This morning while tending to my vegetable garden I detected the faint smell of smoke, however when I looked around I could not see where it was coming from.
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As I walked up the stairs to refill the watering can I looked down the hill, and froze in my tracks as I caught sight of the fire and billowing smoke from the field across the road. For a moment I didn't know what to do, but then came to my senses and raced inside to the phone then dialled 000 and asked for "Fire", then attempted to give the location of the fire. I guess I must have been in shock because although I was very familiar with them, I couldn't remember the street names "The Boulevarde" and "Deepwater Ave" but managed to say that the fire was near the Russell Island Lions Park.
I anxiously waited what seemed like an eternity, while the flames began to lick the tree branches and thick smoke billowed into the sky. I looked at my watch... I wasn't sure, but thought it must be about 15 minutes from the time I first phoned, but there was still no sign of the fire brigade.
I than ran outside and hosed the house and surrounds, as a precaution from flying embers which were being carried on the wind which then changed direction as I heard sirens in the distance.
When the firemen arrived, they quickly brought the blaze under control before it could cause damage to any homes. I watched on as they continued to monitor the smouldering field and dowse the spot fires which appeared. While watching them I suddenly felt overwhelmed and close to tears. After two hours or so, they left and life returned to normal. I was relieved, but also knew I would continue to remain wary as I had good reason to believe the fire may have been deliberately lit... please contact me if you would like the link to a recording of threats (contains obscene language) made approx 20 minutes before the fire broke out, from which you may draw your own conclusions. The threats were not directed at me, but at the owners of the neighbouring house, where the person making the threats was renting... first he complained about them spying on him because their boat was "moored" in the bay within view of the house (I was tempted to tell him it was anchored, not moored, but I didn't want to risk aggravating him further), then he threatened to burn their house down (was that just coincidence?). He has since been telling a questionable version of how the fire started. How would he even know without firsthand knowledge and especially when he said he wasn't here when it started? I also think the his leaving approx 10 minutes or so before the fire broke out and returning approx 5 minutes after the fire brigade arrived and saying he had followed them and had stopped to talk to them, despite the fact that I had been able to see through a clearing in the bush when he drove past only seconds before he came around the corner, was suspicious. I was also abused for overreacting when I called the fire brigade because "it wasn't a real fire". I am fairly certain the fire brigade would differ in their opinion about that!
I know the fire was not extreme, however I have had basic firefighting training several years prior when I worked as a security guard and other jobs which included regular emergency fire training, and am well aware of their potential to quickly become a uncontrollable wildfire in similar dry conditions and therefore make no apology for calling the fire brigade. I also refuse to accept this persons claim that "it needed to be lit", regardless of whether or not they lit it themselves. As I said to this individual, "little fires can grow into big fires very quickly"... but the response I received from this person would seem to indicate that person just doesn't care about other people's property.
Video: Fire at Deepwater Ave (near Lions Boulevarde Park), Russell Island QLD
Saturday June 25, 2011
