Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

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Tasmania specific bushwalking discussion. Please avoid publishing details of access to sensitive areas with no tracks.

Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby north-north-west » Sun 10 Feb, 2019 12:59 pm

Grindelwalddave wrote:...there was commentary on social media that the decline in forestry activity was to blame for these fires. Plenty of cleared coupes plantation and otherwise in the Riveaux Road fire.


The science shows that forestry activity - especially clearfelling and monoculture eucalyptus or pine plantations - increase the fire risk. One more thing that you cannot teach people who are determined not to learn.
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Warin » Mon 11 Feb, 2019 1:54 pm

Gimped wrote:
Warin wrote:For how many 100's of years have we been having fires in Tasmania, and just now the fires are due to climate change?


Climate change has been moving up on us. A little more each year, but getting a larger change each year.
Some data from some other islands ..
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-11/ ... s/10788932

"The island is in the grip of a drought, the worst in many years according to many people," Norfolk Island Mayor Robin Adams said.
Bureau of Meteorology Norfolk Island station officer, Adam Jauczius said there had been an "incredible influx of dry years" over the past 40 years. "The general trend is indicating that we are getting a declining rainfall,"

In 2018 Lord Howe Island endured its driest year in 132 years, receiving about 500mm less rainfall than the average.
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby mikeb » Mon 11 Feb, 2019 7:53 pm

Some pictures here of the devastation:
https://www.facebook.com/142010460936/p ... 37?sfns=mo
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Rabid K9 » Tue 12 Feb, 2019 12:38 am

mikeb wrote:Some pictures here of the devastation:
https://www.facebook.com/142010460936/p ... 37?sfns=mo


Mt Anne / Eliza Plateau certainly had a close call, *&%$#! fire creeping up the ridge lines.

Does anybody know how High Camp hut fared?
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Tortoise » Tue 12 Feb, 2019 7:56 am

Rabid K9 wrote:Does anybody know how High Camp hut fared?

Apparently it didn't get burnt - but the track won't open for 'an extended period'. (see Parks website)
They also have updates on specific areas - last one on 10/2, but some earlier updates are still relevant.
https://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=50500
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Walk_fat boy_walk » Tue 12 Feb, 2019 7:59 am

There were rumours that HCH had been burnt but parks released an update the other day saying it was unaffected: https://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=50500

Edit: Tortoise beat me to it :)
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby tastrax » Tue 12 Feb, 2019 7:42 pm

An update on what has been burnt and where

https://firecentre.org.au/the-2019-tasm ... and-where/
Cheers - Phil

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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Overlandman » Wed 13 Feb, 2019 7:19 am

Whatever, Wherever, Whenever
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby potato » Wed 13 Feb, 2019 7:29 am

tastrax wrote:An update on what has been burnt and where

https://firecentre.org.au/the-2019-tasm ... and-where/


"The majority of the burned area is comprised of flammable vegetation communities. Fires in the west of the state (Gell River, Southwest, West Coast) have burned large tracts of sedgeland and buttongrass moorland (45-75% of burned area; Figure 2), whilst the Riveaux-Pedder fire complex is dominated by wet eucalypt communities (50% of burned area). The Central Plateau fire consists largely of dry eucalypt forest (65% of burned area). These vegetation communities have an ecology based on frequent (e.g. moorland and scrub) or infrequent fires (e.g. wet eucalypt) and consist of plant species with a range of adaptions to fire. We expect these vegetation communities should successfully recover over time."

As they have done in the past. With climate change however, the more frequent and intense fires will result in changes to the distribution or even the extinction of communities in heavily impacted areas. It is probable that areas such as Mt Bobs will remain as refuges for the communities observed there... but we are really heading into unchartered territory.
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby north-north-west » Wed 13 Feb, 2019 7:47 am

More frequent - and more intense - fires in the sedge/heath communities means an eventual loss of the peat soils that support them, as the peat itself is flammable. One particular fire on the west coast only stopped because it reached an area that had been burnt to bedrock fairly recently.
As that excerpt says "...recover over time". That means long enough without another fire of similar (or greater) intensity. And with our changing climate, the likelihood of that is remote.
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby bogholesbuckethats » Wed 13 Feb, 2019 9:36 am

http://mtmawson.info/snow-cam/

and now it's snowing
That looks like a pad.
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby potato » Wed 13 Feb, 2019 9:58 am

north-north-west wrote:More frequent - and more intense - fires in the sedge/heath communities means an eventual loss of the peat soils that support them, as the peat itself is flammable.


Yes. The peat and soils will also be exposed to erosion from rainfall for the period following fire until the vegetation recovers. Prescribed burns have the same impact as they target ground cover.
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Warin » Wed 13 Feb, 2019 1:27 pm

Excellent. I'll take snow to put out the fires. :)
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby icefest » Thu 14 Feb, 2019 4:05 pm

Image
Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful.
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Blue Jacket Hiker » Mon 18 Feb, 2019 11:26 am

Has anyone got an update on access to Western Arthurs, or the best places to keep an eye on for info - have a trip to Oberon and back planned there for the end of March.

