My First Bush Fire
I left Maryland with hopes of disasters behind me.
Let’s face it, last year was a banner year: we had a tornado, 2 hurricanes, storms, flooding, and the first earthquake I’ve ever witnessed. I am not exaggerating when I say my nerves were shot, and we were all tired from the constant clean up and repair.
I shouldn’t be surprised while sitting here in my Perth home and I smelled smoke. I wasn’t alarmed too badly as I had often heard John remark that he smells smoke and that it must be a distant bush fire somewhere.
The smell got stronger and stronger. Then I heard sirens, and they were getting closer. Then I looked out of the window and the usual sunny grass was red. I knew then something was very wrong. I ran outside to see a pillar of smoke over John’s house, covering the sun and casting the red glow to the ground.
The smoke over John’s house
Now I wasn’t sure what to do. There was no way for me to determine how close it was. I decided to come back inside, email John about it, and finish my lunch when our neighbor, Michel knocked at the door to see if I was alright. I guess he knew I’d be shook up, seeing how this is all new to me. I went outside to talk to him and some other neighbors came back from seeing the fire and they said it looked bad to them. After some discussion and seeing some helicopters fly over the house, I came back inside and John’s response to the email was, “You mean you aren’t at the site taking photos?”
Well, good question. So, I grabbed my camera and started in the direction of the fire. Along the way, I got to meet some of our other neighbors, they were also excited and concerned. I kept walking towards the smoke and the direction of the helicopters, memorizing street names as I went, as I wanted to be able to find my way back home.
As I turned the corner this was looming ahead.
I don’t think this was a little bush fire. Less than a half mile from where we live I reached flames and the activity of the firemen, police, and people looking at what was going on, most taking pictures and movies.
Helicopter about to drop water.
As I got closer it just looked more massive.
Beyond the truck I could see flames.
Getting closer, and I felt so sad to see this beautiful area John and I had walked, and Laura had biked, on fire.
At a time I thought was rather late in the stage, the firemen went for their hoses. John explained later that if they had watered around it earlier, it would have only dried too quick to help at all.
Flames behind an entrance to the Koondoola Bush.
More hose. There was a time when the flames just seemed never to go out and only spread.
I couldn’t help but notice the ARSON sign posted in the trees amidst the flames. Apparently this wasn’t the first bush fire here.
Helicopter dropping water from a nearby lake.
Channel 10 news reporter, Alice Pooley, talking to the people in the area.
In the end, not even a half mile from our house was the bush fire, and it took from 11 am til around 4:30 until I heard the last helicopter.
The blaze has burnt 45 hectares of bush in Koondoola open space since 11:00 am. (local time)
Authorities say although there is no threat to lives or homes, residents in the area are urged to remain alert for signs of fire.
Fire crews are mopping up and will remain in the area overnight.
A total of 55 firefighters and several waterbombers were brought in to fight the blaze.
Properties in several suburbs, including Koondoola, Alexander Heights, and parts of Ballajura and Malaga, were at one point, under threat.
The Fire and Emergency Services Authority said the blaze closed a number of roads.
Authorities believe the fire was deliberately lit as there are multiple ignition points.
