Anyone heading North along the Princes Highway between Bateman's Bay and Ulladulla (and the reverse of course) take care.

A bush fire state of emergency has been declared about 2ks south of Ulladulla.  Water bombing helicopters and fixed wing planes as well as dozens of fire tankers are in attendance.

At last update the likelihood of closure of the highway was imminent and actually there is not traffic going past my place so maybe it has already happened.

At this stage no homes threatened but it will only take a minor change in wind direction to the south and that could change.

Take care people

Ma

How far away from you is it Ma? Hope you're going to be OK. Cheers, xina.

Is that anywhere near Moruya / Tuross Head?

fire season starting early this year??

We are on the opposite side of Ulladulla to the fire thankfully.

Moruya is about an hour South from here and Tuross another 15/20 past that.

The highway is now closed.

Looking from my front verandah it is quite evident how wide the fire front is.  The sky is glowing.

The wind direction has shifted in the last half hour, just what the fireys didn't want. From North West it has now gone round to West South West which means the front will approach houses in the Burrill Lake area.

Hope they have all done their fire preparations and drills.

Yes Milo and their is a TOTAL FIRE BAN in place down here too. until further notice I believe.

Ma

Thanks for that.  Neil's sister and her husband live in Tuross and have a business in Moruya and we weren't too sure how far they would have been from the fire.

Please take care.

Stay safe Ma and Guru. x o x o

Fire Season starts down here in SA Fire Ban District Start Date Finish Date Comment Adelaide Metropolitan 1 Dec 2009 30 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Eastern Eyre Peninsula 1 Nov 2009 15 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Kangaroo Island 1 Dec 2009 30 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Flinders 1 Nov 2009 15 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Lower Eyre Peninsula 1 Nov 2009 15 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Lower South East 22 Nov 2009 30 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Mid North 15 Nov 2009 30 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Mount Lofty Ranges 1 Dec 2009 30 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Murraylands 15 Nov 2009 15 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 North East Pastoral 1 Nov 2009 31 Mar 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 North West Pastoral 1 Nov 2009 31 Mar 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Riverland 15 Nov 2009 15 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Upper South East 15 Nov 2009 15 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 West Coast 1 Nov 2009 15 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Yorke Peninsula 15 Nov 2009 30 Apr 2010 To be confirmed in October 2009 Remember to listen out for FIRE BAN DAYs if your camping Dave

were heading down that way in a couple weeks for a test run in the van, hope its not too bad down there

All the best and stay safe. Can't do much more than wish you well and do what you havee to do to stay safe. Bloody bushfires have hit California, Greece and now Oz, again. Keep up the fire breaks and to hell with the greenies wanting to protect everything except people in fire prone areas. Cheers Chris

Right with you Chris.The more hazard reduction burning the safer we will all be.It should be compulsory to hazzard reduce,no questions asked,no excuses,just do it.We live in an area which is surrounded by thick bush and only one road out of the joint if things ever turned nasty,which will happen with the amount of undergrowth that has accumulated over a few years I would hate to see the result.We have waterfront and a boat ramp so that would be our escape.Come to think of it all people with boat ramps should make them available to all residents during an emergency.I hope all you good folk down South are keeping safe.god forbid another Victorian type inferno.Cheers.Ibbo.

as at 11.30am this morning the Highway is still closed 3 kilometers south of Ulladulla.

Fire still raging and homes are now threatened.

Hi Ma That is not too good Hope everyone down there will be ok and they get the fire under control Scary stuff Can you please keep us informed on how things are. You stay safe and we are thinking of you all Chris and Robbie

still going? no news over the weekends on tv

No Milo........just a little snippet on the ABC news last night on TV.  Didn't give all that much information though

the latest so far

http://tinyurl.com/m5925x

-- Edited by milo on Sunday 30th of August 2009 02:42:51 PM

If people build to live in bushfire prone areas all efforts must be made to protect all property and life in those areas, and they must be given all the support possible to achieve this. These people have chosen to live this lifestyle, and part of that lifestyle must be to clear as much fuel as possible to make it safe for everyone. Bushfires don't respect fencelines, especially wooden ones. Dry timber, excessive dry grass should be cleared and firebreaks must be cut along fencelines. To hell with the ignorant greenies! They can fight the fires their ignorance generates. Cheers Chris

As Chris said....clean up your properties........and remember to clear your driveways....width and height...over hanging trees......on rural type blocks....as all the cleaning around your house wont save it if the Fire Service Trucks cant get in to save it.....also....if you have steep drives in.....make sure you have an area that a firetruck can turn around in.. I have only been a SA Country Fire Service member 26 years Dave

Gday
This link to the RFS website will give you up to date info

http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/

Now they tell us the fire @ Tabourie is an escaped fuel reduction burn.....

Would seem the N.P. &W S decided to do a burn and thought they had put it out.

You know what thought did don't you.

Had to take a drive to Bateman's Bay this morning to retrieve our microwave (van one) from the repair shop.

Happy to report all roads open, most fires extinguised, RFS all gone home and just a few smouldering logs left.

Good job by the Fireys.  The area burnt out is quite large and evidence showed what a big job it would have been to contain the flames as much as they did.

Only one uninhabited cottage lost.

Ma