calissa | (no subject)

DSC_2264 edits by Elizabeth Fitzgerald on 500px.com

I've been holding off on giving an update about the fires because it has been a lot of "wait and see". Things would be quiet for a while and then flare up again. However, it has been a little while since I've been able to see the fire line from my house (whether day or night). The Emergency Services Agency have left their station nearby, where they had closed off the road leading to the fire-affected area. School went back this week and I noticed that the local school had painted thank-you signs for the ESA all along the route. Smoke still blows into the area from time to time (quite thick, on occasions), but, on the whole, we can breathe easier. It's even raining today.

That's the good news. The bad news is the fire is still burning out of control. The mountainous terrain makes it extremely difficult to combat. At one point, just 1% of the fire front was accessible from the ground. As of writing, the fire has burned through over 85, 000 hectares of the 236, 000 hectares making up the territory. Most of that is national park. The fire is currently heading for my beloved Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve--which was burned in our last severe fires in 2003, killing most of the emus and all but one of the koalas (Lucky remained the sole resident until he passed away of old age in 2007. A new koala population was introduced in 2013). Firefighters are working hard to protect Tidbinbilla. Hopefully, the rain will help.

The uncertainty has been wearing, playing havoc with my concentration. Even my reading has been scattered and unfocused! Fortunately, things are starting to return to routine. It will take me a little while to catch up on the backlog (does one ever catch up?), but I always find restoring order to be immensely satisfying.

ETA: I just saw Tidbinbilla have moved their breeding koala population (only 5 koalas) to the university for the time being to ensure their safety.

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*hugs* I can see how, in its own way, the uncertainty can be as bad or even worse than an actual emergency. At least ... that's how things often are for me, though of course I have not been faced with an actual apocalypse.

I am glad there has been some good news and very, very glad to hear that you are still safe and that the Tidbinbilla koalas hopefully are too.

*much hugs*

Thank you for the update, my lovely. I've been hoping all day that the heavy rain will make it to you and put some of that fire out (although without any accompanying flooding :/). I'm glad they've moved some of the koalas and hope everything else remains safe.

Quick question, if you have time to answer, where in your opinion is the best place to donate? There's so much information out there, so I thought I'd ask someone who's actually in place, because I want to help and also make sure it goes to the right place.

Take care and I hope you get some decent respite soon.

*hugs* that's so scary and hard.

I can understand why your concentration is shot. <3 Thinking of you and hoping for the rains.

*hugs* It's so so exhausting just not knowing exactly what will happen, and watching the weather and wind reports and trying to plan around those. Sending lots of love, uncertainty is so hard and erosive, and I hope when you get back to your routine there's room for just quiet rest and recharging <3