Australia burning: bushfire crisis spreads

[mag]

A little more information in some of the a Canadians helping out. Australia and New Zealand have always been such a huge support here, I am glad we can return the favour.

Dozens of Canadian fire-fighting experts on ground in Australia — The Globe and Mail

A contingent of 39 firefighters from the United states and Canada arrive at Melbourne Airport in Melbourne, Thursday, January 2, 2020. Canadian fire-fighting officials who are helping Australia battle its deadly blazes are bracing for a long fight. “It’s the scale of the drought here. They have...

apple.news

 

[Bunny Hop]

Our fearless leader, Scotty from Marketing, once again being completely tone deaf:

“Whether they’re started by lightning storms or whatever the cause may be, our firefighters and all of those have come behind them to support them, whether they’re volunteering on the front line or behind the scenes in a great volunteer effort, it is something that will happen against the backdrop of this Test match,” the Prime Minister said.

“But at the same time Australians will be gathered whether it’s at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) or around television sets all around the country and they’ll be inspired by the great feats of our cricketers from both sides of the Tasman and I think they’ll be encouraged by the spirit shown by Australians and the way that people have gone about remembering the terrible things that other Australians are dealing with at the moment.”

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/austral...s-slammed-amid-bushfire-crisis-022727600.html

Not everyone likes cricket, Scotty, and how are you not getting (having already been criticised for a similar comment a couple of months back) that people in danger or fighting fires will not be inspired by it or indeed be watching it.

If I didn't hate cricket already this would have certainly tipped me over the edge.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Sorry for double post, but here's a comparison of the area covered by the fires overlaid on a map of Britain:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ENPtQveXUAAG4nN?format=jpg&name=small

 

[misskarne]

Scummo the treacherous coward went to Cobargo so he could be "seen".

It went about as well as you'd expect.

Lowlights include him walking up to a young pregnant woman, who keeps her hand by her side and tells him she will not shake his hand. As she begins begging for more funding for the RFS, he reaches out and grabs her hand forcibly to shake it for the cameras. When she becomes distressed and starts trying to get through to him, she's physically restrained by another Nationals politician.

Anyway, the whole town started shouting and Scummo, the lowlife yellow-belly he is, ran away. Of course he did.

 

[missing]

Global Apathy Towards the Fires In Australia is a Scary Portent for the Future.

Right now, on the outskirts of a hyper modern first world megapolis, at the end of a year in which the public seemed finally to wake up to the dramatic threat from global warming, a climate disaster of unimaginable horror has been unfolding for almost two full months, and the rest of the world is hardly paying attention.

 

[nimi]

The whole thing is so horrible on so many levels but this cherry on top of a sh!t cake... WTF?!

"Many of the volunteer firefighters are unemployed; their benefits have been suspended because, while they’re saving people and habitats and homes, they can’t apply for the requisite number of jobs per week the government expects them to to continue receiving benefits." (source)

Guardian article from a couple of weeks ago: Volunteer firefighters in Australia warned not to crowdfund for equipment

Another one: How you can donate and help the volunteer firefighters in Australia's bushfire crisis

 

[Andora]

Gosh, I love Australia. I've met a lot of Aussies in my time, and loved 'em all. My heart breaks for everyone right now - and thank you to @misskarne for donation suggestions. I hope there's a break, and/or more help makes a dent. I visited Queensland some years ago, mostly Brisbane but also the Gold Coast, Steve Irwin's Zoo, the Glass House Mountains - stunning scenery and sunny people everywhere. I know it's NSW hardest hit, but I just think of the communities I got to know, how places like them exist everywhere, and...

A nice Aussie bought some land up near where my parents live and often hosted neighbourhood gatherings. We decided Canadians and Australians were truly commonwealth cousins cut from the same cloth, just one of us got the better end of the accent & weather stick. Though, lately I'm wondering if we need to revisit that...

Lastly, has Australia had a government they like, ever?

 

[Aussie Willy]

The whole thing is so horrible on so many levels but this cherry on top of a sh!t cake... WTF?!

"Many of the volunteer firefighters are unemployed; their benefits have been suspended because, while they’re saving people and habitats and homes, they can’t apply for the requisite number of jobs per week the government expects them to to continue receiving benefits." (source)

Guardian article from a couple of weeks ago: Volunteer firefighters in Australia warned not to crowdfund for equipment

Wow about the respirators. I actually do fit testing in my job for respirators as our guys work in gas/metal environments. We are moving away from P2 masks because they do not provide effective protection. I say give them what they want instead of putting barriers up.

 

[SmallFairy]

This is all just horrible. I can’t find more words. My heart goes out to all the people of Australia.

