Free Ash Road by Ivan Southall Page B

couldn’t even see the fire. He did say it wasn’t stopping them from going on their holidays.’
    â€˜If Buckingham goes,’ said Gramps, ‘he’s an even bigger fool than I take him for.’
    â€˜I’m thirteen,’ said Peter. ‘I’m not a baby any more. I want to stay.’
    â€˜As far as I am concerned,’ said Gramps, ‘young persons of thirteen are more like babies than babies are. You’re going home, boy. That’s flat. Now be quiet or we’ll miss the news. I will not have talk while I’m listening to the news.’
    â€˜Yes,’ said Gran, ‘do be quiet. If there’s a serious fire in these hills we want to hear about it.’
    â€˜...with the fire danger throughout the State near to an all-time high, disaster has struck overnight close to the city.
    â€˜Fierce fires are raging this morning in sight of the outer suburbs. Some are out of control in deep gullies and on steep slopes where they cannot be fought directly without risk of life. Three teenage boys are missing, and numerous homes have been destroyed. The pall of smoke from the fires is visible from many parts of the metropolitan area. It has been observed from ships at sea.
    â€˜The fires began in tinder-dry scrub country behind the town of Tinley shortly after one o’clock this morning. Whipped up by strong north-westerlies, flames spread rapidly, defeating the efforts of several rural and metropolitan brigades to contain them. Over three hundred firefighters are at present engaged in what the Country Fire Authority describes as “a desperate attempt to save the foothills”.
    â€˜During a night of sudden terror in the Tinley district twenty-two homes were destroyed, and about thirty others are still in danger. No casualties have been reported, but concern is felt for the safety of three boys last seen in the Tinley area at about four o’clock yesterday afternoon. Mr K. Whitney, a Tinley shopkeeper, told police that three boys aged about fifteen bought supplies at his store yesterday afternoon and discussed the possibility of camping in the area known locally as McCullock’s Gully. This area was ringed by fires soon after the main outbreak. A police search party entered the still-smouldering area at daybreak. The township of Tinley is considered to be safe at present, but a change of wind could suddenly and dramatically endanger it.
    â€˜This morning hundreds of acres of forest and grassland between Tinley and Barkley are blackened, stock losses are feared to be heavy, and hundreds of homes on the western slopes of the ranges are expected to be threatened during the next few hours. Police have ordered the evacuation of about sixty families in the immediate path of the flames, and have warned others to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Inhabitants of townships farther up in the ranges are feverishly widening firebreaks around their homes and damping down. It is feared that strong winds and accompanying fierce updraughts above the inferno may carry burning twigs and ash and exploding gases far beyond the limits of immediate danger and produce fresh outbreaks. Townships miles from the front line of the fire are preparing to fight for their existence. Sirens have been wailing for half the night. Holiday-makers are leaving the area, caravan parks have emptied, and the sick, the elderly, and hundreds of children are already leaving the townships under police supervision. Public halls and churches clear of the danger zone are being used for emergency accommodation. Women’s auxiliaries are caring for the evacuees, and army field kitchens have been set up to provide meals for the firefighters.
    â€˜The Country Fire Authority describes the outlook as extremely grave. The weather forecast is for continuing strong north to north-west winds and above-century heat with no relief in sight. Heatwave conditions may well continue for several