- have been keeping an eye on MAPS/ Tas Fire/TasAlert/Sentinel Hotspot for areas that have burnt/remain burning???
- have also seen the Parks closures/reopenings etc

Just after any intel of people who may be in the know...cheers
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby bumpingbill » Mon 18 Feb, 2019 5:47 pm

Keep an eye on this page, I reckon.

https://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=7785
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby tastrax » Mon 18 Feb, 2019 6:16 pm

Scott’s Peak Road is still Authorised Access only so until that is lifted you won’t get to many SW walks
Cheers - Phil

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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Blue Jacket Hiker » Tue 19 Feb, 2019 10:22 am

tastrax wrote:Scott’s Peak Road is still Authorised Access only so until that is lifted you won’t get to many SW walks


Yep, thanks as I mentioned in my post I'm logically keeping an eye on all the publicly available info with the hope that the Parks/Roads will reopen soon.

But I was just after any information (that may not be readily publicly available) or someone heard from someone they know regarding:
- how far away parks might be from re-openings
- how close any fire activity is/was (I have obviously seen the latest burnt area maps) and;
- whether there is still any ongoing activity nearby...?
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby philm » Tue 19 Feb, 2019 10:56 am

We too were planning to walk the WAs but have had to change. I have spoken with people at Parks several times and they are saying it may be some time. Although no timeframes have been quoted I feel this could be at least another month maybe longer

The reasons seem to be the fire is still going in the area, the fire may have got into the Peat and this will take some time to be put out, once
Fire is out the road needs to be assessed, signs repaired and the road reopened

Then Parks can get in to assess the damage and then repair it if required

These are my views only but based on a number of conversations with various people in Parks

I can understand why Parks want to play it safe given incidents in other parts of Australia where people have been burnt due to bushfires
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby north-north-west » Tue 19 Feb, 2019 11:21 am

Moonlight Ridge should be re-opened today. That's good. Not that it's on my hit list, but things are slowly getting back to normal.

Scotts Peak Rd is frustrating. Wanted to do the Port Davey Track - which had no fire activity - but can't get in there. Grrrrr!
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby vagrom » Tue 19 Feb, 2019 11:53 am

You couldn't walk in on the Yo-Yo to get to the Port Davey, NNW ?
Surgite et .. andiamo!
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby ILUVSWTAS » Tue 19 Feb, 2019 12:03 pm

Yoyo was badly affected by the fires too. All tracks south of geeveston remain closed.
Nothing to see here.
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Blue Jacket Hiker » Tue 19 Feb, 2019 12:38 pm

philm wrote:We too were planning to walk the WAs but have had to change. I have spoken with people at Parks several times and they are saying it may be some time. Although no timeframes have been quoted I feel this could be at least another month maybe longer

The reasons seem to be the fire is still going in the area, the fire may have got into the Peat and this will take some time to be put out, once
Fire is out the road needs to be assessed, signs repaired and the road reopened

Then Parks can get in to assess the damage and then repair it if required

These are my views only but based on a number of conversations with various people in Parks

I can understand why Parks want to play it safe given incidents in other parts of Australia where people have been burnt due to bushfires


Thanks heaps, exactly what I was after (I do also plan to call Parks closer to the date).

More than happy with them all playing it safe, will post any updates I hear too (have got a couple of Firie mates following it up for me)...
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby icefest » Wed 20 Feb, 2019 10:50 pm

Blue Jacket Hiker wrote:(I do also plan to call Parks closer to the date).


What's this gonna achieve that you can't find out online?
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Blue Jacket Hiker » Thu 21 Feb, 2019 9:15 am

icefest wrote:
Blue Jacket Hiker wrote:(I do also plan to call Parks closer to the date).


What's this gonna achieve that you can't find out online?


If we're starting to cut it fine (track still not opened a week out), I'll call them to try and find out the likelihood of it opening sooner rather than later - they may not be able to tell me anything but proximity of re-opening isn't something they usually post online...but may tell regarding specific enquiries.

But I'll let you know if anything.
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby tastrax » Sat 23 Feb, 2019 8:54 pm

I reckon they may reassess Scotts Peak Road after the upcoming hot day (Monday) and whether anything blows up again - still quite a few hotspots out there and forecast for next weekend is also for hotter temperatures (30/34! on 1st and 2nd March)
Cheers - Phil

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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby ianhopkins » Tue 26 Feb, 2019 6:39 am

If any of you have instagram there is an account called wandering foxbat that belongs to a Tasmanian pilot and he has posted some photos/videos that show the devastation of the fires, especially the one that went through the Denison Range. It was pretty heartbreaking to watch the video...
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby bogholesbuckethats » Tue 26 Feb, 2019 6:40 am

That looks like a pad.
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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Paul » Tue 26 Feb, 2019 2:27 pm

I find it interesting that after the devastating fires on the East Coast at Scammander some recent years ago, the TFS / Govt brainstormed the issues to apparently learn better outcomes with response, resources, personell, infrastructure, machinery, etc, etc.

The recent fires situation makes me wonder !!!

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Re: Gell River Fire - Lake Rhona Region

Postby Blue Jacket Hiker » Wed 06 Mar, 2019 12:07 pm

tastrax wrote:I reckon they may reassess Scotts Peak Road after the upcoming hot day (Monday) and whether anything blows up again - still quite a few hotspots out there and forecast for next weekend is also for hotter temperatures (30/34! on 1st and 2nd March)


I was hoping so too, unfortunately still no change. I have spoken with SWNP as well as a mate in Parks who both said reopening of the Western Arthurs was unlikely before the end of March. I also enquired whether any "special permission" could be obtained by registering a set walk that for example only went to areas that could be deemed safe (unburnt and out of harms way) but no avenue there. So our long planned trip to Lake Oberon as our first foray is on hold for now (as many Arthurs trips have been in the past).

We're heading to the Walls instead and hoping to have a decent reccy for a winter snow trip later in the year.
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