Title Bushfire Summer: Heatwave - Ep 1 of 4

Published Australia : ABC, 2009

Online access available from: Informit EduTV    View Resource Record

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Description 1 online resource (streaming video file) (27 min. 25 sec.) ; 164303902 bytes Summary On Thursday 19th January 2006 lightning starts a spate of fires across the state. With weekend temperatures set to soar into the 40s, the fire services are preparing for the worst.Then on Saturday the inevitable happens. Towns are threatened - first Erica in the east of the state, then Steiglitz in the west. Locals must decide should they stay and try to protect their home or should they go? And if they go, what should they take? Christine Worrall and John Baker, residents of Anakie (one of the threatened towns) both make the decision to stay and defend their homes. As Saturday heats up the fire-fighters are struggling - dropping like flies in the heat and rugged terrain of the Grampians National Park. By nightfall there are 70 fires across the state. The combined resources of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) are stretched. They have 35 aircraft - they need 70. Their crews need to be rested, but 17 new fires have just started. And what happens next no-one could have foreseen.The fire in the Grampians goes berserk. It become so huge that it has created a rare thundercloud 20 kilometres high that is creating its own lightning strikes - leading to even more fires.As the sun sets the water bombing aircraft can no longer fly and it's now all up to the fire-fighters on the ground - who by this stage are physically and emotionally exhausted. PRODUCTION DETAILS:Bushfire Summer is a joint venture between the ABC Natural History Unit, the Country Fire Authority, Department of Sustainability and Environment, the Bushfire CRC, ABC News, ABC Local Radio, ABC Emergency Services and ABC Online. Producer: Josie Matthiesson Event Broadcast 2009-12-02 at 13:30:00 Notes Classification: G Subject Fires -- Casualties. Forest biodiversity -- Effect of fires on. Forest fire fighters. Forest fires -- Prevention and control. Heat waves (Meteorology) Victoria. Country Fire Authority. Victoria. Form Streaming video Author Bibby, Neil, contributor Boord, Julie, contributor Friend, Sheryl, contributor Handmer, John W, contributor Kaneen, Peter, contributor Lindenmayer, David, contributor Menzies, Robert, cast Nicoll, Murray, contributor Rees, R. (Russell), contributor Smith, Robyn, contributor

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