2019/2020 Aussie Bushfires - Jordy's appeal for help

[whitewave]

I donated to thirsty koalas

 

[RayRay]

UPDATE

Images received from my contact up at Numeralla, it's been ferocious but they've had relief with some rain. We're now taking a 200 mile detour via Canberra into the disaster zone with two checkpoints to reach before going our escort takes us into the town. Nerves are now increasing, if that highway gets closed off from fires then the entire SE of NSW is isolated by fires. They're defending it as hard as they can.

@jordyonbass thank you for the update. Praying the highway doesn’t get closed off.

 

[whitewave]

fellow Aussie here - I still can't quite believe what is happening around me. Woke up this morning to thick smoke outside again, at dangerous levels for breathing ( but where do you go for fresh air?)- I and everyone around me monitors the fires near me app regularly, and the days blur into each other, where we have watched fires and monitored how close they are with bags packed ready to go if need be.

We have friends who were trapped in Batemans Bay but are now out - a beautiful coastal town now surrounded by fire. the loss to humans, houses, domestics stock and wildlife is heart breaking - our beautiful koalas have no chance - this will impact their numbers and there are fears for their long term survival as a species.

I am sick of waking up daily to the fires - I want rain and fresh air.

I am heartened by the community spirit here locally and world wide that is reaching out to help - we have never had fires to this scale for so long. I donated to our local fires services ( all normal volunteers risking their lives to fight fire). My son and I bought food and and bottled water ( the last item is a real necessity) and dropped off for the fire fighters ( there was lines of cars of normal families dropping off items - every bit counts), we are all donating here and there spreading the money between fire fighters, families evacuated and animal groups- the plight of our native animals is heart breaking -

Some donation ideas if interested below:

https://www.facebook.com/officialcelestebarber/.
Celeste Barber is a comedian who has set up a fund for our firefighters money going direct into the firefighters trust mentioned earlier - but it has PayPal which is easy for donations -

or anyone can donate to the firefights fund direct via
their bank
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/about-us/fundraising -

WIRES has been mentioned for animals - https://www.wires.org.au/donate/emergency-fund

The RSPCA is an organisation that helps all animals, not just wildlife, but cows, sheep, cats dogs etc

Donate to RSPCA NSW

Helping people help animals

www.rspcansw.org.au

and the following for Koalas

Help Thirsty Koalas Devastated by Recent Fires, organized by Port Macquarie Koala Hospital

The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital has been overwhelmed by th… Port Macquarie Koala Hospital needs your support for Help Thirsty Koalas Devastated by Recent Fires

www.gofundme.com

I like many of my friends are over this, we want the rains to come and get back to normal -

I also hope we can take any lessons we need to from this so we and others countries dont have a repeat of this summer. Current predictions are that the fires will burn for another 2 months - you cant put out fires in our bushland on this scale. Meanwhile air purifiers are sold out online, face masks for smoke are hard to come by ( sold out locally waiting for more to be shipped in) and we monitor the news regularly and hope that communities directly in the line of fire can get to safety.

D2b

By the way, I have asthma and usually keep a VOG mask with me just in case, (things like fragrances set me off) and I brought it with me to my sister’s house in CA when they were on fire threat/power shut off cycle.

Vogmask High Filtering Efficiency Reusable Face Mask

Vogmask, the premier reusable filtering face mask offering high efficiency, comfort, and excellent fit.

www.vogmask.com

They would be for residents, not people on front lines and I’m not 100% sure of their use near heavy fires, but I thought I’d link it in case anyone wanted one. They do get hot when you wear them.

 

[jordyonbass]

@RayRay thank you, it's crucial that road stays open and not just for our supply delivery. I have heard that conditions are better at the moment, but to quote my contact in Numeralla; 'Friday is going to be the electric boogaloo'. That's not a good thing at all so I am hoping that Saturday afternoon it will have calmed down so we can get our delivery into the town. At worst it will be an hour and a half away in Canberra if things really go bad, still closer than a 9 hour drive at least.

