Following on from yesterday, today we are facing Extreme fire danger. Extreme is the second top rating for fire danger, with the top being Catastrophic. Parts of our state are rated Catastrophic today, and the advice for those areas is simply to leave early. Friends who have been camping in an area that will today be rated as Catastrophic were told to leave last night, because if a fire develops today there would be no chance for them to survive. All National Parks in NSW have been closed today.
Because of where our home is (quite close to bushland), and the likely wind direction today, we feel that our home is at a very high risk of fire attack if a fire develops in our area. Yesterday, as well as physically preparing our home and yard, we prepared our bushfire survival plan so that we know what we will do in such an emergency. Our plan is simply to leave early. There is no way we would stay behind to defend our property.
We have neighbours who are older and do not have transport, so I went in to one of them and we prepared her bushfire survival plan as well – she would come with us if we left early or evacuated in an emergency. Our other neighbour is very elderly and we would just front up at her door and say “come with us, now”. She’s not really with it enough for me to prepare her beforehand. Even if I did, there’s no knowing whether she’d remember any of it at the time.
This morning we will keep our house shut up as much as possible to keep the heat out. The forecast is still for 43 degrees Celcius (just under 110 degrees Fahrenheit). We’ll water the vegies early and cover them with a sheet to keep some of the heat off.
We will pack our bushfire survival kit and maybe even pack the car, ready to leave. Perhaps we’re overdoing it, but quite frankly, I’d rather survive. 🙂
Hopefully tomorrow I will simply report that the day passed without incident, though we were extremely hot and sweaty. As we’ve been saying to all family and friends, stay safe and stay cool!
White Threads is the blog of Yvette Stanton, the author, designer, publisher behind Vetty Creations' quality needlework books and embroidery products.
Our thoughts and prayers will be with you…
Thanks Rachel. I’m sure we’ll be fine, but we feel it is better to be aware and prepared!
Oh, my Yvette, I’m so sorry your are undergoing this kind of weather danger. We have had that here in the US in Colorado and Calif (and other states at times) and it is indeed a very frightening thing.
For flooding disasters, they often just pull a U-Haul truck up to the door and take all the household contents to a safe place.
But with fire, they usually don’t have nearly as much warning! Loading pets, and photographs and people in the cars is about it.
Do stay safe (as it appears you are doing) and let us hear from you soon!
Lynn
Thanks Lynn. Thankfully we don’t have any pets to worry about! And all my embroidery will get left behind in an evacuation. It is simply not that important.
I am horrified at the prospect of what you are facing and hope you and your family are okay. And as well all those lovely animals that you have out there. I am going to stop complaining about our cold weather. I am sure you are packing up all the things that are most precious and irreplaceable. I will be keeping you in my thoughts. Good luck and be safe!
Thanks Eileen. Nearly midday and no fires around the Sydney area yet. I’m quite amazed. I’m also still feeling quite cool in our little house (with no airconditioning!). We are listening to the emergency broadcaster radio station, so are being kept up to date. There are new and dangerous fires starting in other areas of the state. We’re not in danger, but a lot of people are.
I’m sure the cold you are experiencing is not fun – cold can kill as well as fire.
Your survival kit should include your passports, your bank details, your address book, your insurance documents, and your medicines, especially for those allergies. Wrap your jewellery in something and put it in the bottom of your freezer. If you use birth control medication, do not leave that behind. Take spare shoes and a change of underwear.
Do not wait until the end. There will be too many people on the roads and you may not get through. Many people die in their cars because they leave too late. You must get those children and old ladies to a shelter in plenty of time.
Stuff some socks in the downpipes off your roof and fill the guttering with water. The embers will land on your roof. Fill the bathtub with water and soak some blankets in there.
The horrible reality is that there is no such thing as a dead hero. Only dead.
My thoughts are with you. My daughter was in Tasmania and just managed to get away safely.
Great thoughts there, Louise. They completely echo the RFS’s Bushfire Survival Plan document. We’re a LEAVE EARLY family. 🙂 I’m so glad to hear that your daughter is ok.
We’ve made it past midday and there are still no fires in the Sydney region.
Stay safe! My thoughts are with you, Yvette.
Thanks Monica. I’m actually having a lovely day designing a new embroidery. 🙂
All my thoughts are with you ! I cross my fingers and do hope you won’t have to face at this awful situation.
We saw pictures on French TV yesterday.
Good luck and I look forward to hearing good news from you.
Thank you Lou. 🙂
Good luck. My thoughts are with you. I look forward to hearing from you tomorrow that you are hot and sweaty but otherwise safe.
Thanks Carol. Just writing an update now. 🙂