All hands in the area, and out of it, came on board to help. My shift was 2pm to 10pm on the first day. It was a tad scary looking at the smoke plume from pur station as we waited for the first crew to come back for shift change. I'd say it was my biggest fire yet. It was big enough to begin forming its own weather pattern.
Jen and Andrew looking at the smoke as we wait for the trucks to return to station. Andrew did a later shift, but came down to be station crew for us. It is always very welcome when someone does that. I did it for him too. So good to see a friendly face when you get back after a long shift.
It was a long way out into the bush, so no lights could be seen apart from the twinkling burning logs and stags out in the burnt-over forest.
It is a strange world. Very disorientating with the criss-crossing tracks, the noise, and the flashing lights in the darkness. Here's a little bit of video, three short shots I took of the night progressing to darkness as the sun set behind the smoke of the continuing fire to our south and west. I was very glad we were tasked to blacking out the rear of the fire and not anywhere near the raging head, which was hit by helitacs from the air, thank goodness. It will look better if you go full screen.
One of our crew got pics of Jen and I together out there. I hope he did get them and will send them to me. It might not happen too often that we get out there together!
I did find a moment of magic out there. This little frog was one of a number that hopped away to tunnels in the bank when I sneaked down into the creek-line to have a crafty wee.
When I say little, I mean tiny. They were less than a centimetre across and superbly camouflaged. Can you see him there?
All of a sudden, it was quiet all around me, because the truck had gone off to get water. The noisy engines of the dozers and other trucks were far away, and I was in this safe little bit of unburned bush and these tiny frogs were everywhere. It was like a moment out of time. Then it was back to the truck and away to put more wet stuff on red stuff.
I was sorry to miss out on doing a shift with the ICV crew, but did enjoy seeing them and saying hello when we came the half an hour back down rough (rough!) tracks to the control point. They were a glowing beacon out of the dark. (Tom got this pic of the ICV.)
I got stung four times on the knee by an angry wasp that crawled up my PPE pants, and on the neck once by something else that I never even saw. Ah well, at least I gave the sweet St. John's guys something to do, and another firetruck got to watch the interesting spectacle of a fellow firey appearing out of the darkness in their lights, appearing to be stripping off rapidly in the middle of the fireground. Which I was, before the bloody thing could sting/bite me again!
In news closer to home, my book, Cunning Plans, is being reviewed on a local horse radio show tonight, and I hear the reviewer really enjoyed reading it, so that's great news! It will be on here at 6pm local time, if you'd like to listen in. http://www.sportfm.com.au/listen-live-913/
My little chookies are getting so big and leggy. They are out free-ranging with mama now. I think there is still some risk from ravens but hopefully she will keep them safe and they are just too big and fast to keep shut up any more. Poor Fat Bastard, the half-tame Bronzewing, got a bit of a rude shock. That's no way to maintain his portly dignity!
It's wet and humid here after the cyclone from up north blew down here to Perth and dumped a lot of rain on us. I'm still very glad of it though, because it put out that big fire and saved us days of blacking out!
Have a good week and I'll see you on the other side of it. xxx
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