2003 Canberra Firestorm remembered.

Today is the 10th anniversary of the Canberra Firestorm. On Saturday 18th January 2003 a freak and devastating firestorm tore through our city. 4 people died and over 500 homes were destroyed. It resulted in the 2nd largest single hospital disaster response in Australian history. I was working that day. 2 days later I wrote this story. ———————————————————————– the firestorm. It was bloody horribly awesome. Peeking out of the small window in the resuscitation room, it seemed the world had been dipped in a bucket of hell. Gale force winds whipped at trees beneath a swirling black sky. Pressing my face against the glass I could see over towards Weston Creek. Dark shapes lit by a dark crimson glow. Even as I watched the glow became an ominous bright orange, white firefly specks spraying up. My sister’s house was down there somewhere. Just 2 hours previous it had been a relatively peaceful afternoon at work. I had even snuck down to the helipad to take a few pictures of the Southcare helicopter landing. It was a hot day and the haze of white smoke from a week of distant bushfires hung in the air and covered our cars with a fine layer of talc. At lunchtime the wind had picked up and the smoke turned from an annoying grey white smudge to a syrupy purple-brown cancer. Morning staff had just handed over and left for home when the sun went ou...
Source: impactEDnurse - Category: Nurses Authors: Tags: ectopics Source Type: blogs