Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

[tastrax]

This gives a good idea of what happened today!

Code:

https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/?p=geographic&l=VIIRS_SNPP_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor(hidden),MODIS_Aqua_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor(hidden),MODIS_Terra_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor,Reference_Labels(hidden),Reference_Features(hidden),Coastlines&t=2019-01-04-T00%3A00%3A00Z&z=3&v=144.61909156671945,-43.93258263706639,148.83784156671945,-41.97921349644139&ab=off&as=2018-12-28T00%3A00%3A00Z&ae=2019-01-04T00%3A00%3A00Z&av=3&al=false

Paste the URL above into your browser

[bushwalker zane]

[beardless]

Within about 600 metres of the shore of Lake Rhona. A sad day.

Attachments

[stepbystep]

Pretty bizarre they were choppered out of there. They were a very long way from danger...years ago I was camped at Rhona with a fire in the same place, pws did a fly by and never even landed. I walked out the following day!

That's why they fly folks out of the area - you wouldn't be walking out today

Indeed! The speed it travelled down the vale was alarming. PWS crews have done some amazing work these last few days.

[tastrax]

You are not wrong! Even a sprinter would struggle to outrun a wind driven buttongrass plain wildfire - so much fine fuel going up in a flash!

There would have been some great, but sad, footage yesterday when those first big plumes of smoke went up.

PWS crews will be there for weeks cleaning up the edges.

[myrtlegirl]

Overnight, the fire has burnt a little bit of the eastern side of Rhona
http://www.fire.tas.gov.au/Show?pageId= ... teID=60812

[beardless]

It is very sad.

Attachments

[tastrax]

Possibly not Gordonvale but again, it may be some time till they have a definitive boundary. These are probably just rough drawings from an helicopter flyover.

GellRiver-2019-01-05-1156.PNG (312.27 KiB) Viewed 13478 times

[monte]

What kind of timeframe would recover take? Looks like an amazing place.

[farefam]

Looks like it pulled up just short of the sprinkler line at Lake Rhona (unless they had two lines installed). Great effort it seems by the fire crew to save the most sensitive part of the vegetation in the cirque, as the extreme heat generated when buttongrass burns is quite astonishing to feel in person. Shame though that the fire got to Lakes Wugata and Malana if the fire boundary map is correct. I'm guessing that the limited resources had to be focused on saving Rhona first.

[Thornbill]

Full update available on PWS website. Looks like efforts with sprinkler lines around Rhona paid off. https://parks.tas.gov.au/?base=50266

[tastrax]

Looks like most of the action today is in the southern and western edges. Still blowing out that way by the looks of Scotts Peak BOM data - http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDT60801 ... 5958.shtml

[pazzar]

I wouldn't rely on the mapping just yet. They give an indication, but won't reflect the true fire bourndary. In the coming days we will probably get a more accurate flyover with some more details on the impact.

My concern is that the fire is now burning onto the Gordon and Tiger Range.

[north-north-west]

My concern is that the fire is now burning onto the Gordon and Tiger Range.

TasPAWS official comment is that the fire has significantly slowed now it's hit the wet forest. Wish I could believe the forest will be enough to stop it.

[Overlandman]

ABC update

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-05/ ... d/10686922

Too little to late

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-01- ... n/10687142

[tastrax]

Latest map update - still creeping about

[stepbystep]

Here's a copy and paste of the standard answer I'm giving those that say "this is just a natural event, get over it"

Hi Person X, Dry lightening incidents have increased in Tasmania many hundreds of times in the last 20 years due to a warming climate. Couple that with a sub-alpine environment that is drying up means that Tasmania's high and wild places are under ongoing threat due to these factors. When we then acknowledge many of our endemic species are intolerant to fire we very much need to change the way we look at fire management in wilderness zones. Fast and effective quelling as soon as they begin along with a clear understanding of areas of highest vulnerability and an embracing of traditional(cultural) burning practices will help nullify the tragic effects of many fires. Please try and understand we are in a different world and we need to adapt, or we lose what makes Tassie so special.

Here's some pics taken 2 days ago by the TFS at Rhona.

Attachments

49406772_2074007392645456_380733131210096640_n.jpg (33.42 KiB) Viewed 13105 times

49525656_2074007412645454_3740769266157223936_n.jpg (37.05 KiB) Viewed 13105 times

[tastrax]

Lets take any discussion of prevention/cultural burning etc to another thread to keep it separated from this event

Maybe take it back to this thread - viewtopic.php?f=5&t=27660

[stepbystep]

https://www.facebook.com/abchobart/vide ... 066450594/

[Overlandman]

ABC update

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-01- ... n/10688530

[tastrax]

https://www.facebook.com/tasmaniaparks/ ... 986797731/

[Happy Wanderer]

The latest TFS incident map indicates that the location of the clearing associated with the historic Gordonvale homestead site is now well within the overall boundary of the affected area. Also, as noted by others above, that Lake Rhona has had a very narrow escape.

[tastrax]

Its hot, dirty work out there.....

https://www.facebook.com/TasmaniaFireSe ... 848773863/

[north-north-west]

The map overlay for the fire boundary is accurate in some places at least. Driving down to Lake Gordon this morning, you could see where the fire had burnt the eastern side of Mt Wright and was continuing to spread south along its flanks. Wind is light there today which will slow the spread a little.

[Grindelwalddave]

ABC News was reporting today that there is a big focus on saving timber plantations. In what section of the fire are these plantations?

[tastrax]

Plantations are on the far eastern / south eastern corner near Gells Lookout

[iaindtiler]

Devastating, the latest images and videos are not happy scenes. Big thankyou and hearty credit to all the volunteers, pws staff and others who a doing great work trying to contain the fire. No thanks to the suits who delegated resources when fire first sparked. It seems completely ignored the recomendations from inquiry into the 2016 TWWHA fires ☹

[iaindtiler]

From the report into the 2016 TWWHA report ;
.
In the TWWHA, particular attention should be paid to:
· early intervention techniques and technologies such as early detection and rapid attack;

[tastrax]

Here is the report mentioned above if folks want to have a read

http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/asset ... ummary.pdf

[tastrax]

It seems completely ignored the recomendations from inquiry into the 2016 TWWHA fires ☹

I am not sure that is a fair statement - many of the recommendations have been implemented. Can they do better, yes, but always in the context of what is happening on the day, what resources are available etc etc