Look out for smoke...

[Coop]

G'Day Guys,

 

In this era of firebugs, as you blatt around the countryside, keep your eyes open for smoke. We all have a very good view from the air, and you may be the first to report a fire.

 

We were returning from a local jaunt through the southern Adelaide Hills and spotted smoke and flames a little off our track. We called Adelaide Approach and gave them the details. They asked if we could orbit, and since we had plenty of fuel we did so. After about 15 minutes the SAPOL chopper appeared and took over from us, so we went on our way. We saw CFS vehicles heading that way as we left the area. The fire wasn't very big and I figure they would have dealt with it fairly quickly. It was a relatively remote area, so might not have been reported so soon had we not seen it.

 

So keep your eyes peeled- I suspect most firebugs don;t look up in the sky much when they go about their rotten pastime.

 

We were getting close to IFR at Port Augusta on Friday afternoon- the smoke from the Vic fires had come all that way and was limiting visibility all the way up to about 10,000'.

 

Coop

 

 

[Robbo]

Coop

 

good work mate, you have just prevented a bushfire !!!

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

Excellent work mate. I really would love to know how these people get off doing what they do. A little off topic but I posted my dvd's back last night at the post box. I have a dvd service that comes to my door then I post the dvd's back. Some absolute moron set the post box on fire last night so I don't know what will happen now. One would think with all the **** going on in VIC they would know better. Obviously not. These people literally need to be shot.

 

 

[Coop]

THanks for the comments, but I forgot to mention, this was about 2 years ago. When the Harrogate firebug was doing her stuff (subsequently caught and prosecuted).

 

But we still keep our eyes open.

 

Coop

 

 

[Robbo]

One idiot women here lit a bushfire in the same area as our current fires, she did it in 06 and she got sentenced today, 3 ****** years and she is appealing it !!! What a load of **** !! should be life

 

 

[Coop]

I don't know if we were just lucky in SA, but I know the SA police put in a big effort monitoring anyone previously convicted of arson- especially on fire ban days. I think they also monitor anyone charged with arson who wasn't convicted (perhaps because of limited evidence). They also patrol areas known to be frequented by firebugs on fire ban days.

 

As I said, maybe we were just lucky, but it may also be that this effort is having some impact. If it is, then perhaps it is going to cut down the number of such fires that get lit every year.

 

THe chap arrested a few days back fits the pattern- socially inept, limited intelligence, fascinated by fire and pornography.

 

Life may very well be the outcome in his case.

 

In the meantime, keep your eyes open and don't hesitate to call in when you see smoke. You might be the first one to see it.

 

Coop

 

 

[Guest Darren Masters]

For those that are so interested in fire they ought to throw themselves in and get a closer look!