . . firies ~ as I told someone else – since this episode began 4000 new applications have been received – the indomitable spirit!! Thank you for your good wishes!!
My heart goes out to those living with the horror of those fires! We live in an area that has been beset by earthquakes and we lost alot (house fine though) and these fires certainly brought home to me it could always be alot worse! Australians are known in NZ for their resilience, stoic natures and community spirit and yes, they will rebuild their lives but to lose everything is very sad. To think that kids lit some of these is just tragic. Best wishes to all concerned in what is going to be a very long, dry, difficult summer!
Thank you so much for your comment and understanding! Don’t think there is any difference twixt Aussies and Kiwis in their spirit and mindset. Actually I live in the land of bushfires more comfortably than I would in the oh-so-beautiful Shaky Isles. But, yes, we do need rain and how – none on the horizon tho’! Otherwise I hate to think of how will be at the end of summer!!
🙂 Earthquakes aren’t nice but fire is so much more destructive and scary to me, especially when everything is tinder dry. Yeah not much diff between Aussies and Kiwis really, you just get on with what you are left with 🙂 We follow the fires so I do wish you the best for summer.
Thank you ~ hope we both have a good’one 🙂 !
I’m glad you wrote this blog because now I can carry you and others in my heart’s inner lining. Prayers of the giant kind. i have 2 young friends who live in Adelaide, not near maybe, but the world is our neighorhood, and when people are in trouble, we all feel it; beautifully written: informative, eloquent, and so close to the heart.
What a lovely and undeserved compliment, sorrygnat. I shall copy your beautiful phrase ‘carry you and others in my heart’s inner lining’ into a very special book of mine. What a loving way to put an emotion. Adelaide: don’t know whether you are aware Adelaide Hills had a scary first fire of the season just two days ago. No, this is not just a NSW story!!