After the Fires

[DaveC]

Recently we had to evacuate my wifes horse from the farm where it is normally agisted. Lightning started multiple bushfires in the hills around the property. The entire area around the farm has been affected by the fires. But thanks to the outstanding work of the predominantly volunteer firefighters, and the firefighting helicopter teams no lives were lost in the fires. Some fires continue to burn, although at a greater distance now. Bridlewood Farm where we agist lost some fencing but no buildings, indeed even the Tigersnake that lives near the driveway survived. Life is gradually getting back to normal.

ILCE-6000    Sony E 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS    55mm    f/9.5    1/60s    ISO 100

ILCE-6000    E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS    210mm    f/9.5    1/350s    ISO 100

Smoke plume from the western edge of the fires, about 24 hours after they started, from around 10km away

ILCE-6000    E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS    70mm    f/11.0    1/350s    ISO 200

Burnt hillside and roadside with unaffected pasture in between. If you look closely you can see that all of the roadside fencing is damaged.

ILCE-6000    E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS    177mm    f/11.0    1/350s    ISO 200

ILCE-6000    E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    46mm    f/11.0    1/350s    ISO 200

Holiday is over Marlee, time for a workout

ILCE-6000    E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    46mm    f/11.0    1/500s    ISO 200

 

[Michael J.]

Good nobody got hurt. Great that the horse is safe as well.

Sad event but you captured wonderful photos.

 

[DaveC]

Unfortunately, although nobody was lost in the fires as such, a German dressage champion was injured rescuing someone else's horses after saving her own. As far as I know she remains in a very serious condition in ICU.

 

[DaveC]

It's now approaching two years since this area was badly burned in the fires. My wife now has her horse on another property about 20km away as the crow flies. For over a year the nearby Mt. Cannibal reserve was closed to the public while dangerously burnt trees were cleared, trails rebuilt, and the environment given some space to start recovering. Yesterday I hiked the trail for the first time since the fires. It's remarkable how much regrowth there has been in the 22 months since the fires swept through, but also sad and sobering the amount of damage still very evident.

   E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    135mm    f/5.6    1/500s    ISO 640

   E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    135mm    f/5.6    1/1600s    ISO 640

   E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    18mm    f/10.0    1/160s    ISO 200

   E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    18mm    f/9.0    1/250s    ISO 200

   E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    18mm    f/9.0    1/1000s    ISO 200

   E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    18mm    f/9.0    1/1000s    ISO 200

   E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    18mm    f/9.0    1/1000s    ISO 200

   E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    70mm    f/9.0    1/1000s    ISO 200

   E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    70mm    f/9.0    1/100s    ISO 200

   E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    70mm    f/9.0    1/320s    ISO 200

   E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    135mm    f/9.0    1/60s    ISO 200

   E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS    18mm    f/9.0    1/100s    ISO 200

 

[WoodWorks]

View attachment 113424

That one!

I too live in a fire-prone place. It breaks your heart to see such loss. But if there’s one good thing about living for a long time, it’s that you get the chance to see how nature goes about recovering what seemed lost.

 

[bdbits]

Thanks for the update.

Here in the US at least, I think it is now recognized that not only were there plenty of natural fires prior to modern times, but that not allowing them to burn has significant downsides. It may take a few years, but it will recover. Just takes time.

 

[DaveC]

Many Australian plant species have actually adapted to need the fires as part of their germination process. Unfortunately when the fires are too extensive and/or intense, such as happened over much of the eastern coastal regions last summer, even many of these plants are wiped out. Watching the recovery is good, I just hope that we can learn better management quicker than we have been.