Back Burning

The air is thick with ash particles. In the Upper Blue Mountains you can see about 400 metres before everything becomes an indistinct haze of smoke. Long scenic views of the valleys have simply disappeared - replaced by thick billowing smoke, seemingly the limits of the completed universe.

On my way to Mt Victoria today I spied dozens and dozens of RFS trucks parked by the road. Between Blackheath and Mt Vic is this area of partially burned out bush which I take to be a deliberate containment line back burn, intended to prevent or slow down the progress of the REAL intense bushfire by starving it of fuel. It has been still air these past two days and a relatively safe time to do such work. Back burning is also being done wherever Blackheath streets meet virgin bush.

I was quickly reminded why one should never go idly exploring such locations in search of a "better blip". While I stood there, one of these blackened tree trunks suddenly crashed to the ground with a loud report. I could have been under that thing!