Snaps, by Tony K

TrevMcRev

The series of felling pics is great Really shows what happens.

Tony Knight

Cheers Trev, I thought it look good in sequence.

Enjoy the day

Tony

Tony Knight

Thunder storm right over us a few minutes ago, bit of weather around last night as well, fairly tame here but to the north looked to coping a floggin as did the west and Melbourne. I grabed a few pics.

Attached Thumbnails

           

Darrell Mcleod

Great pics Tony - we were hammered with rain in the Dandenongs last night

John Vander

Tony K, some great pics. I'd like to ask you about the pics in this thread you posted in Aug. of last year about the burnt out tree. I would like to know why these trees always burn from the inside, creating what looks like a chimney. Is this just Euks or do other tree do the same? I checked out some work by Ace done on trees dammaged by bush fires, and it appeared that almost all of the trees that were destroyed burnt from the inside, forming giant chimneys. I'd be thankful if you could explain to me why this happens. Good to learn from you guys. John

__________________
"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

Tony Knight

G'day John, hows the land of paper houses?

The species I have most experience in is Eucalyptus viminalis or Manna Gum. Other species of eucs such as Eucalyptus obliqua commonly known as Messmate and Eucalyptus fulgens or Apple Jacks all can grow either with a hollow cavity in the centre or develop some form of decay which then develops into a hollow (the Manna's have the largest DBH by far of the three). As for other species I can not answer, needless to say I haven't come across any with similar cavities in my geographical area.

Now I am not an arborist so I can not offer any explanation as to why they grow like this or what happens to cause it (I am here to learn as well). I'm tipping it won't belong before someone posts the answer.

Fire usually enters the tree at ground level where the hollow often has an opening to the outside, I have seen embers enter in through a cavity higher up where a limb has detached causing the tree to burn, lightning is another method of ignition. Once on fire they are near impossible to extinguish as gravity is against pushing water up and placing water in the top.

As the fire develops in the centre heat cause's the sap to turn to a flammable gas as well as removing moisture from the wood effectively curing it causing a hotter burn and thus the ever intensifying cycle continues. If the tree is not hollowed out to the top when started the fire will slow burn until it creates a flu for venting to the out side, once this takes place the drafting from the base is amazing and the fire behaviour intensifies very quickly.

In the scrub they are left to burn out and more often than not if posing a risk taken out preferably with a machine, or if thats not possible by an experienced faller.

When I get a spare second I'll list some of my observations and pics of the past 3 years of recovery, regen and mortality, I find it fascinating and has prompted me to formalise my education starting with cert III as another way increasing my knowledge.

Cheers


Tony

John Vander

Exellent stuff Tony! Yeah, the intensity of the heat inside the tree must be something severe! A chimney effect caused by those hollow trunks! Having to fall one of those trees... the heat created by a burning tree must be intense. Makes me think: how does the faller go about it? I mean, avoiding getting himself put on fire, the heat caused by the fire and it's effect on the saw (engine temp., bar & chain heating up, gasoline etc.)

__________________
"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself." Abraham Lincoln

Tony Knight

G'day all, I thought I'd throw some fire pics here and link them in this thread as promised.

Cheers

Tony


Around 09:30 Sat Feb 07 2009 (We were the first to be burnt out Blk Sat)




Spotting around 11:20 to much to fast to dry. Eveyrone reckons I would be feeling a little lonely in this pic, honestly I can't remember much of the week.


Another view of the same spot fire (after I had pulled back)


And another angle


And now it gets gowing 11:30


View from my neighbours, my place has disapeared


Pic from Sharons phone, note the water from soaking the hay, 30,000lts odd went into that hay shed to stop it form going up.
LOL the shed in the foreground is where Sharon and the mutts were, I left her with the hilux and 1000lt slipon and told her to dampen the mezzanine roof on the shed office in case embers came through the lazer light and ignited the MDF and chip board, she calls me up on the 2 way 15 minutes later to say shes out of water, she'd dump the whole 1000 up there and caved the ceiling in, you can see it running out from under the doors, thats my girl, do it once do it well...


Pic from the porch at around 12:30

Attached Thumbnails

           

     

Tony Knight

A few more...

Me splitting the silage stack so the whole lot didn't go


Just make the cruiser out hooking down the lane to shift the bloody cows again.


Another from the porch, late in the arvo 16:40 odd on the SW change, check the wind on the Polars.


Refilling, blackingout


From the sheds looking west into my hay paddocks


The aftermath


LOL, in/out temp (celcious for you mob that haven't caught up) Insulation works well, FYI the out temp sender is 2 mts up the west wall on the house


Cheers


Tony

Attached Thumbnails

           

 

Tim Bryan

I find some trees really very nices. . tks for pics.

Tony Knight

Your welcome mate.

Cheers

Tony

Tony Knight

A mate sent me these, my hats off to these fellas, true grit.















TK

Attached Thumbnails

           

Vilnis Saulitis

Those are some awesome B&W pictures there. You get a feeling from both sides of the fence though, disappointment at seeing such monstrous trees cut down but the awesomeness of actually doing the work. Would have been a slow trip with that little train.

Tony Knight

Agreed, I felt the same way.

Cheers

TK

Bowani Siam

Oh my god!

Imagine how many Ikea 'Lack' tables you could make outta that beauty.

Amazing photos