Thanks for this,
Things have been pretty bad over the past three weeks and look like getting worse. As of this Saturday well over one million hectares have been burn out around the Sydney area.
In the incrediably rough terrain that spreads from the Blue Mountains National park across the Colo and Putty valleys (some 170-180K) to the Hunter Valley, the fire is totally out of control as the whole unexplored area is burning out. Quite terrible.
Apart from the initial first fire before Christmas, it would appear that all the fires have been deliberately lit.
Whilst fortunately,at the moment, only a few hundred homes and other buildings have been destroyed, things are undoubtely going to get worse. The fire authorities are unable to think laterally in obtaining from overseas specialised fire fighting air craft (many sitting idle in Canada) and are relying upon helicopters to give support to those on the ground. Our situation could be much better if we had ten or so C415 fire bombers dumping seawater on the fires!
It is a sad reflection upon our society that without exception all of the volunteers, irrespective of service are of Anglo-Saxon/Celtic, European origin, the multi-culturals (who in the main live in Sydney, rather than elsewhere in the Nation) are conspicuous by their total absence. This makes you think what would happen in time of National Emergency, where do their loyalties belong???
Jock in Sydney who is taking two days off