eye-witnessed
bushfire
Posted by Kathryn (Warburton, Australia) on 7 February 2009 in Documentary & Street and Portfolio.
This was taken about 10 minutes ago from my decking. scary! On the news we have been told that the temperature here is the hottest on record and apparently the hottest in the world today!! it is hot!!! i looked at the thermometer that i put in the sun and before this smoke came across the sun about 30 minutes ago it registered 49C (around 120.2 Fahrenheit)!!!!!!! ouch!
Thank you all so much for your lovely encouraging comments. I am getting quite busy and am finding that i don't have a lot of time for both photography and maintaining this blog as much as i would like to so i probably won't be able to reply to each and every comment from now on but i promise i will eventually get around to visiting your blog! Happy snapping everybody!
Kaha the Kiwi has set off again on his journey around the world to see all of his AM3 friends. Keep up to date with his adventures on his own blog here. Safe travels Kaha and i hope you have a ton of fun!
Thanks for viewing my photograph!
All feedback, especially constructive criticism is welcomed and very much appreciated. Enjoy your day!
Margie from Auckland, New Zealand
I have just watched the news in NZ and there was an item on the Aussie temperatures and bushfires in Victoria and NSW.
Then to see your post here - that makes it horribly personal. Be safe!
7 Feb 2009 5:31am
@Margie: yeah it has been a very dramatic day! we are hearing reports of seperate fires blazing in the bush all around us at the moment and it is hard to get clear information as to what is actually happening - just a lot of sitting around and waiting to be evacuated - will be a long night i guess! i snapped enough good photos though to fill my blog for a year i think! haha.
EYES WIDE SHUT from United Kingdom
As winter impacts upon us, I cannot even imagine a temperature as high as that! That's dangerously hot, and perilous to one's flesh and hotter than I could bare, I have to say.
A striking and amazing photograph by the way, beautifully captured and presented
7 Feb 2009 5:41am
@EYES WIDE SHUT: yeah it was horrible and unbelievable! Thank goodness for air-conditioning!! but i kept wanting to go outside to take photos - silly me! though once the sun was shielded by the smoke the temperature dropped dramatically!! it has been a scary day and will be a long night i think as we wait to be evacuated if it comes to that - we currently have 3 fires surrounding us but luckily the wind has dropped so it is just wait and see!! Thanks EWS!!! enjoy the cool if you can!!! haha
Margie from Auckland, New Zealand
Oops, forgot to comment on the photograph! I agree with EWS - nice composition and a stunning shot.
7 Feb 2009 5:51am
@Margie: haha! Thanks Margie!
roentarre from Melbourne, Australia
What a stunning mood here!
Excellent image here!
7 Feb 2009 6:39am
@roentarre: Thank you James! Hope you are safe!
Scott Schilling from San Martin, United States
Dear Kathryn, this is scary and makes me feel very warm - too warm! great shot! stay cool.
7 Feb 2009 6:44am
@Scott Schilling: hehe yeah it is a too warm still even at 11pm but it is a better! Unfortunately the fire situation has gotten a lot worse since this afternoon when i posted this image - at the moment there are 3 big wildfires surrounding us - we are ok for the moment but we are packed and ready to go if we need too - though i would like to get some sleep first but it doesn't look like that will happen!! Thanks Scott!
@Lydie et Roland: I am glad you like it! Thank you! I like this image too but i would rather that i didn't have to experience the bad bushfire situation here at the moment! haha
Manel from Girona, Spain
Wow, wath incredible sky color!! Great composition too and stunning efect.
7 Feb 2009 11:01am
@Manel: incredible but also very scary! Thanks Manel!
@veronic: Thanks Veronica! It is actually quite scary here at the moment due to the big bushfires all around us!
bluechameleon from Vancouver, Canada
You are right, that is a scary temperature, I don't understand how people or any living being can survive in heat such as this. It is 4 degrees C here at the moment and a far far cry from what you are experiencing.
An amazing photo...beautiful capture where the heat is indeed felt!
7 Feb 2009 2:01pm
@bluechameleon: many can't survive - there have been many deaths among the elderly during our recent heat waves but yesterday's temps were unprecidented! thankfully today's temperature iof around 22C is much more manageable and aiding the firefighting effort! Thanks!
Charles from New York, United States
Main thing is to stay safe...Hope all is well.
7 Feb 2009 3:48pm
@Charles: yeah the situation is much better where i am for now but not the case over the hills unfortuneately! Thanks Charles!
@Veronelle: yeah it was a pretty incredible sky yesterday! Thanks Veronelle!
grouser from Ludlow, United Kingdom
Stunning yet scary and wow that's hot photoreportage
7 Feb 2009 4:48pm
@grouser: haha thanks grouser! it was such a dramatic day yesterday and through last night but luckily for us the situation has gotten a lot better for us this afternoon. sadly though this isn't the case for people just over the hills from us where numerous enormous firefronts still rage towards communities and assets!
@-1q5yChØt!c-: hehe that's one way of looking at it! Thanks!
Suzanne from Huntington Bch, California, United States
Oh my goodness, Kathryn, you have my sympathy. Stay safe and I hope the weather improves for you very soon. The ONLY good thing about fires like that is it makes for some nice images as this one can attest.
