The news reports:

at watch and act today  total fire ban

smoke haze  poor air quality  asthma sufferers

and other respiratory problems stay indoors.

 

Hot north westerly winds

west and southwest of Sydney

properties cleared and prepared

an anxious night    distant sirens  confusion

to leave or to go?

Springwood, Yarramundi.

 

Residents report:

rescue our animals  and get out of here

a new fire break

it’s always your family  that’s more important

pack up your photos  that’s all you can do

temporary accommodation

photos are what you’ve seen and experienced.

 

On amber watch today

200 houses destroyed so far

hoping and praying for the best

containment lines  will they hold?

 

Exhausted fire fighters

people’s lives are the most important

fire crews keep back-burning

what else can you do?

 

Despite ember attacks on homes

Rural Fire Service to link up bushfires as winds drop.

 

Today has started off cool.

 

First published in First Refuge Poems on social justice

Ginninderra Press 2016

Copyright © Libby Sommer

Header Image:  Creative Commons