Under a Blood Red Sky: Photos of the Canberra firestorm

[Alexander's Horse]

This is the fire above our street Case was talking about. This shot was taken about an hour or so after the worst of it, probably at about 6pm. Notice more normal light conditions have returned but by this stage the power is out - this fire took out the power lines. I'm standing about 4 houses up the street from our house on the corner of Case's street.

We were lucky - the fire was heading straight for us - but then there was a wind change and it took off in another direction.

[Alexander's Horse]

This is Dominic with a little water bottle I gave him to make him feel better. It seemed to work - he went around spraying everything that was important to him with water, including us, his brother, his toys. Nice psych strat there from Dad until he sprayed the TV and it stopped working!!!

[Lancer]

Cute kids...but not a pony among them.

[DRoseDARs]

Adorable AND funny AH

[Alexander's Horse]

This is Mobius on his kangaroo hunt in December. The area behind him is the area burning in the last 2 shots.

[Skanky Burns]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
Nice psych strat there from Dad until he sprayed the TV and it stopped working!!!

Are you sure that didn't occur just when the power went out?

[The Mad Monk]

Just remember, whatever else happens, save your hard drives!

[Alexander's Horse]

This is a shot of the same location Mobius was standing after the fire went through. Its burnt like this for miles and miles. My house is on the treed knoll in the background.

[FrustratedPoet]

That's some crazy sh!t.

I'm glad the Horse's and Ponies are OK.

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Just remember, whatever else happens, save your hard drives!

Interesting what is important at a time like this - at one point Mrs Horse said we should get documents together in case we had to flee. I said never mind about that - save the family photos! The photos the only thing aside from ourselves I wanted to save or cared a whit about.

This is as close as the fire got to us - the roundabout near the top of our street, about 200 yards/metres from our home. Fortunately the wind had changed so there was no force behind it.

[alva]

Some weekend

Kangoeroe hunt ?? Is that like a fox hunt??

[Alexander's Horse]

Dominic claimed today he saved us from the roundabout fire with his little spray bottle - who am I to argue with such a satisfied little fire fighter?

[FrustratedPoet]

so cute

[Alexander's Horse]

When the power went out, the traffic lights went out too. There were scores of accidents last night, smashed cars littering the road at major intersections as people went through helter skelter in the panic. The cars were just left on the median strip or the side of the road. This car was one of them still there this afternoon.

Remember people - if you are ever in such an emergency - the roads are very dangerous - some people just cracked up and went psycho behind the wheels of their cars, speeding through intersections with no lights.

About one quarter of Canberra is still without electricity today. We were really lucky to get our power back on overnight. Some won't get power back for days or weeks.

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by Lancer
Cheers to Mrs Horse! Sounds like a great woman.

Thanks - I got some great shots of the fire with her in them but I don't want to encourage any more "danger sex" speculation

Here a shot of fire trucks at an assembly area the day after the fire. There were dozens of volunteer firefighters here resting up but I didn't photograph them. It didn't seem like the right thing to do.

They were about as useful as tits on a bull when the fire was upon us, but we appreciate their efforts anyway...