So, Australia is on fire. My family and I watched hours of news today. The only thing on our local news other than the fires, was the weather. Which strangely enough is about fires.
For the first time in my memory, my mum and I talked about our fire plan. It’s basically humans and dogs in the car, plus the fire proof box with the passports. The last time we had a fire plan was 2002, when my mum was the last car allowed along a road. The fire passed behind her. In 2003, we were overseas but my parents remember the news cycle about it. I was 7 when my city burned.
Canberra had the worst air quality for a major city in the world. People on the coast were facing 6 times that. There are no P2 masks left. My dad had to wear a mask at work, he works indoors. My mum and I have been wearing them outdoors and to walk our dogs, who have cabin fever and were getting very sad. I couldn’t see 50m in front of me driving home the other morning. The smoke is getting in our houses. And we’re lucky, because the territory isn’t on fire, yet. Some idiots decided to ring in the new year setting grass fires up in the south and people had to evacuate.
I can think of many choice words for the Prime Minister as I watch the news, only to discover he’s not planning on reforming climate change legislation and action. We are burning, people are dying, we’ve lost half a billion fauna and flora to this. Species we will never know existed have fried. People nearly died on beaches, had to get in the water with their children to stay safe. And the man in charge of the country says he doesn’t want young people to be anxious about their futures. We are not going to have a future.
It is BARELY January, the country has been on fire since September. We have a long, hot summer to go. We call family members to check they’re ok, we plan evacuations, we try to find masks, we put out water for wildlife, we watch, and everything burns. Everywhere I went on holiday as a child to the beach is gone or going. Where my dad grew up, thousands of people are stuck. Our loved ones are getting stuck on Shelter in Place because Watch and Act didn’t stand a chance against the wind changing. One person has had to be evacuated five times because the fires just keep coming back for more.
But there are good news stories, the massive fundraiser for the koalas, Mogo Zoo didn’t lose a single animal because of their incredible zookeeper team who left their own houses to burn while protecting their residents. People are opening their homes, we know a chicken farmer giving away their eggs, donations are pouring in. Australians are tough and they have good hearts. Australians will find a way, any way, to get through this. We;ve got the incredible fire fighters on our sides, we’ve got waterbombers, defence relief, backburners, and civilians with buckets and hoses. So people will make it through, somehow.
The government needs to take note, we need climate change reforms. We need backburning performed adequately long before fire season hits us. We need more funding to our firefighters, career and volunteer. We need you to listen to how outraged and hurt the people are. How scared we are. How sad we are, because we shouldn’t be crying watching the news. My mum shouldn’t have her heart broken with more stories about injured animals. My grandmother overseas shouldn’t be beside herself with worry. Children shoudln’t be sheltering on and in the water. People should not be watching their lives burn.
Support your RFS, your CFA, your local fire crews, the SES, the defence personnel. Support people who are doing things about these fires. But ask your members of parliment, your representatives why nothing was done, and how we ended up in this mess.