@whitewave thank you for donating to thirsty koalas. The P2 style dust mask is also effective in reducing particle inhalation, the chemical vapour and gas masks we've been purchasing have been for frontline firemen and people in the disaster zone providing assistance, they need a higher level of breathing protection. This thread has also reminded us to grab some Ventolin puffers, something that may be needed by people in town.

 

[whitewave]

@RayRay thank you, it's crucial that road stays open and not just for our supply delivery. I have heard that conditions are better at the moment, but to quote my contact in Numeralla; 'Friday is going to be the electric boogaloo'. That's not a good thing at all so I am hoping that Saturday afternoon it will have calmed down so we can get our delivery into the town. At worst it will be an hour and a half away in Canberra if things really go bad, still closer than a 9 hour drive at least.

@whitewave thank you for donating to thirsty koalas. The P2 style dust mask is also effective in reducing particle inhalation, the chemical vapour and gas masks we've been purchasing have been for frontline firemen and people in the disaster zone providing assistance, they need a higher level of breathing protection. This thread has also reminded us to grab some Ventolin puffers, something that may be needed by people in town.

Yes on ventolin. I would be struggling if I was near a fire or the smoke.

 

[MollyMalone]

@jordyonbass -- one of my brothers-in-law is a firefighter with the US Forest Service. His unit sponsored a fundraising dinner this evening, a potluck buffet with many of the dishes cooked by his crew; others in the community, including restaurants, contributed additional food and beverages. It's been a huge success! A great turn-out from the town (they didn't close the doors at 9 PM as anticipated because people are still coming in wanting to be part of the fundraising efforts) & almost 100 out-of-towners like me have also donated money online to the special account a local bank set up. So supplies and money will be on their way to Australia from the Smokey Mountains in the USA.

My BIL asked me to tell you, although he knows you know this, "Be careful out there, Jordy."

You and your fellow Australians are in the hearts of many.

 

[Sparkles88]

Hello from Western Australia. Thanks for the all the updates Jordy. We have donated to the Australian Red Cross, my son emptied out his money box to add of our donation. He said it wasn’t a lot but I said imagine if the whole population of Australia donated the same amount how much it would add up to. Every little bit counts. Stay safe!

 

[jordyonbass]

@MollyMalone every day I am astounded by the generosity the world continues to show, thank you to everyone who has been involved in that as it's going to help so many people. And tell your BIL I said thank you for his concern, we're not taking any risks out there at all with our convoy and will be with good care at the disaster zone.

@Sparkles88 thank you to both you and your son, those are fine morals you're raising him to have for him to want to empty his money box and help out. And he is right, if we all kick in our bit and do what we can then it will not be so hard for those affected. It's why I am doing this trip, I saw the opportunity to help more than just a cash donation so I took it.

 

[jordyonbass]

UPDATE

We've now collected more of the respirator masks than what the fire station has asked for, so we're very happy to have that accomplished now. More donations are coming in, we've now got co-drivers and an extra car in the convoy.

Tomorrow is the big day for Numeralla, the weather is going to be atrocious for the firemen. Hopefully the aftermath that we will be driving through won't be too serious.

 

[Dandi]

Safe travels @jordyonbass, I'll be thinking of you. Please update us when you can!

 

[Dancing Fire]

I would like to make a donation. Is this site legit? Am I donating in USD or AUD$?

NSW Rural Fire Service - Online Payment

 

[arkieb1]

I would like to make a donation. Is this site legit? Am I donating in USD or AUD$?

NSW Rural Fire Service - Online Payment

It looks legitimate to me. It is an Australian website link and Westpac is an Aussie bank so it will be in Aussie dollars.

Good work @jordyonbass, keep safe!!!

We donated to the Red Cross and the Koala Hospital;

https://www.koalahospital.org.au/page/donate/

The Koala population has been decimated. From a news report so our US friends can understand the scale of the fires here;

"The wildfires in Australia have burned a massive expanse of land. ... That's 5,000 square miles (an area about the size of Connecticut), more than the area of land that burned during 2019's devastating Amazon rainforest fires and 80 times larger than the total area burned in the 2019 California wildfires."

