Update: Jamison Valley closed from 1 May 2018 onwards

[Neo]

So why burn Solitary?
It's already F U by people.
Plenty of weeds at Leura Creek, just below town.
Also the first place that I spotted Grevillea longifolia in it's natural habitat, walking the fire trail back to the 3 chooks.

[wildwanderer]

Yeah top stuff National Parks

I bet Tourism Australia/Visit NSW is loving this. I travel OS fairly frequently for work and the inaccurate reputation of Australia as a dangerous country is very real among people overseas. They do actually think they could get eaten if they visit Sydney.. now its you will be set on fire and then eaten.. All these pics will go on facebook etc to be seen by friends/relatives of visiting tourists.


Photo- Dean Seewell (taken from SMH site)

From https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weat ... 4ze37.html (is a couple pics too)

Pollution levels reached the upper end of the "very poor" rating for North Parramatta just before noon on Tuesday, according to the Office of Environment and Heritage.
Residents should watch for reports on the direction of smoke plumes and whether the air quality is deteriorating, particularly if they have any respiratory issues, Mr Shepherd said.

[Lith]

photo I took from Elysian rock, pretty crazy seeing the towering flames licking at the sides of the cliffs.

It'll be interesting to walk the traverse after this

[wildwanderer]

Great photo Lith!

Depending on the intensity of the burn it could be a significantly different landscape for quite a while afterwards. Just make sure you bring a scrubbing brush as your certain to get covered in charcoal.

[michael_p]

Updated story in the SMH today has a night shot which leaves no doubt that the top of Solitary got burnt: https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weat ... 4ze37.html

Wind blowing the smoke across SW Sydney. Man oh man, it stinks here.

[Grabeach]

I don't get this. Isn't hazard reduction done to prevent loss of life and property? Aren't the major Blue Mountains fires pushed by hot west / north west winds? Now, other than the High Range property on Kings Tableland (does anybody still live there?), the next property to the east or south east of Solitary is at Glenbrook. Does this mean they are going to burn all 26km between Solitary and Glenbrook?

[jonnosan]

According to offical statements of the time (http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/media ... 050102.htm ) the reason for the 2013 Wild Dog hazard reduction burns was to reduce the impact that a future uncontrolled bushfire would have on Sydney's water supply - I expect same logic would also justify this Mt Solitary burn and so yes probably we should expect in future years further burns in the Burragorang catchment area.

[GPSGuided]

How would bushfires threaten Sydney's water supply unless there's damage to the infrastructure? Surely areas with equipment can be protected and is of limited area.

[jonnosan]

I'm no expert here but seems plausible to me at least that anything that adds ash, sediment and other toxins to the lake is going to reduce the water quality. I just googled 'bushfires and water quality' and found this page that gives a brief description of the effects in play http://www.agriculture.gov.au/water/qua ... er-quality

I am sure the pros & cons of all this can be debated, I am just providing these links as possibly giving insight into what the people who makes these decisions may be considering.

[Hughmac]

Absolute *&%$#! vandalism. I would recommend anyone interested in fire in Australia should read Burn by Paul Collins. Gives a great summary of the history of and attitudes to fire in this country since European settlement. I have no idea how anyone would think this was a sensible way to manage a primary water catchment. Any significant rainfall before the understory recovers will cause massive erosion and and influx of ash and soil into Warragamba Dam.

[wildwanderer]

Here is the NSW Govt enviro and heritage dept offical press release on the burn.
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/ ... f-katoomba

The justification:

"The is a strategic burn aimed to reduce the bushfire risk to the townships of the upper mountains, particularly Katoomba, Leura and Wentworth Falls.

Which given prevailing winds and the amount of unburnt bush between the hazard reduction area and mountain townships makes little sense.

I thought it ironic that they are spending 45 million to save the Koalas when they are likely cooking koalas and untold other native animals with their hazard burns..

[wildwanderer]

Looks like the Solitary burn has got away from them a bit with these high winds.

Now a bushfire in the area as well. Though with westerly winds it shouldnt threaten property.

[Hughmac]

What a surprise - to nobody.

[Lith]

Does anyone know roughly how long this will go on for? I'm itching to get back into the valley and check out the damage

[jonnosan]

Hopefully the area will be reopened before the ultra-trail event next weekend.

[wildwanderer]

Hopefully the area will be reopened before the ultra-trail event next weekend.

I think it has to be.

They have about 5000 runners and who knows how many spectators arriving.

[juxtaposer]

So much for "cool" burns. What a disaster. In a few years time all the leaf litter will be back again like Mark F said, so this is a very short term fix at best. I would have thought in this area the rainforest under the southern flank of the Katoomba plateau and along Jamison Valley would give good fire protection to the townships.

[hms]

photo I took from Elysian rock, pretty crazy seeing the towering flames licking at the sides of the cliffs.

It'll be interesting to walk the traverse after this

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