2 Feb 2021

Each year, seemingly without fail, somewhere in Australia, there is a large out of control bushfire.

Our version for this year appeared as smoke on our horizon yesterday, and the knowledge that a fire ‘somewhere in the hills’ was happening.

“The Hills” out of Perth have many things that attract people to live there. There’s all the amazing bush, trees, the breezes and the space. Those same things are also a part of the hazards of living in the hills, come bushfire season.

That beautiful iconic Australian bush, when dried out from a long summer, and in the midst of some very hot weather, accompanied by strong winds…. makes for terrifying conditions.

We hear often, during summer, that we need to have a bush fire plan in place. Those of us in the close metropolitan area takes those warnings with a pinch of salt, because the likelihood of it getting anywhere near us is very remote.

But this fire is getting much closer to parts of the metropolitan area, with some property lost and a lot under threat, and if nothing else is causing a lot of smoke issues on roads. People have been evacuated from their homes, and there are some seriously worried people.

Some are worried for the wrong reason – I did read something this morning about a recently evacuated person realising they had left behind their toilet paper stash….

And it’s another hot day. With strong winds.

It’s part of summer in Australia, but it’s not like flies and the beach.

Stay safe, my friends. If you’re told to evacuate – go. Things can be replaced, lives can’t.