Tomorrow has been gazetted as a catastrophic day for fire in NSW. As noted in my last post, we are surrounded by gigantic blazes on at least two sides, both of which have grown since my last mapping of them. A catastrophe is a very serious matter, at the higher end of that hill named disaster, so for that reason I would quibble over the use of the word. It suggests not only that something very bad can happen but also that it is imminent. People are panicked when they should be merely concerned and alert to any potential danger. I think the designation extreme is quite sufficient, but then, who am I to argue.

Ann wants to go to the temple at Annandale tomorrow and I have an extra shift announcing a program at 2RPH in the afternoon. So we will be heading out early (if the trains are running) and will hopefully get back in the evening to a house still standing and in good order, presumably. Fires, in hot and windy conditions, often create their own weather and so, can be unpredictable. The firies are exhausted from weeks of battling multiple conflagrations that seem to have no end, under circumstances that are exceedingly difficult. We owe them a gratitude that goes beyond our ability to express.