Since I wrote my last bushfire update things have improved a lot. We had some good rains and that along with some cooler weather enabled the firefighters to do some back burning and mopping up operations, finally dropping Geeveston and the surrounding areas back from “Watch and Act” status to “Advice”.
http://www.fire.tas.gov.au/Show?pageId=colCurrentBushfires
The fires are still listed as “going” but many of the other areas around the state where there have been fires are now listed as “Patrol” or “being controlled”.
I haven’t said a lot about the fires in other areas because I was telling the story from my own point of view but they were all as serious as the one we were facing and there was some property loss. Also, many hectares of World Heritage listed forests have been burned, Tasmania’s honey industry has taken a major hit due to the loss of leatherwood trees and who knows how much wildlife has been killed. We are extremely fortunate that there was no loss of life and so few homes burned. It could have been much, much worse.
The worst of it is we may find ourselves in this situation again next summer or any summer. This could be our new normal and that is a scary thought.
But:
I am at home. I could have come home a few days ago but I picked today as a good day firstly because it was more convenient for Naomi and secondly because of my trip to the Wooden Boat Festival yesterday.
Apart from smelling a bit stale and needing a good vacuum and dust my house is fine. I will have to get on to the cleaning bit because the real estate agent rang to ask if she could bring a potential buyer to have a look at it on Monday.
A day to laze around at home enjoying my own space would have been nice but it will have to wait, there are dust bunnies to hunt.

Good to know that all is well for you at least, Vanda. I imagine the animals are very happy to be home.
Such destruction to heritage listed wilderness areas is heartbreaking. Now it is NZ’s turn. 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes I heard that they had a big bushfire around the Nelson area. We had some Kiwi firefighters down here helping out. Hope we can do the same for them if needed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a relief it must be to be home at last.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s heaven.
LikeLike
Welcome back home. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
So happy that you are back home. I pray that everyone else is able to do that same. Your hedge is very pretty.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pretty much everyone is back now. I was probably one of the last to return. Four homes were lost on the outskirts of town and another lost sheds and garden but the house was saved . I know the community will rally to get them back on their feet and the town is buzzing with people out patronising local businesses who lost income during the fires.
LikeLike
It sounds like the people in your community will stick together and that is good. So glad you could come home with home intact.
LikeLiked by 1 person