Long live our huts

"Work to rebuild a series of culturally-significant Australian High Country huts razed by the Black Summer bushfires is still to begin, as concerns grow it might never get underway.

A dozen of more than 100 huts constructed up to 120 years ago by stockmen and prospectors, and later the Snowy Mountains Authority, were destroyed or severely damaged by the monster fires of January 2020.Government says it will continue working closely with stakeholders in 'determining the next steps for these important sites'".(From the story "Fears razed high country huts lost forever" by John Kidman AAP)

Sawyer's Hut between Kiandra & Adaminaby. A staging post for coaches on the way to Kiandra. It was badly damaged in the 2003 fires, re-built in 2008-09. Had its walls re-oiled just prior to the Kosciusko fire where it was totally destroyed only the chimney and concrete slab remain.

Some videos from ACT Nat Parks of Namadgi NP firstly the battle to save the historic Orroral homestead & woolshed (an aerial tanker dropping retardant on the Orroral fire, coming in from the Tracking Station and (nearly) dumping the load on the woolshed. The photographer would have their back to the homestead, 29 Jan 2020) Orroral 2020  and now - Orroral homestead (which is still closed to the public) and the burnt areas surrounding it Orroral 2021

The Kiandra Court House a well known landmark beside the Snowy Mountains Highway. The bluestone building was erected in 1890, and many photos feature it in snow drifts. When the fire swept through it left only the stone walls and melted aluminum and glass (amazingly the toilet in the carpark survived)

Seriously hoping this doesn't come to pass. You have to admire the fortitude & perseverance of those who have restored huts only to see them burnt out again. With the increase in the population holidaying locally and the boom in caravans & camper trailers taking to 'The Bush', national parks and hut sites in particular are becoming the focus for more and more people, and how wonderful to have something to showcase and for them to appreciate.

Orroral Homestead

Have documented just a small selection of huts in previous posts - High Country huts  and From Dimb to Basalt Knob not just as a record of their existence, but because they are so iconic and make a simple but compelling statement about us and our past.

Long live our huts & our resurrected huts.

Grampians bushfire, again

It is less than 12 months since I posted on the Grampians bushfires that burnt-out the Victoria Valley & Range and swept up to Glenisla (see ‘Ongoing fires’ and ‘Fire by night’) and now in a sense of déjà vu, fire has broken out in the Grampians again. And as with the 2013 posts, I've relied on local photographer Lynton Brown for most of the images.

All photos Lynton Brown, except CFA

The fire is suspected to have started from lightning strikes on Wednesday in the Pohlners Road area between Rose Gap and Wartook in the Northern Grampians.

On Thursday the fire which had been burning in rocky, rugged slopes was spreading southward from the mountains towards homes around Wartook, Laharum and Brimpaen.

Above & below -  The fire on the 16th 

Aerial view, Firebombing helicopter on 16th, from CFA

There were about 620 firefighters, 8 bulldozers, and 88 trucks, as well as 2 firebomber aircraft and 3 support helicopters battling the fire on the 16th.

Above & below - The fire approaching Laharum on 16th

Friday was the major danger day, when strong gusty winds took the fire up the range to threaten Halls Gap, and the strong winds caused another front to spread north to Dadswells Bridge and towards St Helen’s Plains, closing the Western Highway. A southerly wind change moved across the area from about 8.00pm and caused erratic fire behaviour, and to largely halt the expansion around Halls Gap. Emergency services continued to work overnight on the fire as it threatened the towns of Dadswells Bridge and Halls Gap.

Above & below - The evacuation of Halls Gap, 12-1pm on 17th

Grampians Rd near Stawell looking towards Halls Gap, 17th

The smoke plume, from Stawell's Big Hill, 17th

At 1pm today Saturday the fire in the Northern end of the Grampians National Park is now approximately 51,800 hectares in size. It is now west of Halls Gap in the Mount Difficult Range. The fire is not yet under control and a spot fire is burning in the Silverbands Falls area (south of Halls Gap). The main threat to Halls Gap and Grampians Junction has now passed.

