Rant - Put your fires out!

[Chongololo]

 
I was going to mention this earlier but hadn't gotten round to it before now, and trying to type out a rant on a phone is not pleasant.

We did a trip to Boar Gully campsite, Brisbane Ranges over the weekend and were the only ones who did so. However, there were a number of day trippers to the campsite. A group of these day trippers had taken up residence in one of the campsites for their lunch and had made a fire - it was a little chilly on the Saturday afternoon. It was about an hour after they had left that we were wondering around the campsite (entertaining the kids) when we found that they had neglected to extinguish the fire properly (a thin layer of soil barely covering the ashes) and one of the logs, which was nearly a foot across its width (much too big to warrant burning for such a short trip), was still smoldering and had rolled out of the pit by about 2m. It wouldn't have taken much to get a fire going with that.

I would hate to think the damage that may have been caused by an errant smoldering log or a few wayward coals. Fires need to be tended. All the time. And if you are not going to be around, then it needs to be properly extinguished. Everyone knows the damage a bush fire can do, so spend a few extra minutes making absolutely sure that you put your fires out.

C

[Riguez]

unfortunately not everyone who has been taught to build and tend a fire has been taught how to manage them and the issues involved in leaving them to burn themselves out. In fact most people have probably just figured it out for themselves and therefore have no idea what damage their neglect can cause. Then again, some people just dont care. 

[Sicilianmama]

Pretty scary if they only covered it with a little soil, a little kid could run over that & get burnt.

[Rumpig]

Pretty scary if they only covered it with a little soil, a little kid could run over that & get burnt.

a few months back i had to stop a guy who thought he was doing the right thing by chucking sand on someones fire they had left to burn after packing up and leaving their campsite. i politely explained to him why he shouldn't do what he was doing, atleast he now knows what to do in future.

[Kit_e_kat9]

It's a pretty common occurrence.  I just put it down to idiot city folk.  Know how to spend 30 minutes in the shower wasting water, but can't put a fire out with it.

Kit_e

[taipan]

Care needs to be taken when putting out a fire with water especially when it has been burning most of a weekend. The ground will be very hot as well and the water will initially turn instantly to steam and can sometimes literally explode.

[Hairs]

A few years ago while traveling the Malara Fire Trail, we came across a camp fire still smouldering strongly.
No one in sight and they had left their rubbish stacked neatly beside it in plastic bags, what did they think the Garbo would be along to pick it up?
The country was as dry as a bone at the time, Just mind numbing.
 

[hargs]

Want is it with neatly stacked rubbish and fires !!!!!!!!!!!!  see it everywhere.........aways just the 1 village

idiot.

[Hairs]

Hey hargs,
It's not just A village idiot anymore, there seems to be the whole village out there.
Or boxes of empty stubbies neatly packed and placed next to tree.
And don't get me started with disposable nappies tucked under logs or left behind as well right next to creeks & water ways.
 

[Kit_e_kat9]

disposable nappies

That is without doubt my pet hate!!!!

Lazy ar$e parents who think leaving crappy nappies about is a god given right.  You wanted the kids ... clean up after them properly like a morally decent person with thoughts about the environment! 

Any wonder our world is turning to sh*t when lazy ar$e parents teach their children things like "dump your rubbish where ever the hell you feel like it" ... amongst other things. 

Kit_e

[Hoyks]

Pretty scary if they only covered it with a little soil, a little kid could run over that & get burnt.

I've seen the result of a kid walking on the beach and sticking their foot through the thin layer of sand and into a campfire. It is rather horrific to say the least. The soil works as a great insulator and keeps the heat in very effectively.

[Sicilianmama]

I've seen the result of a kid walking on the beach and sticking their foot through the thin layer of sand and into a campfire. It is rather horrific to say the least. The soil works as a great insulator and keeps the heat in very effectively.

Awful

Another bad one is broken beer bottles on the beach or near dams. A lot of the time in the water. My brother stood on broken glass at Leslie dam and got a nasty cut on his foot. Lucky it was him and not one of his kids. Seriously if your old enough to drink beer your old enough to out your rubbish in the bin and if there is no bin take it with you.

[crackacoldie]

Lazy ar$e parents

Any wonder our world is turning to sh*t when lazy ar$e parents teach their children

Kit_e

Don't get me started ion this on Kit_e.  I think there is a massive difference between parents and Egg/Sperm donors.  Unfortunately there seems to be more of the later now.

Cracka

[davethepom]

Another one that annoys me is when the previous camper decides to burn all their rubbish instead of carting it out.

I love a nice steak cooked on the grill over coals and a few jacket spuds buried underneath.

The remains of somebody elses garbage do little to enhance the flavours!  Paper etc. is no drama but nappies and plastic are a bit wiffy for my tastes. 