 

[Maofan7]

The latest news

NSW fires cause tens of thousands to flee as Victoria declares state of disaster

Tens of thousands flee in mass bushfire evacuation – as it happened

This blog is now closed. Our coverage will resume tomorrow morning

www.theguardian.com

Prime Minister Scott Morrison Heckled Over Crisis In Latest Embarrassment

Australian PM Scott Morrison Heckled Over Bushfire Crisis In Latest Embarrassment

Former PR man criticised for forced handshakes, a holiday in Hawaii and climate change policies.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Towns Will Need To Be Rebuilt After Being Ravaged By Fires

Australians can't imagine how towns will be rebuilt after bushfires

The town of Mallacoota has been gutted, with more than 100 homes destroyed by bushfires.

news.sky.com

Bushfires Are A Warning To The World

Australian bushfires are a warning to the world | Letters

Letters: Jo Dodds, president of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action, and other readers from Australia and the UK on the current extensive blazes and the climate crisis

www.theguardian.com

17 dead, 18 missing, 1,400 homes lost, 5 million hectares burned and 500 million animals dead

Seventeen dead and 18 missing in horrific Australian bushfires

Towns are running out of fuel and water, shops are selling out of basic supplies and more fatalities are expected as fires raging across southern Australia are set to get worse by Saturday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Bushfires Are So Big They've Started Generating Their Own Weather

Australia's Deadly Bushfires Are So Big They've Started Generating Their Own Weather

The bushfires in Australia are now so big that they are generating their own weather, in the form of giant thunderstorms that start more fires, according to the Bureau of Meteorology in Victoria.

www.sciencealert.com

Smoke turns New Zealand skies 'eerie' yellow

Australia fires: Smoke turns New Zealand skies 'eerie' yellow

More than 2,000km from the fires, New Zealanders are seeing hazy yellow skies and smelling burning.

www.bbc.co.uk

Other News

Australia fires: Mogo Zoo animals saved by staff efforts

All 200 animals survived a huge wildfire, with monkeys, pandas and a tiger kept at a zookeeper's home.

www.bbc.co.uk

Australia fires: Brave teenager filmed defending home from bushfires

A TEENAGER filmed her terrifying experience of defending her beloved home from the Australian bushfires.

www.express.co.uk

Australia fires: tens of thousands stranded while attempting to flee

Visitors who were told to evacuate a vast area along the NSW south coast before even worse fire conditions return stuck for hours in gridlocked traffic

www.theguardian.com

Australian bushfire crisis predicted to cost tourism industry hundreds of millions

Almost 4,300 insurance claims totalling $297m have been lodged since main fires began, but the bill is set to climb

www.theguardian.com

 

[Maofan7]

The whole thing is so horrible on so many levels but this cherry on top of a sh!t cake... WTF?!

"Many of the volunteer firefighters are unemployed; their benefits have been suspended because, while they’re saving people and habitats and homes, they can’t apply for the requisite number of jobs per week the government expects them to to continue receiving benefits." (source)

Guardian article from a couple of weeks ago: Volunteer firefighters in Australia warned not to crowdfund for equipment

Another one: How you can donate and help the volunteer firefighters in Australia's bushfire crisis

This disaster is to Scott Morrison what Hurricane Katrina was to George W Bush. A complete failure to grasp the full magnitude of the crises, always behind the eight ball and unable to get on top of matters, and a complete lack of joined up thinking.

 

[Japanfan]

"Many of the volunteer firefighters are unemployed; their benefits have been suspended because, while they’re saving people and habitats and homes, they can’t apply for the requisite number of jobs per week the government expects them to to continue receiving benefits." (source)

Guardian article from a couple of weeks ago: Volunteer firefighters in Australia warned not to crowdfund for equipment

That is seriously messed up!

 

[mag]

Mourning a disappearing world as Australia burns — The Globe and Mail

As fires rage, destroying homes, habitats and lives, it’s difficult not to see this tragedy as a deadly consequence of decades of neglect

apple.news

Not sure if this has been posted, but it brought tears to my eyes.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Thanks for posting the articles. It's interesting to see how this is being covered elsewhere.

 

[once_upon]

The magnitude of the burning is something I cant comprehend. I pray for rain.

 

[Maofan7]

Navy operations to evacuate people from the the isolated town of Mallacoota begin as forecasters warn temperatures will rise.

Australia bushfires: Navy begins evacuating thousands trapped in coastal town

Navy operations to evacuate people from the the isolated town of Mallacoota begin as forecasters warn temperatures will rise.

news.sky.com

Australian authorities are launching naval and air rescue operations along the country's southeast coast as deadly wildfires intensify, stranding residents and tourists in towns

Australian military to the rescue as deadly wildfires intensify

Australian authorities are launching naval and air rescue operations as deadly wildfires intensify, stranding residents and tourists in towns that may be wiped out by Saturday.

edition.cnn.com

New Zealand glaciers turn brown from Australian bushfires' smoke, ash and dust

New Zealand glaciers turn brown from Australian bushfires' smoke, ash and dust

Snow-capped peaks and glaciers discoloured as former PM says ash could accelerate glacial melting

www.theguardian.com

 

[Buzz]

I will be hoping and praying that Australia’s nightmare ends soon.

