bushfires outside Perth.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2005-01-20 05:53am

As people here probably do not know, over the last few days there have been massive bushfires in the hills outside Perth, Western Australia.

A 50km front on the fire is big and covered a huge area. And it was deliberately started.

The Premire of the state just anounced a $100000 AUS reward for information leading to the arrest of the persons responsible for starting it.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2005-01-20 06:10am

The area the fires burn out covere is 15000 hectares, or 150 km^2.

The smoke yesterday blanked the city, so thick you could visible see the crap at ground level.

mr friendly guy · Post by **mr friendly guy** » 2005-01-20 06:12am

As someone also living in Perth I could see the smoke on the way to work today. The latest reports suggest it may be a few days before the smog fades.

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2005-01-20 07:10am

ggs wrote: The Premire of the state just anounced a $100000 AUS reward for information leading to the arrest of the persons responsible for starting it.

Thats easy. Its the same guy that is responsible for most of the shit going on in the world. Hint: Bushfire

Now hand over my money!

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » 2005-01-20 07:46am

Why do they think it was deliberately set? Do Australian ranchers burn dry grass like some do here in Texas and in Mexico?

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2005-01-20 07:56am

Elfdart wrote:Why do they think it was deliberately set? Do Australian ranchers burn dry grass like some do here in Texas and in Mexico?

We do controlled burnoffs to clear undergrowth on australia forested areas. This works btw.

linky

Perth's had a week of bushfires, and police confirm that they've been deliberately lit

linky2

FEARS have grown that Perth's worst bushfire in 45 years will break containment lines and threaten suburban properties again, with hot, windy weather conditions forecast for the weekend.

Around 300 fire personnel were still battling the 25,000ha blaze in Perth's eastern hills area today, with thick smoke expected to smother the city for at least the next two days.

Firefighters, four water-dumping helicopters and 70 fire trucks were used to shore up the fire's southern boundary, which was expected to be hit hard by rising temperatures and strong northerly winds, the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) said.

"We're quite worried about the coming weekend," CALM director of regional services Alan Walker said.

"We've got temperatures going to go back into the high 30s, we're going to get wind changes from the north and being such a long fire – with a 150km perimeter – we can expect pressure on the southern boundary

"We need to do a lot of work to make this fire safe."

While the deliberately lit fire was contained last night, easing the threat for the hills suburbs of Mundaring, Helena Valley, Sawyer's Valley and Mahogany Creek, it was still burning in large patches within containment lines, CALM said.

"There is still a lot of potential risk of escapes across those containment lines," Mr Walker said.

"There are millions of burning trees and burning logs that could throw embers across the boundary and get the fire going again.

"We won't be easing up on (containment) work over the course of the next couple of days."

CALM meanwhile confirmed the blaze was started by an arsonist at six spots on Perth's south-eastern fringes on Saturday.

Two fires joined to devastate 18,000ha of state forest, 6700ha of national park, 400ha of plantation pine and 200ha of private property.

The West Australian Government has offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the firebug's arrest.

Thermal imaging equipment worth $2 million borrowed from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service had been used by CALM in the past 24 hours to plot the fire's progression through smoke and darkness.

CALM is considering whether to ask the WA Government for a similar device, Mr Walker said.

Perth's smoke haze levels were confirmed today as the highest ever recorded in the metropolitan area by the WA environment department's air quality division.

Pollution levels recorded yesterday were more than twice the national standard of 50 micrograms per cubic metre.

Bolding mine.

Robert Walper · Post by **Robert Walper** » 2005-01-20 08:35am

Am I the only one who though this was another Bush thread?

Lusankya · Post by **Lusankya** » 2005-01-20 08:36am

Elfdart wrote:Why do they think it was deliberately set? Do Australian ranchers burn dry grass like some do here in Texas and in Mexico?

Because Australia has jerks who should be shot (or at least sterilised) who, for some ineffable reason, go, "gee, duh, errr.... gosh, darn, wouldn't it be fun to go and light a fire in the malle scrub out there?" "err, duh, yeah! That sounds super, especially on a hot, windy day like today. What else are we going to do?"

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2005-01-20 08:37am

Robert Walper wrote:Am I the only one who though this was another Bush thread?

offcourse not

Post by **weemadando** » 2005-01-20 08:31pm

People who deliberately set bushfires should be burnt at the stake. I'm not kidding. And idiots who ACCIDENTALLY (through their own stupidity) cause them (by doing things like lighting campfires, doing a non-approved and monitored burnoff or tossing cigarettes out car windows) should have 3rd degree burns caused to about 60% of their body. Preferably the bits like the face, genitals, feet and hands.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2005-01-20 09:18pm

weemadando wrote:People who deliberately set bushfires should be burnt at the stake. I'm not kidding. And idiots who ACCIDENTALLY (through their own stupidity) cause them (by doing things like lighting campfires, doing a non-approved and monitored burnoff or tossing cigarettes out car windows) should have 3rd degree burns caused to about 60% of their body. Preferably the bits like the face, genitals, feet and hands.

Or, simply force them to give up 90% of their salary until they have paid the cost of fighting the fire and the damaged property. Much more productive,

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Post by **weemadando** » 2005-01-20 10:09pm

fgalkin wrote: Or, simply force them to give up 90% of their salary until they have paid the cost of fighting the fire and the damaged property. Much more productive,

And then burn them...

I'm big on the capital punishment for this particular crime.

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2005-01-20 11:46pm

Robert Walper wrote:Am I the only one who though this was another Bush thread?

"Bush fires!..."

I thought so, but only for an instant. Then I was like, "Wait, he'd never attack a complacent nation with no oil."

Ypoknons · Post by **Ypoknons** » 2005-01-21 09:44am

I agree. As someone who lived in Sydney in a former life, er, a decade ago, those Australian fires - ick sleeping in refugee camps, sleeping in dust filled swimming pools, losing the last two days of your holiday, finding out how good the air conditioning on your Camry really is (actually, it is very very good)... causes me to want to burn whoever starts these things at the stake.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

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