Floods, fires, fuel, flus & flares

Plenty going on on the disaster front world-wide - floods in Pakistan killing over a thousand people, affecting a million more, wildfires in Greece & Russia, BP may finally start plugging the leaking Gulf oil well, and more locally, an outbreak of swine flu at Seddon School in the South Island had almost half of the school away sick last week, and finally a couple of solar flares are headed our way today, but thankfully they don't seem to be big enough to do much more than put on a stunning display of the Aurora Australis if you happen to live far enough south. Massive solar flares have the potential to knock out satellites & communications and power grids.

I presume you all survived Sunday's weather all right. I saw the weather warnings for the wind and rain, but wasn't anywhere near a computer to be able to post about them as I was on holiday - certainly made the ferry crossing interesting!

Drought caused by bumblebee

One of the things I do is keep an eye on the fire weather data - a series of very useful statistics for predicting the behaviour of wildfires - based on things like recent rainfall, humidity, wind speed, how dry the grass is, how dry the earth is, etc. I was noting with some concern that our weather station at Titahi Bay wasn't receiving much rainfall at all, and the drought code was rising fast - recording similar levels to Northland, which is officially in drought. And then at the end of March the number dropped overnight back to a level more consistent with the rest of the region, and we hadn't had enough rain to cause that kind of drop, so I asked about it.

Turns out a dead bumblebee had gotten stuck in the gauge, so it wasn't working properly. So, bumblebee removed, drought averted!

Thank you

Thanks to the Titahi Bay residents for hosting an event last night in honour of all those who assisted in dealing with the fire in Whitireia Park. Several firefighters commented that they'd never received that level of appreciation from a community before. It was quite touching. They were really rather chuffed with the certificates (and the great food). I know our certificate will be proudly displayed on the wall.

Be careful what you wish for

First we had the big fire at Whitireia Park, the next weekend we had a tsunami caused by the Chilean quake (we actually got a 40cm peak to trough surge in Porirua Harbour), and the following Friday I rather jokingly mused that since we'd had fire, and earth & water, tornadoes would probably be on the schedule for that weekend, because if we were going by the elemental theme, wind was next.

I was only a week off on the tornadoes...

It wasn't a request! I was joking! Geez...

Titahi Bay fire finally out

The fire which started at 16:20 on 21 February was finally declared extinguished at noon on Monday 1 March. It burned 72.4 hectares of mostly gorse and coastal vegetation, and the final cost has still to be calculated.

Thanks again to everyone involved in putting out that fire, it was great to see everyone working so well together when the going got tough.

And here's a terrible picture of me from the 22nd, looking absolutely filthy! Those overalls started out a nice bright yellow, you know... Took me half an hour to scrub myself clean again - the soot had worked its way through to the skin.

Titahi Bay fire - 21 February to 1 March

Well now, that was all a bit exciting, wasn't it?

A little bit before 5pm on Sunday, I was alerted to a scrub fire at Shelley/Onehunga Bay, at Whitireia Park. With the wind blowing, it quickly escalated to a very large fire, ripping up and over the hill towards Titahi Bay Golf Club, and then the houses in the area. First the Golf Club was evacuated, and then a few houses, and once we were getting whole streets needing to leave, the EOC was activated, and we set up a welfare centre at Niblick Hall in Titahi Bay for the evacuees - providing tea & coffee, and toilet facilities, as well as information as it came to hand. I met quite a few interesting people that evening. People's pets was quite a topic for discussion, especially as many had been unable to find their cats. I hope they all return safely.

While about 60 homes (roughly 150 people) were evacuated as a safety precaution, we probably only had around 30 people through the centre, and nobody ended up needing us to provide accommodation, as everyone managed to arrange their own with friends and family in the area. Takapuwahia Marae was ready and able to provide accommodation to those in need, and we also had several generous offers from residents offering beds for strangers. I really am touched to see the community spirit of the people of Porirua. Thank you everybody!

Special thanks have to go to Victim Support, and the Red Cross for staffing the centre, and to the Painters and the Niblick Hall Management Committee for allowing the use of their hall in our time of need - and putting up with late night phone calls from me! HUGE thanks also to the Salvation Army who were sent up the hill to look after the catering for the crews who were working. You are all awesome, and a pleasure to work with.

A little bit before midnight, we got the word that some people on Gloaming Hill Rd could return home, but the rest would have to stay away until the next day, and the people waiting at the centre dispersed, so with nothing left to do, we packed up and the staff went home to their beds.

I'm sure I was supposed to as well, but I wanted to keep an eye on what was going on, and get some rather delayed dinner, so I headed up to the Incident Control Point up at the Golf Club, where the Salvation Army was doing an abolutely stirling job of keeping the troops fed - and there were a lot of troops to feed, even at 1.30am when I left to get some sleep.

