Damn!

It's low!

Stepping up.

 

Wallangarra/Girraween Fire.

 

State of play.

So...here is a map of the Girraween fire as it was today. If the top of the map is North we are a little West of Glen Aplin. The fire is about 15kms away as the Kookaburra flies. We have heard the water bombing planes and helicopters today and once again have been in the smoke drift. The fire is apparently being controlled at the moment so that is good. There is no rain forecast and the wind direction for the next week will send the smoke in our direction. This is not the usual wind direction that we expect but it is probably due to Cyclone Oma, currently a Category 2 cyclone, out in the Pacific near Fiji. It is expected to head in our direction in the coming week. We hope it doesn't rain but it pours!(Higgins Storm Chasing)

A pair of kippers.

So... last night we abandoned Blue Moon for Frogknot as our bedroom in the new house was too smoky. The breezeways we have built in do not yet have a way to seal them off but we will get those done before Winter comes.The morning found us once again in the drifting smoke which I find worrying not only because of the poor air quality but surely it means the wind is blowing the fire in our direction.I was at the Book Cave for the morning and this afternoon we just hunkered down in the house to avoid the smoke. We have the wood for the deck roof and we have the steel risers for the steps up to the deck waiting to be installed but it would be silly to be outside as it is.We had a little scare this afternoon when they upgraded the fire danger to its highest level of 'Emergency Warning' and were telling the people of Eukey to evacuate after the fire had breached efforts to contain it but it has been downgraded to 'Advice ( no immediate threat)' this evening. It is the fifth day of the fire and it has burnt 125 square miles of bushland and National Park. Tonight the 'Firies' are working late creating fire breaks with bulldozers and back burning ahead of the approaching fire and appear more confident that they are in control of it. It is presently spreading West rather than North West as it was earlier but these Westerly winds are still forecast for days yet. We need it blown the other way back over the burnt land or some decent rain to put it out but there appears no hope of that in sight.Tonight it seems less smoky outside but once again we will sleep in Frogknot in case the wind changes direction during the night.