Fire activity in the Dadswells Bridge, St Helens Plains area north of the Western Highway has subsided as firefighters have stopped the spread of the bushfire in the Dadswells Bridge area at the Western Highway, although it is not yet under control. Current resources include 556 personnel (they are supplying around 1500 meals to firefighters per day), 81 tankers, 38 slip-on vehicles, seven dozers, four fixed-wing aircraft and six helicopters. There are also a number of graders, excavators and support vehicles on scene.

Extent of the fire, as at 5pm 17th, from CFA

The Western Highway remains closed between the intersection of the Stawell-Warracknabeal Road and Horsham, but the Henty Highway is now open. Emergency services vehicles and crews will be working in the area.

Photo composite - Stawell on 17th (Lynton Brown)

Approximately 500 people have attended relief centres at Horsham, Stawell and Ararat over the past few days. Stock losses are around 7500, with assessments still continuing, the numbers will climb. The CFA will look at whether those who have evacuated will be allowed to return to their homes. And focus will also be on clearing any tree hazards, however residents need to be aware that this remains a danger after any fire. The Grampians National Park remains closed until noon Monday January 20^th.

Looking south to the Grampians from Taylors Lake Rd, 5pm 17th

The fire's glow at 9:30pm 17th, at Taylors Lake

Not forgetting the Mallee fires the Bronzewing Fire near Tempy is out of control, and the Sunraysia Highway is closed between the Calder Highway intersection and Speed. The Albacutya Fire is still out of control and has been burning since Tuesday 14th, 85 fire-fighting units are currently battling it.

Lake Albacutya Fire

Thanks goes to Lynton for the photos, and all the miles he's had to cover.

Fire on record

No-one wishes natural disasters to descend upon anyone, but from amidst the Blue Mountains bushfires has come a Flickr Group dedicated to recording the events now and from the past. The Blue Mountains Bushfires is one way for the people in the region to post their photographs and for the rest of us to attempt to grasp the enormity of the situation.

The photostream of the Flickr group

The Group's banner image is of the Chateau Napier in Leura. The photograph was taken soon after the 1957 bushfire which destroyed large areas of the towns of Leura and Wentworth Falls (more than 150 properties were lost on the 3rd December). Although the Chateau ruins have since been demolished, the site remains undeveloped. The remains have a heritage listing and this has presented certain difficulties for potential developers.From a colour slide, dated Jan 5, 1958, the image is now part of the Local Studies collection of the Blue Mountains City Library.
 

Chateau Napier, Leura

Like the local Grampians bushfires in February, photographs play an important role in the description of and remembrance of major episodes and catastrophic events.

Our thoughts are with all those involved.

Fire by night

At Brimpaen, 7:30pm on 20th

The next installment in the Grampians Bushfire.
The fire takes on a different aspect at night -

From Gary Smith of Casterton

The large slow-moving fire is travelling in a westerly direction, and is still out of control.
It has now grown to over 32,500 hectares.

Brimpaen on 21st, Lynton says this thunderhead had its own lightning show

Community Meetings to discuss the fire efforts are being held at Cavendish, Balmoral and Dunkeld. Relief Centres have been established at Hamilton and Balmoral.
The Henty Highway remains closed between the Brimpaen-Laharum Road and Mooralla. Diversions are in place at Horsham and Cavendish.

Between Brimpaen & Cherrypool looking southeast, on 21st

Compare this CFA map to the one in the previous post. This image was created at 8am today.

From Reeds Lookout overlooking the Victoria Valley to the fire on the Victoria Range

Ongoing fires

North of the Western Highway looking south to the Grampians, 10pm on 18th

How un-prophetic my post from Thursday 14th now appears
This morning DSE & Parks Victoria advised that multiple fires (14) occurred due to lightning strikes in the Grampians National Park area. All fires are small and not posing any threats to park visitors or adjoining landholders. The fires are being controlled by DSE and Parks Victoria crews supported by water bombing aircraft. The fires were started by lightning, and are located in the Mt William, Victoria Valley, and Mt Abrupt areas. More lightning activity is expected this afternoon and overnight.

In the Southern Grampians, on Saturday 16th

The Victoria Valley Complex as it is now named, is currently 14,600 hectares and still out of control. There are 71 units including aerial appliances fighting the fire.

