HOT xmas and fires in Perth
According to a BBC report this morning, Perth was the hottest city in the world yesterday. At 44.2°C (111°F), apparently we sweltered through our hottest ever December day.
~ now, how's THAT for a Boxing Day to remember?? ~
Of course, hot hot hot weather equals extremely high fire danger, with fires in the northern suburbs on Xmas day (40.7°C) and fires south of the city yesterday. I've been "on call" over the holiday period, which mercifully means no alcohol for this sucker! This has its advantages you know....
Anyhoo.... Luckily, even though "The Hills" area is most *at risk* in this weather (I live in The Hills of Perth, which is why I'm a volunteer bushfire fighter), we've only had one small scrub fire late yesterday, which was contained very quickly. With the temperature expected to only reach 32°C today, some of our stand-by resources have been made available to other brigades. So at 3pm I'm off to the southern-suburbs fire (Mandogalup), and hopefully be home by midnight. Provided the weather doesn't change too much - although, winds WILL swing back around into easterlies during the evening, that much a fire-fighter can be sure of!, we should be able to consolidate containment lines and begin mopping-up the mess left behind from three days of fire.
If it has enough battery, I'll take my camera along and snap some shots.... either way, I'll report in tomorrow.
~ now, how's THAT for a Boxing Day to remember?? ~
Of course, hot hot hot weather equals extremely high fire danger, with fires in the northern suburbs on Xmas day (40.7°C) and fires south of the city yesterday. I've been "on call" over the holiday period, which mercifully means no alcohol for this sucker! This has its advantages you know....
Anyhoo.... Luckily, even though "The Hills" area is most *at risk* in this weather (I live in The Hills of Perth, which is why I'm a volunteer bushfire fighter), we've only had one small scrub fire late yesterday, which was contained very quickly. With the temperature expected to only reach 32°C today, some of our stand-by resources have been made available to other brigades. So at 3pm I'm off to the southern-suburbs fire (Mandogalup), and hopefully be home by midnight. Provided the weather doesn't change too much - although, winds WILL swing back around into easterlies during the evening, that much a fire-fighter can be sure of!, we should be able to consolidate containment lines and begin mopping-up the mess left behind from three days of fire.
If it has enough battery, I'll take my camera along and snap some shots.... either way, I'll report in tomorrow.