I'm struggling to restrain a full scale rant about garbage (fag butts really annoy me!) and trying to stay on the topic of fires .   I never leave mine going unless handing the camp site over to another camper arriving as we leave.  It's not hard to understand for most of us but I still see people throwing cigarette butts out of car windows...They must never have seen a bush fire up close. 

Full scale rant averted...just!    

[Kit_e_kat9]

throwing cigarette butts out of car windows

This annoys me too Dave AND I'm a smoker!  I have a butt bucket (used to be the ashtray but not now) that I take with me.  1 for the car.  1 for the camper.  1 for home.  I even got the sh*ts with them at work and created one from a used coffee tin.

It's a fine-able offence to thow them out the window in the NT.  Should be enforced (and I do mean enforced ... as well as littering) in all states I reckon.

Kit_e

[dazzler]

That is without doubt my pet hate!!!!

Lazy ar$e parents who think leaving crappy nappies about is a god given right.  You wanted the kids ... clean up after them properly like a morally decent person with thoughts about the environment! 

Any wonder our world is turning to sh*t when lazy ar$e parents teach their children things like "dump your rubbish where ever the hell you feel like it" ... amongst other things. 

Kit_e

That is without doubt my pet hate!!!!

Lazy ar$e cat owners who think leaving dumped kittens about is a god given right.  You wanted the kittens … dispose of them properly like a morally decent person with thoughts about the environment! 

Any wonder our world is turning to sh*t when lazy ar$e cat owners "dump their kittens where ever the hell they feel like it" ... amongst other things. 

 

[Chongololo]

Sounds like there is a fair amount of education to be imparted to 'those' people.

The stories of kids stepping on coals buried in the beach sounds horrific. I've got two kids under 4 and the thought of them being hurt due to someone else's negligence/stupidity really p*sses me off.

Does anyone think that putting up signage at camp sites would help in any way? Something that covers how to put out a fire properly, stipulating that trash should be taken out as the site is unserviced (some people may just assume that it is).

[LJs GU]

Does anyone think that putting up signage at camp sites would help in any way? Something that covers how to put out a fire properly, stipulating that trash should be taken out as the site is unserviced (some people may just assume that it is).

Sadly I don't think in todays world, that would help.

It used to be called common sense, but then everyone got all PC.  Putting up signs would mean lots of money spent on research; over doing the directions on how to put out fires; spending money on lawyers for when Joe Citizen sues cos he burnt his toes with hot water.

Actually come to think of it, that's EXACTLY what will happen.
LJ

[cruisindub]

This thread could easily turn into the 'RANT' thread.

But I agree fully with everything stated above. Everything.

I could go on, but would only get frustrated.   

[Kit_e_kat9]

That is without doubt my pet hate!!!!

Lazy ar$e cat owners who think leaving dumped kittens about is a god given right.  You wanted the kittens … dispose of them properly like a morally decent person with thoughts about the environment! 

Any wonder our world is turning to sh*t when lazy ar$e cat owners "dump their kittens where ever the hell they feel like it" ... amongst other things. 

 

LOL!  Funny.  But also (sadly) completely correct.  I have feral kats that I've taken in and they are the most loving things.  I support the RSPCA ...

I doubt if you took in a feral nappy though, you'd get the same result.

 

Kit_e

[dazzler]

LOL!  Funny.  But also (sadly) completely correct.  I have feral kats that I've taken in and they are the most loving things.  I support the RSPCA ...

I doubt if you took in a feral nappy though, you'd get the same result.

 

Kit_e

Lol.

[Sicilianmama]

LOL!  Funny.  But also (sadly) completely correct.  I have feral kats that I've taken in and they are the most loving things.  I support the RSPCA ...

I doubt if you took in a feral nappy though, you'd get the same result.

 

Kit_e

Lol x2

[Hairs]

I still see people throwing cigarette butts out of car windows...They must never have seen a bush fire up close.   

Not only the hazard of a fire, the pollution to our waterways.
Here in Lawrence we have a 18 car ferry to cross the Clarence, people take it as an opportunity for a lung buster.
They either sit in their cars with kids or they stand out along side them and suck the hell out of the ciggy till the ferry moors.
Then they flick it towards the center of the road, a light or some will step on it and leave it.
Others will flick it into the river as they drive onto the ferry.
Where do they think this butt ends up?
In our river, our beautiful river.
Scum is too good of a word for them. 
Sorry, Rant over.
 

[dazzler]

Talking of feral cats I lived in a place that backed onto bushland and there was this black cat that hung around the back.  I thought it was lost.  So kept leaving food out for it and eventually in would creep in the back door.

So one day I closed the door behind it - well all hell broke loose with this thing running around screaming like the tassie devil.  It ran everywhere - I swear it left footprints across the ceiling!

Opened the door - never seen again 

[Chongololo]

  It ran everywhere - I swear it left footprints across the ceiling!

Opened the door - never seen again 

Lol. Good story.