The smoke trapped in a inversion layer on 16th, south of Glenisla

 After a number of the the small lightning strike fires joined up, they threatened Mirranatwa, then after the cool change brought on a new wind direction the fire roared up the Victoria Valley and into the Victoria Range, it is now threatening the Glenisla and Woohlpooer Forest areas. News Flash - the Henty Highway has just been closed.

Long exposure looking back to the Grampians, 11:15pm on 17th

 Again I've included some of Lynton Brown's photos, as he's making numerous drives out to the area. Below is one that seems to typify these fires - CFA volunteers watch a helicopter water-bomb the fire as it nears private property in the Southern Grampians on Monday 18th (the property was saved).

 

A map representation from the CFA Country Fire Authority of the Grampians fire (as at 19th). 
The Blue symbol = Controlled, Yellow + Contained, and Red = Going. 
The fire is now breaking out of the range and national park and heading west to threaten private land and the Henty Highway (the red line).


The Grampians fires are not the largest bushfire in Victoria at present. From the CFA's site on 10th, the map below gives you an idea of the size of the Aberfeldy fire (currently over 82,000 hectares) here's how it would look if it was across Melbourne.

 

By today, the Aberfeldy-Donnellys Fire has burnt through approximately 84,860ha, has a 388 km perimeter and has now been burning for 32 days. DSE, CFA, Parks Victoria and NSW Rural Fire Service personnel continue to work to control this fire. The fire will continue to burn within control lines into the coming weeks.The aim of the authorities is to secure control lines and complete burning around the Licola Valley to protect private property. Currently there are 258 personnel, 6 tankers and 63 slip-ons and 23 bulldozers working. CFA and DSE crews are based in Licola.

Images from Crusty's mobile phone

Crews from the Southern Grampians Shire area - Penshurst and Grange brigades protecting some of the historic huts in danger from the Aberfeldy fire. Here, near Licola, smoke from the fire is visible in the fold of the valley beyond.

 

Infrared camera image for identifying fire hotspots (from CFA)

On the 8th February, this fire at  Mt Arapiles didn't even seem to rate a mention in the news. CFA crews stopped this fire on Friday, less than 100 metres from the forest flanking Mt Arapiles. 

Aerial shot from the CFA

 

Nature's most electrifying

There has been some dramatic weather around during the last 24 hours, and its progress is best demonstrated by photographer Lynton Brown who as usual was out taking photos of sunrises, sunsets and clouds.

This first in the sequence was taken just before 4:30pm looking west towards the approaching storms. At that stage he was checking the weather radar with storms near the border, Kaniva and Goroke areas.

An hour later - 5:30 near Drung

Snapped on his way to the Grampians, to capture the action, the storm front is approaching.

Taken at the Laharum Football Ground, the Grampians in the background

Looks like the Laharum shot is now Lynton's Facebook Cover Photo - check out more of his work at his facebook site Lynton Brown Photography or his website
 

Near Mount Zero

Inevitably all this dramatic climatic action caused a number of bushfires from lightning strikes, fortunately the accompanying rain dampened some.
This morning DSE & Parks Victoria advised that multiple fires (14) occurred due to lightning strikes in the Grampians National Park area. All fires are small and not posing any threats to park visitors or adjoining landholders. The fires are being controlled by DSE and Parks Victoria crews supported by water bombing aircraft. The fires were started by lightning, and are located in the Mt William, Victoria Valley, and Mt Abrupt areas. More lightning activity is expected this afternoon and overnight.

On the opposite side of Horsham, the Country Fire Authority advises that there is fire activity in the Little Desert National Park, where multiple lightning strikes overnight caused multiple fires in the area. These fires are being controlled and emergency crews are monitoring the area. Smoke may be visible from the nearby communities of Goroke, Gymbowen, Minimay, Miram South, Kaniva, Miram, and Ozenkadnook.
Then to the west are the Kadnook fires (affecting Kadnook, Harrow, Edenhope, Powers Creek, and Dergholm) also started by lightning these were the earliest strikes and being controlled.
To all the firefighters and residents out there - play it safe.