Monday, January 2, 2017

SMOKE BLANKETS MAGNETIC ISLAND , CLEVELAND BAY

 

Both  ends of  Magnetic Island were  swept  by  smoke on January  2 . Residents at various parts  of  the  island  thought there  were  fires   on  the island as  smoke drifted about the ridges  . However ,   the smoke came  from  a vegetation fire near the Town Common in Townsville, behind the airport,  which was " watched"  by the  Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service  and   aviation  firefighters . Why not put out ? This question  was  not raised in a brief account in the Townsville Bulletin  which  said  Magnetic  Island   had  been  blanketed  by  smoke . It ended up saying the RSPCA animal  ambulance conducted a patrol of the area  following  the  blaze  as  it  is  a  known   wombat  habitat.    


The fire  had broken out the day before  in the Pallarenda National Park   and  heavy  plumes of  smoke  were blown in  an easterly direction...towards  the island . Online , motorists were  warned  on the mainland  and  residents  near the  Town Common were advised to close windows  and  doors and  keep medication close by if  suffering  from a respiratory condition .  No such  warning was issued  for Magnetic Island  residents   despite  a  similar  situation there  and the place  full  of holidaymakers . Late  in the  afternoon  there was a  fiery  sunset visible from  the  island and  much of  Cleveland  Bay was  covered  in  low smoke  haze .  A Horseshoe Bay resident  said   she would not  want to be suffering   from a respiratory  condition  in  the   circumstances.