 

[Dancing Fire]

I donated to NSW. Thanks @arkieb1

 

[jordyonbass]

Thank you for donating @Dancing Fire , I appreciate your generosity at this time.

And thank you @arkieb1 and @Dandi for your well wishes, we're all pretty keen to get this all over and done with to be honest. It's been a lot of driving around to pick stuff up etc and I'm already feeling quite exhausted.

Here's my update:

Currently boxing up everything in relevant boxes and labelling it all so the fire service there doesn't have to go sorting through mountains of stuff. We've mostly loaded one car already, I am waiting for another two to come past tonight so we can load them as well. My truck is being loaded as least possible as it is going to be the emergency vehicle with first aid, tools, engine fluids and other stuff we may need in the case of a breakdown or other problem. We don't want to be rustling through too much stuff if we need something urgently.

Two fires that we are essentially driving around have since joined and become a mega blaze, if it burns either the Hume or Monaro highways we may be in a spot of bother. But at this point we're still leaving tomorrow morning at 6am

 

[RayRay]

@jordyonbass - be safe tomorrow, we’ll be thinking about you and your team for a successful and safe mission and return. I know everyone you’re helping will be so appreciative of the supplies you’re bringing!

 

[jordyonbass]

Thank you @RayRay , we're hoping the travel is quick and smooth to get into the town!

Vehicle #2 now loaded with supplies, water and clothing specifically. My attention to detail means I've sorted all the items into relevant bags/boxes and each vehicle is carrying specific items, just hope that helps the people not have to go looking through everything to find something.

 

[jordyonbass]

Another ute loaded with supplies, just have to throw a few things in my Colorado in the morning and we're off. Time for bed, leaving in 8 hours...

 

[Sparkles88]

Stay safe! I think what you are doing is so amazing. I can’t believe these fires are still burning, it’s been weeks

 

[jordyonbass]

UPDATE

We've just made it to the state border, my father has joined us and we're currently waiting for more supplies to be dropped off to us. Quick stop for rest, food and fuel.

It's going to be harder to update this thread from here, I may have an update as I am making my way back towards home.

#bootsontheground

 

[missy]

Good luck Jordy! Stay safe. And you rock.

 

[jordyonbass]

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

We arrived at Numeralla fire station today just after 4pm after leaving home at 6am with the urgently needed supply delivery after what can only be described as one of the most nervous drives I've ever done, as we came down the Monaro highway I realised that the road could easily be closed by fires and if it does then we are stuck there - along with the whole south east of NSW. Between Michelago and Bredbo we could see two separate blazes to our east and were on high alert. On the way to Numeralla we stopped in at a town called Cooma and fuelled up our cars, bought three boxes of beer and a whole lot of fresh produce to take to the people. Twenty minutes later we were at the fire station after driving directly at a smoke cloud and arrived at the fire station which was no more than a mile from a blaze.

When we got there we realised just how serious the situation was; everyone in town has their own tank water, however all their tanks have been poisoned with soot and ash so it's made their water not fit for drinking. There is a giant stack of bottled water in a shed at the fire station and locals come grab it when they need it as pretty much everyone is broke from buying fire fighting equipment. They just aren't getting the funding they need.

After unloading all the supplies we did the only thing you can do with an Aussie you don't know in order to have that first bonding session - we cracked a beer together and watched the firefighting helicopter land and take off again. I've got a new respect for small country towns, they don't have a lot of money amongst the people but they work bloody hard - especially the volunteers. I've made a donation directly to the captain and his wife as they've been supporting the entire town, it's not enough to keep the bank off their backs but it's enough for them to buy things they desperately need.
Unfortunately not long after we arrived and unloaded we noticed the wind was stronger and blowing the fire towards the station. Time to go for these city slickers!

Here are some photos folks, I'm staying at a friend's house in Wodonga and have to do some business up here and make my way back tomorrow. The convoy is still heading towards home at this point, so proud of the team I had
#bootsontheground

Unloading at the fire station


My brother in law unloading some supplies


Enjoying a cold one with the boys


Where are we?

