Australia can expect far more fire catastrophes. A proper disaster plan is worth paying for

Australia is in the midst of inconceivably bad bushfires. The death toll is rising, thousands of buildings have been destroyed and whole communities displaced. This scale is like nothing before, and our national response must be like nothing that has come before.

Australia needs a nationally mobile, fully-funded
 emergency management workforce.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday somewhat acknowledged the need for unprecedented action. He took the extraordinary step of calling up 3,000 Australian Defence Force reservists and mobilising navy ships and military bases to aid the emergency response. This has never before happened in Australia at this scale.

Read the story from The Conversation by the Professor of Hazards and Disaster Risk Sciences from the University of Sydney, Dale Dominey-Howes -  “Australia can expect far more fire catastrophes. A proper disaster plan is worth paying for.” 

Farmers count cost of fires, but hopes new vintage not up in smoke

This summer's savage bushfire season has burnt out over 1000 hectares of Australia's vineyards, killed hundreds of livestock and destroyed thousands of kilometres of farm fences, adding more stress and heartache for agricultural industries already battling years of drought.

Fire approaches a horse paddock at Orangeville,
north of Picton in NSW, earlier this month.

South Australia’s Adelaide Hills wine region lost about half its annual crop in fires last week, valued at $100 million, or more than 1000 hectares of vineyards.

But in hopeful signs for next year's vintages, wine growers in South Australia and NSW say the fires may have come too early for ripening fruit to be tainted by smoke flavours.

Read the story from The Age by Mike Foley - “Farmers count cost of fires, but hopes new vintage not up in smoke.”

Nothing about Australia's current fire crisis is normal

WE'VE barely hit summer, but it's been a horrendous start to the bushfire season. At least two million hectares of bushland have been destroyed, more than 1000 homes lost and the damage to our environment and native wildlife is yet to be confirmed. It's hit close to home, even for those in the cities. 

Dr Sophie Lewis - nothing about the current bushfire crisis is normal.

Sydney and Canberra have been shrouded in smoke, with pollution levels rivalling those of Beijing and Delhi. Schools are being advised to keep children indoors and masks have become a common sight on our streets. Nothing about this is normal.

While we've always had bushfires, what we have experienced in the last few months is unprecedented. There is a clear trend that fire weather is increasing. We're seeing longer fire seasons and more extreme and catastrophic fire danger days.

Read the story from The Canberra Times by Dr Sophie Lewis - “Nothing about Australia's current fire crisis is normal.”

Student climate change protesters take to the streets across the country

A teenager whose family home was destroyed in bushfires has delivered an impassioned plea to the Prime Minister to take action on climate change, saying "thoughts and prayers are not enough".

Shiann Broderick lost her family home in the Nymboida bushfire.

Shiann Broderick, 18, who lost her home in Nymboida in northern NSW, gathered along with about 500 protesters outside Liberal Party headquarters in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Woolloomooloo.

"Mr Morrison, as Prime Minister your thoughts and prayers are not enough," Ms Broderick said.

"I want climate action. This is a crisis. Act like it."

A series of strikes in cities across the country took place today as part of the School Strike for Climate Australia in response to recent devastating bushfires.

Read the ABC News story - “Student climate change protesters take to the streets across the country.”

NSW fires claim homes as heat and high winds fuel blazes across the state

At least two homes have been destroyed near the town of Darawank on the NSW north coast, the ABC understands, as firefighters battle dozens of uncontained fires across the state. 

The RFS warned that spot fires from embers could threaten properties.

The Rural Fire Service (RFS) had cancelled emergency warnings for three blazes on the NSW north coast, but has since reinstated the emergency warning for a blaze in Darawank near Forster.

The RFS said with a southerly change, the fire was burning in a northerly direction towards Hallidays Point.

A fire that burned through more than 2,000 hectares at Tuncurry has been downgraded to a watch and act, as has a blaze at Mount George.

High temperatures and vigorous winds had resulted in high fire danger across the state.

Read the ABC News story by Paige Cockburn - “NSW fires claim homes as heat and high winds fuel blazes across the state.”

Southern California Mudslides: Death Toll Rises to 15, With Dozens More Missing

Rescue crews waded through thick mud in Southern California on Wednesday to extricate stranded residents and clear roads made impassable by mudslides that have left at least 15 people dead and destroyed around 100 homes.

Emergency workers carrying a woman rescued in Montecito, Calif., on Tuesday.

Two dozen people were missing and 28 people were injured after the mudslides struck on Tuesday in an area northwest of Los Angeles that was recently scorched in the state’s largest wildfire on record. The authorities were working to reach 300 people stuck in their homes Wednesday and declared a “public safety exclusion zone,” barring all but emergency crews from the area.

Amber Anderson, a spokeswoman for the joint recovery effort, which involves helicopters, firefighters and emergency workers from several counties, said the affected area was nearly 20,000 acres.

Read the New York Times story - “Southern California Mudslides: Death Toll Rises to 15, With Dozens More Missing.”

California fires bear down on exclusive Los Angeles suburbs

Los Angeles: At least six homes in one of Los Angeles wealthiest suburbs - the iconic Bel Air - have been destroyed and a winery owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch is under threat as a firestorm in California burns out of control.

A wildfire threatens a home in Ventura, California.

Part of Murdoch's Moraga Bel Air vineyard, where the 86-year-old Australian has a home, has been destroyed by fire, and it is one of a number of properties affected by a mandatory evacuation order, issued by emergency services today.

The fires have also closed one of America's busiest freeways - the traffic-choked 405 - with video emerging of one of the four fires reaching the edge of the freeway.

The pre-dawn sky of Los Angeles was lit bright orange with fire as traffic moved at a slow, silent crawl past the inferno until police made the decision to close a 15km stretch of the freeway because of the risk.

Read Michael Idato’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “California fires bear down on exclusive Los Angeles suburbs.”