Every year in the early part of the Dry there is the question of burning. Do you burn or not? Every soil test says that there is no organic matter in our soils. That means that they are lower in overall fertility, water and nutrient retention etc, etc. We burn it. Often every year.
On our bush block we don't burn. This year I was able to put in 10 metre breaks around three sides. The fourth is pretty swampy until about mid June but we have cattle on it and they are keeping the gamba down to about a meter.
Day before yesterday on the brushcutter in the citrus orchard smelt smoke. Looked around. Nothing I could see. Carried on. Again. Definitely smoke. On the quad and off to have a look. Through the bush prettly smartly. Eastern boundary is OK. Coming in from the South and has crossed the boundary and the break - 20 metres. Going to need help on this one.
No walkie-talkie. Forget the Next G. Less than 10 kms from town but doesnt work. Quad flies back to the house. Phone the firies. Drop the slasher off the tractor. Ute wont handle the swamp. Put the water tank and pump on the carry all. Get the bore going. Head for the fire.
Firies arrive and have a look. You do what you can here. It is going to go North. We will go around the wet area and try to stop it going into the other blocks.
Need to pull it up on the break - but the grass there is still pretty high. With the wind bearing north we can handle it. Changes. Comes towards the West. Tractor can only work on the higher spots but grade a break there anyway. TWOMD arrives on the quad. Properly dressed for a fire. Unlike me.
Use the quad with its 75 litre tank and little spray - seemed to get smaller as the day went on - to put out the fire on the break, after it comes out of the 4 metre gamba lining the break.
Up and down the line. Only 800 metres but feels longer. Fire has crossed our northern boundary and is in to the Kngarakan block. Wont stop until the road now - if then. That is 3 kms away. Only a couple of skinny breaks in that country. This fire wont even take a breath.
Theo arrives. Off the plane only hours earlier and jet lagged but if it gets across our western break it will take his place. Theo and Pat handle the tractor. Pipe comes off the tank. Need a better connection. Works OK but not in these conditions.
Under control so I head around to see how it is going on the Southern boundary. Neighbours are back burning and the Firies are there. Under control.
Theo sprinting through the swamp. Fire has jumped over 300 metres into his block.
No time. Need to stop it before it gets into the high gamba, then the mangos and then the house.
Only one way - through the worst of the bog. Didn't know the quad could do that. Through and around the fire. Not high grass but burning well. Bloody wind is changing from East to South at whim. Willy-willys are creating havoc. Hot. Smoke pretty bad. Pat and Theo bring the tractor around. Quad buggered. Work along the line. Getting there. Fire truck arrives and we start to get it under control.
Cattle and goats are frantic but they huddle. Fire gradually coming under control. Work the tractor along the line and back with Theo holding the connection and me on the hose and driving. Good team.
Under control again. Go for a run on the quad - working again - along the main break to have a look. A sneaky fire has come across the break and is a metre from the main orchard block. Put it out. Almost an anti climax but lucky that I am a worrier.
Time for a beer. Now 5.30. It started at 10.30. Time flies when you are having fun.
Where did it start? Don't know but it came from the neighbours on the South side. They had a tough time pulling it up burning back against the wind. It made the road and crossed it but was stopped pretty quickly after that.
Early burns are good - so they say. Not a blade of grass left. Big trees burning and down. Dead animals. Smoke makes your eyes water.
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3 comments:
Good heavens you guys, I thought retirement was when you are meant to relax and enjoy yourselves. Glad that it sounds like you didn't loose too much. Take care, Janet
well I can see you have been busy!
hard day at the office?
We were pretty busy for a while. I guess most of the big trees will come back next Wet although each fire takes out more. We have been careful to keep the fire out over the last 20 years and you can see the difference with the surrounding country.
The fire was started by a young bloke next door using his dad's new 12 foot slasher.
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