Tuesday 17 October 2023 Putting Out Hotspots: Getting Water

 A stiff southerly blew up today. With windborn soot and leaves blowing about it was a day to remain inside.  Around 1.45pm the whomp whomp of a helicopter drew closer. Since the Black Summer fires, and especially now, the response to the sound of a helicopter flying low overhead is no longer - oh look, a helicopter; now anxiety levels immediately rise and the first thought is 'shit, what's happening'. 

Going out onto the verandah I saw a helicopter filling its bucket in Cuttagee. As it flew, with it's load, straight toward me, another came in from the south and cut to the east behind the first. As the first flew away to the south the second was descending over the big dam next door.

From then on both helicopters filled from the dam in a constant cycle for the next two hours or so. Each helicopter returned for a refill approx every two minutes - they weren't flying far!

Here is some raw, unedited, shaky video of the activity overhead:

What was going on? Should I be worried? Had the fire sprung up again? The hazards ap showed nothing, the RFS radio was silent on the subject. Finally I rang L's nephew, a member of another local RFS who assured me I had nothing to be concerned about, the heat reading helicopter having flown the area to the south of us earlier in the morning, the 2 helicopters were now dumping water on the mapped hot spots.

Somewhat relieved, the continual whomp whomp of the helicopters not allowing complete relaxation, I remained in a state of "alert, but not alarmed".

The neighbours had a ringside view:

Finally, at 4.15pm on the orange helicopter's second last run of the day a bucket of water was dumped on what was left of the oldest tree on the property.