The following is the email I sent to my daughter and friend in Perth.:Hi ******,
On alert:: Walhalla, Erica, Glengarry, Toongabbie, Cowwarr, Warragul, Drouin. Burning: Pakenham, Narre Warren, Churchill, Traralgon South, Tarra Bulga Nat Park, Balook, Jindivick, Callignee, North and South, Yarram, Won Wron, Woodside, all the beach side towns, and everything in-between, Mt Tassie transmitter towers are gone.
We watched the hills on the other side of the Valley burn from the back of Churchill to Mt Tassie, 60 K’s as the crow flies in 2 hours. All this from our front yard, along with our local CFA reps, and most of the population of Yallourn North. It was spectacular, the flames 1000 meters high.
I’ve never seen anything like it.
By 5.30pm it was as black as night, the air thick with dark choking smoke, making it hard to breathe. By 7pm, it started to rain lightly, black rain. It cleared the smoke a little. The Princes Highway is cut at Pakenham, Warragul, Morwell, Stratford, Sale, amongst other major towns, there are hundreds of road blocks, including the Walhalla Erica road from Tyers. Closer to home, 2 k’s, Strettons Track caught fire, was put out, and a couple of hours later caught again and is now contained. The wind was gusting up to 120k’s an hour, so very hot.
Right now: There are Thunder storms happening with spectacular lightening, starting more fires. No rain with it here. The smoke is thick and is making me choke, ABC Radio just alerted us that the fire has pushed through to Traralgon South which is now burning, and is moving quickly towards Loy Yang. They have put us on alert for the next 4 hours, the wind will change direction and come from the South West, pushing the fires right towards us. The radio signal is coming and going, I just heard there were casualties, but not the whereabouts. Visibility is down to 200 meters, we have been told not to drive, it’s too dangerous, hence all the road blocks.
Sunday 2pm. The smoke damage is awful, house is full of black ash. We are so very, very lucky.
Posts
