Roast kangaroos: or, Australia's big fire

[13 Spider Bloody Chain]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7877178.stm

Well, here's to hoping our Aussie forum members don't get toasted.

 

[Redcoat-Mic]

My ignorance is shown as I don't get how you can be caught out by a fire when you're in a car.

 

[arbites_augmented]

I was thinking the same thing. I suppose that you could hit something trying to get away, and then the fire ignites the Petrol tank.

 

[13 Spider Bloody Chain]

My ignorance is shown as I don't get how you can be caught out by a fire when you're in a car.

I don't know much either, but I'm assuming that either fire spreads through vegetation far faster than expected, or the thick smoke generated by the fires made people crash (the article seems to imply this). That, and I'd think that not everyone could have kept their wits about them long enough to drive safely.

 

[thesneakster]

When the fires going at 100km/h and is blowing smoke its pretty hard to outrun it. cause, you know, driving faster than 100km/h with 10 meters vis is not easy.

Not to mention that the fires weren't just  a single "front" as your probably imaging. they were surrounding the towns, coming from many sides at once. It wasn't a case of "drive away", it was a case of "oh **** oh ****, is that road still passable?" "oh **** its not, find another way"

 

[Redcoat-Mic]

27 mph fire?
That's a ****ing fast fire.

 

[mrcrotch]

Yeh I was reading about this! I got terrified!

 

[13 Spider Bloody Chain]

27 mph fire?
That's a ****ing fast fire.

And if the fires were actually going 100 km/h, they'd be going ~62 mph. Which is, again, ****ing fast.

 

[mrcrotch]

Please stop.

 

[Redcoat-Mic]

27 mph fire?
That's a ****ing fast fire.

And if the fires were actually going 100 km/h, they'd be going ~62 mph. Which is, again, ****ing fast.

Damn mistyped google translation.

 

[jlgx50]

Yer I have been lessening to the radio most of the day now and there have been 100 or so death so fare but what I don't understand is why they didn;t get out be for the fire started, it's quite horrible and unbelievable at the same time.

 

[Lyze]

Aye, fires can go terrifingly fast. Everyone here in B.C. still remembers the Summer of '03. Those fires would leap kilometres ahead, because of the strong winds, and roar across the dry valley ground. Lost a couple settlements in that fire. Don't know if they're rebuilding, either.

It doesn't beat Australia's right now, though. No one died in our fires.

 

[okiN]

Ach. Wildfires are nasty, and no mistake.

 

[Redcoat-Mic]

what I don't understand is why they didn;t get out be for the fire started,

Because then no problem existed, so there's no reason to get out.

 

[Jagenfox]

The problem with cars in fires is that a car requires oxygen for the fuel to burn, if there is thick smoke the car will just die then you are screwed. Not to mention the driver requires breathable air as well.

 

[Lyze]

Driver? Air! *pff* Naaaaw... You're just trippin, man.

 

[jlgx50]

128 people have died so fare

Edit: 1 I actually live about 20 minutes away from were some of these fires are

 

[Lt. of the tower]

128 people have died so fare

Edit: 1 I actually live about 20 minutes away from were some of these fires are

I remember on the tv is said in the afternoon about 58 died, then by night time it was about 89, last I heard over 700 house obliterated, its the worst fire for a while I think. Hell fire in the south, floods in the North! Freaking scary ****. My friend said some of his family live around that area in Victoria and his mum said they were nearly surrounded by the fire.

 

[Jagenfox]

Driver? Air! *pff* Naaaaw... You're just trippin, man.

Yeah, we still drive our own cars here in Australia

 

[rageshrub]

I like in Kilmore, 4ks west of where one of the bigger fires started. It gets to a point where you can't outrun the fire, it's too fast. Some of the fires were shooting embers and the like 4km. You can't out run that. They recommend if you're a a car and you get caught to pull over, get down and wait it out. Petrol tanks are fire resistant and so unless it's punctured it will not explode, the real killer is the fumes form burning plastic etc.