I was sure I'd only just put my head down to sleep when the alarm went off at 6am. Back up at the Golf Club by 7am, giving a radio interview in the ladies' toilets at 7.15 (it was away from the noise of the helicopters), and then off to spend the rest of the day actually firefighting with the Wellington Rural Fire Force. Probably one of the hardest days of physical labour I've done in my life! There were still plenty of hot spots and even occassional flare-ups when we were relieved around 4pm.

At least I think it was around 4pm, I know I was home by 5, and asleep by 8. The past two days have really blended into one long day for me, I keep saying yesterday when I mean Sunday.

Hotspots continue to smoulder and occassionally flare-up today (being Tuesday - it is Tuesday, right?), so the work is not yet over. I'll be spending this evening cleaning all the hose we used. Murphy's Law says we'll end up having to use it again as soon as it's been cleaned...

There are heaps of really impressive photos of the fire, on site like Stuff, ourporirua.com etc. The view from Paremata was particularly impressive. Less impressively, I know my boss has a few of me looking incredibly filthy, covered in soot. I might post one later for laughs.

Thanks again to everyone who helped or offered help over the past few days. It's truly appreciated.

EDIT 24/2/10: I'll keep changing the dates as the flare-ups continue, which they do.
EDIT 25/2/10: Despite the rain last night, it really wasn't enough, there are still plenty of hotspots around. More work by ground crews will be required before we can call this one out.

EDIT 26/2/10: There were about 20 hotspots recorded during a flyover yesterday, and the rain early this morning still won't have been enough to knock them out - in fact the weather station at Titahi Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant didn't record any rain at all.

EDIT 4/3/10: The fire was declared out at noon on Monday 1 March.

Celebrating 75 years of firefighting in Plimmerton

Plimmerton Volunteer Fire Brigade celebrated 75 years of firefighting in Plimmerton with an Emergency Services Parade of around 25 emergency vehicles through Plimmerton, followed by an open day at Plimmerton School. Fire trucks, tankers, rescue tenders, amublances - St John & Wellington Free Amubulance, rural fire, Salvation Army, Police and Porirua Emergency Management - it was quite an impressive sight to see them all winding their way down the road. Lots of families out enjoying the nice weather, lots of kids to wave to. Once we got to Plimmerton School there were demostrations of the Fire Service's kitchen fire simulator, a motor vehicle extrication, followed by paramedic treatment and winching the patient into a hovering Helipro chopper, then a couple of people from the Wellington Rural Fire Force rappelled out of the helicopter. A good day all round. It was good to see so many people reading the information on the PEMObile!

Pictures from the event can be found here - http://www.111emergency.co.nz/PVFB75.htm

Cyclone Hamish

While Victoria begins to bury its dead from the February fires, Queensland is bracing itself for Cyclone Hamish. It was rated at Category 5 early this morning (same size as Cyclone Larry which wreaked havoc), but appears to be weakening to a low Category 4, and evacuation plans in some areas have been dropped.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/2161407/Evacuation-cancelled-as-Hamish-weakens

Our own bad weather last week had yachties up north battening down the hatches, and still getting battered about, and it looks like we're in for a cold snap over the next few days. And just this morning I'd been thinking how nice the weather's been here lately - just enough rain to keep the grass growing, and stop most of the countryside from catching fire (except for Owhiro Bay, but that one was a bit suspicious...), but still lots of nice sunny days. Oh well. Time to dig out the woolly jumper...

Victoria fires

It's hard to comprehend fires so big and intense that entire towns are destroyed. I was incommunicado when the fires hit, so it was something of a shock when I got back from holiday to discover so many people had been killed, and so much destruction - entire towns with not a building left standing. After an unprecedented heat wave, some of the fires started naturally, but some of the fires were acts of arson, and possibly even murder, with over 4o people killed in the fire that consumed Marysville, which is believed to have been deliberately lit. The death toll in these fires now stands at 189. A contingent of 50 New Zealand rural firefighters has headed over to assist on the front line, with more scheduled to head over in the next few weeks. I wish I were more qualified as a fire fighter, then I'd go too.

I know some of these towns were very scenic locations with houses nestled in amongst the trees, and this was part of the problem once the fires had started. Without a break between bush and houses, the houses were consumed as fast as the trees. The trees which provided shade & shelter were also a death trap.

I saw on the news a couple whose house had been spared because seven years ago they had bulldozed 250 trees to create a fire break around their house - earning them a $50,000 fine and criminal conviction at the time. Their house still stands whereas everything else in a 2km area has been obliterated. It's an interesting illustration of the juggling act that councils need to play between protecting the natural environment and protecting the lives of the people that live there.

