Fire Risk

After yesterday's trip over The Bridge I thought I would try somewhere new today. Redfern. When I first came here almost 20 years ago I was warned not to even think of getting off the train in Redfern so I didn't, being at times a prudent person. I never thought about the place again until a few weeks ago. When I arrived back in Australia from my trip to New Zealand my sister invited a few family and friends (17) around and one of  then was all for me making the effort this time around. I have to admit that Redfern does not deserve the reputation it was given all those years ago but I also have to admit it didn't live up to the glowing description it had been given. Some nice old houses, well looked after and the area has a cared for look but so do many inner city suburbs.

The photo show  what you can do if you are determined not to move and the style of the house is typical of many in Redfern parts of which are moving up market.

As I am typing this it is 9 pm on Monday evening and we are 11 hours ahead of the UK time wise. I mention this because we are in  a bit of trouble, by we I mean New South Wales. Last week Tasmania had extreme temperatures and suffered serious bush fires. These bush fires seem to be getting worse, more extreme and more sudden as well as longer lasting. The long hot summer if the time for the fires and any really high temperatures sends the fire risk right up to Catastrophic. Here in Sydney it is only Very High Risk, there are still Serious, Extreme and the afore mentioned Catastrophic to get through yet. I had planed to go to the Blue Mountains tomorrow but the fire risk is the one starting with C so I have decided not to bother. The NSW Rural Fire Service are telling people to leave camp and caravan parks in the area and to make sure every one has a fire plan should the worse happen. Here where we live in Sydney we are in no danger though some outlying parts of the city are.

The problem we have is the forecast is not good, sunny all day long and wind from the west and an expected high of 43 degrees Celsius. That is for the city, here it is usually 2 or 3 degrees warmer. I do not expect to go out doors any time tomorrow. My sister was going to cook a leg of lamb for dinner but there is no way the oven will be switched on in that kind of heat. The nearest place to us where the temperature is below 30 degrees is Tweed Heads which is 800 km north. Not going.

All together there are 98 fire burning in NSW and 30 of them are out of control. 

Wednesday is cooler so I might have a trip to a place called Putty, I kid you not. There isn't anything there but it is all on it's own on HWY 59 and miles and miles from anywhere.