a_fire

Fire - Flood - Storm

*Kelso Happenings*

FIRES

In the twenty plus years spent at Kelso, we only experienced
one fire and was absent during one earlier
this year - 2003

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The first fire was in 1984
Suddenly the cry went up around the grounds ... FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!

It had broken out in a farmer's paddock, beyond the 100 year old pine
trees that surround the park.

These trees would be an inferno if the fires were not halted quickly.
Our tents were the nearest to these trees, and it was very scary!

Orders were to get all children safely in the Reception Area, and cars taken
towards the river.

Our small grandchildren were visiting at another tent - so Linda grabbed
her car keys and took the kids to safety.

Meanwhile I scurried around ... thinking "what to grab" after a moment
or two, I just fell into the car, hands full, and took the car to safety.

When I returned the first thing I noticed was my handbag, with the most
important of all things kept there for safety!

What I had grabbed was just "rubbish" Duh!
Oh Boy! What an Idiot I was!

The menfolk had of course, gone immediately through to the fire, the two
tiny figures in this photo are Jean (The Park Owner) and George.

They were waiting for the fire unit to arrive.
***
After grabbing the camera and started off to go take a look, I noticed I was
wearing rubber thongs, so I went back to change into shoes, thinking that
would be the wisest thing to do!

Wrong!

In amongst the trees are many Wombat homes, they sleep in their
burrows during the day! and ...

... trust me to be an idiot - My heel got caught in a Wombat hole - and
I twisted my ankle!
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Just as well I was the photographer - not a fire fighter!

Jean here, busy chatting up the fire fighters when all was under control.
Linda had also been busy beating the flames - you can just get a glimpse
of her on the left of this photo.

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The second fire - April 2003
Happened earlier this year while I was in Hobart - it was a much more
serious one, burning 40ha.

Nine fire units attended and they even had to use the water from the
swimming pool.
They were there all night, because the huge roots of these old pine
trees were smouldering deep below the surface.

Caravans nearby had to be kept hosed down because of flying ashes.

I learned about this the last time I was down there - it sure explained why
I had so much black grit to clean up.

Ever the idiot - I had left the overhead vent in the van open.
I guess you could say that was a good and a bad thing, at least there was
no smell of smoke!

It is understood that the fire happened because two 10 yr old children
were playing with a wood-fired BBQ.

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Laurie - June 2003

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