Through our ability to fight and prevent bush fires, we have actually intensified the danger to ourselves and increase the potential for disaster. By extinguishing the small fires which would naturally have ripped through and burned off the deadfall and dry undergrowth with low intensity, the fuel load builds and builds. More fuel means bigger and more intense fires that spread more rapidly.

In a country where the trees explode, and the forest likes to burn as part of its life cycle, fire breaks are incredibly important. Things aren't as bad in New Zealand, but in areas where gorse is predominant, having a fire break between you and the quite flammable bushes is a good thing. There are some areas of Porirua where I know that gorse grows right up to people's wooden fences. If you're in an area with bush over the back fence, have a look at it. Ideally you should clear about 5 metres, so that you have a decent fire break. Contact the council if your place backs on to council reserve.

Think before you strike the match

It's the time of year when farming types like to burn things - piles of gorse, crop stubble, etc. Just remember, you always need a permit to do this anywhere within Porirua's jurisdiction, and you aren't allowed to do it during a total fire ban, even if you've been issued a permit.

If you do have a permit, you still have to make sure that your fire stays under your control, otherwise you'll be looking at the bill for having the rural fire force put it out for you. And that doesn't come cheap, with one Southland farmer facing a bill of over $500,000.

For more information about what you can and can't burn where and when in Porirua, please contact Porirua City Council's Principal Rural Fire Officer, ph - 237-5089.

Northland fire

And now New Zealand has some of its own fires to worry about.

Via Stuff - http://www.stuff.co.nz/4767284a11.html.

Rural firefighters are today continuing to dampen hot spots after a bush fire swept through more than 60 hectares of Department of Conservation land at Ngawha in the Far North overnight.
More than six fire engines and three helicopters battled through the night to contain the blaze which threatened Ngawha Village and Top Energy's newly commissioned geothermal power plant. Kaikohe volunteer fire brigade chief, Bill Hutchinson, said the fire looked to have been deliberately set. Fire investigators are at the scene this morning.

Californians return to burnt out homes

via Stuff - http://www.stuff.co.nz/4765003a12.html

Shocked residents began returning home to three areas of Southern California ravaged by wildfires, some finding their houses and cars reduced to piles of smoking, melted rubble.

Three fires have over the past five days destroyed around 1,000 homes and blacken 55 square miles (142 sq km) across Southern California - ranging from mobile homes to apartments and multimillion-dollar mansions.

No deaths or major injuries have been reported and the cause of the fires was not known.
Southern California is in a drought after minimal rainfall for two years that has turned the terrain bone dry. Population growth over the past 20 years has seen once arid brushland on city outskirts turned into housing developments.

Windy!

It's been a bit windy overnight (rubbish day again...). I was watching the wind speeds on Mt Kaukau climbing steadily via the MetService's MetConnect. At about quarter to ten last night the 10-minute average wind speed on Kaukau was 100kph! A large slip had closed the Manawatu Gorge (http://www.stuff.co.nz/4749564a11.html) and vehicles were being advised to come over the Rimutaka Hill Road, but the strong winds made that a rather hazardous prospect, especially for high-sided vehicles, and police were advising people not to go that way too!

I really hope the wind dies down tonight - strong winds and Guy Fawkes' night do not go well together, especially from the point of view of the fire crews. Take care with your fire works (or better yet, go and enjoy the free displays), and please don't set fire to Porirua tonight, or anywhere else for that matter!

Fire season

Southern California is currently on fire, with hot dry winds fueling fires around neighbourhoods on the fringes of Los Angeles. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4726651a12.html

Since Sunday, the blazes have scorched 15,000 acres, destroyed or damaged at least 50 structures, including 30 gutted mobile houses, and forced many hundreds to evacuate.

The more ferocious of two San Fernando Valley fires doubled in size overnight, authorities said.
A third fire broke out on Monday on the sprawling US Marine base of Camp Pendleton, 80 miles south of Los Angeles, forcing officials to evacuate thousands from base housing. Some 3,000 acres burned, and the fire was about 25 percent contained early Tuesday.

The simultaneous blazes, marking the first big conflagrations of the region's high fire-risk season - come one year after 30 wildfires swept through Southern California in one week, killing a dozen people, destroying 2,000 homes and forcing the historic evacuation of 500,000 residents.

An update:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4727945a12.html


The New Zealand Fire Season began on October 1, but some little ...unmentionables... decided to start early in Porirua by setting fire to bits of Bothamley Park & Ngati Toa Domain before then. There have been at least 8 vegetation fires since the beginning of September. Some of the incidents have been arson, and police have dealt with some of the perpetrators.

Porirua operates either a Restricted fire season, or a Total Fire Ban. This means that you either need to have a permit to have an open-air fire, or you're not allowed to have one at all. For more information look on Porirua City Council's website - www.pcc.govt.nz - it's under Consents & Services - Licences & permits.