Bush Fires

Last night we had record temperatures overnight of 25 plus, followed by 41.8 degrees (another record for Hobart) today accompanied by strong hot winds from the north. The consequences of that were that we have had catastrophic fires again. 

I grew up in the hamlet of Bream Creek/Kellevie on the south east coast of our little island and in 1967 there were devastating fires through that area, amongst others. Today they were there again, although a little further south. I was at school in Hobart in 1967, and not at home, but I remember the pall of smoke over the city, and the cinders dropping from the sky as we walked home early that afternoon - home to me was a boarding house attached to the school, full of country kids, and all night long parents and/or police arrived to tell one or other of these girls there that their house had been burnt down or family member died.  I was 15 and remember it as clearly as I remember what happened today. The school I attended before High School was a local country school at a small fishing village called Dunalley.  Today that town was burnt down, along with the school and 64 other buildings. The sky was full of smoke over the city too - but from a fire some 30 kilometres away to the north, where another small country community is fighting for its existence. I took photos from my balcony late this afternoon - the temp was still around 35 degrees and there was ash falling, as you can see in the second photo.

We are alright and unless Agamemnon occurs will be fine. But I am very sad. And apparently climate change doesn't exist.