Captain's wife and I, unfortunately the captain was on the frontline as always


Fire coming up to the ridge making a huge mushroom cloud, apparently once it hits the ridge it's time to evacuate the town

 

[RayRay]

My heart goes out to everyone in Australia suffering from these devastating fires, I can’t imagine what they must be going through. Jordy - mission accomplished! So glad you were able to help them out and return home safely - I am sure everyone was so appreciative of the supplies you brought, even the cold beers to take the edge off!

 

[jordyonbass]

Thank you @RayRay , I've gotta say I thought the drive would be uneventful and it was for the most part with the exception of my dad clipping a silly kangaroo on the highway. But those smoke clouds from blazes had us very nervous as we made our way down the Monaro highway.

And here is a photo of the local fire service volunteers with the respirator masks that were obtained with the donations that were so kindly provided by yourself, @Rockdiamond and @Jimmianne
Thank you everyone, these masks right now are worth more than gold.

 

[jordyonbass]

Just wanted to update this thread with some very sad news.

Some of our Canadians brothers who came out to help were piloting an air bomber near Numeralla to help the fire station fight a blaze, unfortunately the plane has crashed and killed all three onboard.
The poor little town is absolutely shaken to the core as this happened within earshot for most people there. Some watched it happen.

 

[maita13]

Just wanted to update this thread with some very sad news.

Some of our Canadians brothers who came out to help were piloting an air bomber near Numeralla to help the fire station fight a blaze, unfortunately the plane has crashed and killed all three onboard.
The poor little town is absolutely shaken to the core as this happened within earshot for most people there. Some watched it happen.

This is tragic news indeed...I have no words as I know what and how this unimaginable loss is to their families and friends. Suffice to say, they are heroes who put their lives at risk in the service of others. We are eternally grateful to these brave heroes and their respective families for their selflessness and sacrifice.

Thank you for the update and all that you continue to do for your community and communities at large, @jordyonbass. Please take care of yourself.
And please let us know how we can help the heroes’ families.

 

[jordyonbass]

This is tragic news indeed...I have no words as I know what and how this unimaginable loss is to their families and friends. Suffice to say, they are heroes who put their lives at risk in the service of others. We are eternally grateful to these brave heroes and their respective families for their selflessness and sacrifice.

Thank you for the update and all that you continue to do for your community and communities at large, @jordyonbass. Please take care of yourself.
And please let us know how we can help the heroes’ families.

Thank you @maita13

I am unsure at this point what is going to be done, it's still do early. I saw some footage from a person at Numeralla who captured the aftermath and it's one of the most distressing things I've ever seen.

I really just want this all to be over in my beautiful home

 

[maita13]

Just hang in there, @jordyonbass...sending you positive energy through the universe and wishing hard for a quick resolution (rainfall, et al) for Australia.
We salute and admire your resilience.

 

[canuk-gal]

 

[jordyonbass]

I got the info a little wrong; it was a Canadian plane, being flown by American staff. Regardless, people have lost their lives trying to help our country and this problem we've got.

We're losing emergency service personnel every week to the blazes

 

[jordyonbass]

Just an update as we're still burning here in Australia...

The South East of NSW appears to be all but isolated from the rest of the state. The last highway into Cooma to stay open has been the Monaro highway, the highway we drove down to get to Numeralla from Canberra to deliver the supplies - well, the Monaro has now fallen with closures at Bredbo.

There are some roads that will take people down into Victoria, however these are all country back roads that wouldn't be able to support so much traffic trying to escape. My mate in Numeralla said they're currently surrounded by blazes in the region and while they're currently safe, leaving for somewhere else is not an option anymore.

To say I'm worried about the next week or so is an understatement.

The Monaro highway at Bredbo


Some hotspot imaging, there's blazes all around Cooma which is a big holiday hotspot. There's not really anywhere for the people in Cooma to go anymore without causing mass traffic jams.