7 Feb 2009 6:11pm
@Suzanne: Yeah i ended up getting some great photos and it was nice to have something to keep me occupied and stopping me from freaking out though i did have my moments! haha. And thank you for hoping for better weather - it worked! i actually need to go put on a jumper - something unheard of in the last few weeks of our heat waves! Thanks Suzanne!
manel from Girona, Spain
Impresionante afmosfera para respirar... Puertas y ventanas cerradas y... a laducha.
7 Feb 2009 7:30pm
@manel: gracias manel! sí, las puertas y ventanas cerradas!
Zing from Hamilton, New Zealand
Great orange sky. It's hot over here too in NZ, about 30C, but 49C is way too hot.
7 Feb 2009 7:47pm
@Zing: i totally agree but thankfully the temperature today is much more suitable here - a lovely 22C at the moment! Thanks Zing!
jamesy from christchurch, New Zealand
Oh Kathryn I hope you are safe and well and everything is still intact. It is now about 749 am and I think I will just go and look on the internet about the bush fires and see what is happening.
7 Feb 2009 7:50pm
@jamesy: yeah it has been a bit crazy and was a long night with many fires still raging just over the hills, but for the moment we are safe and just kinda waiting around with not much to do to keep occupied! Thanks for your concern Deb!
Susan from Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
what an unfortunate situation caused you to catch this beautiful shot!! know that all your am3 friends have you and your safety in their thoughts....
7 Feb 2009 9:34pm
@Susan: Thank you Susan. All is ok here for the moment but we are still on alert. sadly many other parts of the area have not been as lucky!
Bookfool from Mississippi, United States
Wow, that is so freaking scary but also amazingly beautiful. I hope the fires don't get any closer to you. Stay safe.
7 Feb 2009 11:38pm
@Bookfool: yeah it was a great day for photography - it was also good to have a project to distract me and keep me busy while all this was going on around us. For now we are hearing good news about the fires directly affecting us but we still have to be on alert. Thank you Bookfool!
Grahame from Mt Maunganui, New Zealand
Hot Pic.
But not so much fun there.....
Hope your safe.
7 Feb 2009 11:48pm
@Grahame: haha thanks Grahame! we are moderately safe here at the moment - at least it was a good day photography wise!
@Alphons: Thanks Alphons!
Anita from West Nottingham, United States
This and the next image bring home the reality of the fires! So glad you are OK.
8 Feb 2009 9:06am
@Anita: yeah but this is nothing compared to what many others have experienced over the hills - it is just devastating and tragic! we have been very lucky! Thank you Anita!
JJ from Jersey City, United States
great shot, the heatwave doesnt seem to want to let off, I feel for you all there, hope it eases of very soon and the bush fires stay well clear from you
8 Feb 2009 2:34pm
@JJ: Thank you JJ! yes i hope that too! at least temperature has dropped and we can act human again a bit! haha!
Maxine from Rangiora, New Zealand
Very scary, Kathryn! great shot but one I am sure you would rather not have taken so close too home. All the very best!
8 Feb 2009 5:35pm
@Maxine: Thanks Maxine! yeah it was quite scary but now that the situation has calm down some right near us it is the devastating stories of loss and worry from people just the other side of these mountains that are really having an impact on us as the news coverage on TV goes into full swing!
Graham Russon from Cape Town, South Africa
Wow, scary stuff, and what heat. Great capture. We too are experiencing extreme heat and run away fires, so can only sympathise with you.
8 Feb 2009 7:21pm
@Graham Russon: is everythink ok near you? what temperatures? be safe and i hope everything is ok!
willow from Chelsea, United States
OMG!!! You weren't kidding about the fires being close! Scary. Really awesome phot, but very scary.
9 Feb 2009 1:02am
@willow: haha yeah! but this is nothing compared to what places to the north of us have experienced - whole towns just wiped out!!! so many people dead and missing..... so sad! Thanks Willow! The sky is a lot more clear now with bits of blue poking through the smoke but the air is still quite bad and the sun still red though at least we can see it now!! haha.
Calusarus from St Sorlin en Valloire, France
The news I hear these days about Australia are really impressive and scary…
9 Feb 2009 3:35pm
@Calusarus: yeah it has been quite dramatic over the last few days here and making news all across the world i see. It has been a hard time for us but much much much worse for so many other people that were directly caught up in this hell! Thanks Calusarus!
Fliss from Melbourne Beach, United States
I remember this well... when we had bushfires from where we lived in Newcastle, NSW - though have NEVER had to experience the weather being that hot...
10 Feb 2009 12:55pm
@Fliss: yeah it was a pretty unbelievable and torturous temp but now we have the opposite - it is like 14C now and we are all freezing! i feel so sorry for the people who left their houses on Saturday with only the clothes suitable for 49C temps on their back and now have to deal with this temp! either way, in hot or cooler weather fire, as you say, in dry eucalyptus bush or any bush for that matter is a scary thing!
gautam from new delhi, India
u r doing some gr8 work in difficult times....u r courageous to keep ur senses intact when so much is happening around
15 Feb 2009 3:06am
Pentax K100D
1/750 second
F/13.0
ISO 400
37 mm (35mm equiv.)