 

[clairecloutier]

Australia Is Committing Climate Suicide

Opinion | Australia Is Committing Climate Suicide

As record fires rage, the country’s leaders seem intent on sending it to its doom.

www.nytimes.com

Opinion piece from Australian novelist Richard Flanagan

 

[BlueRidge]

Australia Is Committing Climate Suicide

Opinion | Australia Is Committing Climate Suicide

As record fires rage, the country’s leaders seem intent on sending it to its doom.

www.nytimes.com

Opinion piece from Australian novelist Richard Flanagan

I just posted that to Facebook as it seems the most concise wake-up call about this that I've seen. And we have all got to wake up or we will all face this hell.

 

[TOADS]

I just posted that to Facebook as it seems the most concise wake-up call about this that I've seen. And we have all got to wake up or we will all face this hell.

we are going to face this hell......

I am plugged into BOM and I am impressed at the job these forecasters are doing. They really know their shit and their forecasts are on target.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Keeping track of the news. They are saying it is going to be a very bad day.

While not as serious as what is happening in Victoria and NSW we have fires around Hobart. Very smokey here and because it sits in a river valley it hangs around. Last summer we had really bad fires around this area.

 

[Maofan7]

A very rare “fire tornado”

RAW: Fire tornado tears through Kangaroo Island

Supplied video obtained January 3, 2020 of a fire tornado tearing through Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia near Adelaide. Two bushfires burning on Kangaroo Island are now at emergency level and spreading after jumping containment lines. The blaze has already blackened 10,000...

www.news.com.au

Fire tornado caught on camera on Kangaroo Island as Australian wildfires rage

Eyewitness video shows the firenado forming on the north coast of Kangaroo Island, which sits off the coast of south-central Australia.

abc7chicago.com

Fire whirl - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Bunny Hop]

While not as serious as what is happening in Victoria and NSW we have fires around Hobart. Very smokey here and because it sits in a river valley it hangs around. Last summer we had really bad fires around this area.

Thanks for flagging this. I will make sure to ask my parents (they live on the eastern shore in Hobart) if they are okay with the smoke when I phone them tomorrow. They are both in their 80s and my father does suffer from bronchitis.

The temperature here in north west Sydney is 48.4C (119F) at the moment. I believe this is the highest I have ever experienced. Needless to say I am sitting inside under the air con, but it still feels hot.

ETA: Temp peaked at 48.7C

 

[Bunny Hop]

This is an excellent summary of the situation (this is from The Washingon Post, but Richard Glover is an Australian journalist who regularly writes for The Sydney Morning Herald, one of our non-Murdoch papers).

 

[Maofan7]

Canberra and Penrith smash temperature records that stood for 80 years

Australian heatwave: Canberra and Penrith smash temperature records that stood for 80 years

Mercury hits 43.6C in Canberra and 48.9C in Penrith, making it one of the hottest places in the world

www.theguardian.com

 

[Japanfan]

Not everyone likes cricket, Scotty, and how are you not getting (having already been criticised for a similar comment a couple of months back) that people in danger or fighting fires will not be inspired by it or indeed be watching it.

If I didn't hate cricket already this would have certainly tipped me over the edge.

A cricket is match is entirely unimportant when your country is on fire, and animals and people are suffering/dying.

Scotty and Trump must love each other, being equal in stupidity.

 

[Maofan7]

Emergency workers say worst yet to come

Australia fires: Strong winds hamper efforts to control flames

Powerful gusts up to 80mph are threatening to spread the huge fires raging in New South Wales.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[clairecloutier]

We are seeing the very worst of our scientific predictions come to pass

We are seeing the very worst of our scientific predictions come to pass in these bushfires | Joëlle Gergis

As a climate scientist I am wondering if the Earth system has now breached a tipping point

www.theguardian.com

Article by an Australian climate scientist

 

[taz'smum]

We are seeing the very worst of our scientific predictions come to pass

We are seeing the very worst of our scientific predictions come to pass in these bushfires | Joëlle Gergis

As a climate scientist I am wondering if the Earth system has now breached a tipping point

www.theguardian.com

Article by an Australian climate scientist

Last Summer was a turning point for me, and for lots of my friends living here in Lyon.
It was simply too hot, and normal life was on hold until the extreme heat passed over.
What has scared us all, is that this is just the beginning of climate change, yet it was already too much for us.
Many are now making long term plans to move to cooler parts of France, such as Brittany.

 

[TOADS]

Emergency workers say worst yet to come

Australia fires: Strong winds hamper efforts to control flames

Powerful gusts up to 80mph are threatening to spread the huge fires raging in New South Wales.

www.bbc.co.uk

Yes we have breached the tipping point. Methane emissions are now in a positive feedback loop....