How do people manage to work, save lives and keep going?

I lived in the Western District for 14 years. Yet, you really don't understand
what country life is all about until your livelihood is totally dependent upon the vagaries of weather and other factors over which there is little control. 

One of the counsellors was from Colac. Again, this was how it was -- people just talked to one another. We introduced ourselves and then discussed what we did or shared information.

The counsellor and I spoke at length several times. His role was to help crews adjust to seeing burnt stock and destruction. He also spoke with CFA crew's families when their father or brother was out in the bush putting out the fires. We knew many families iin common since I had lived and worked in Colac for 8 years.

Corryong Aerodrome

 I was walking out to the airport to see what Ken was doing and Helen and some bloke from the CFA gave me a lift in their pickup.

She, too, is Local Knowledge and worked with deploying aircraft. She explained that she could dig place names out of the mud. In layman's terms, this indicated she could hear and log any transmission accurately. Amateur radio ops who have worked contests or on Field Day understand that phenomenon.

Helen's own personal woe was that her folks lived in Nariel. When she hears where the burn line is and that the strike teams are in that area, she wishes she knew nothing at all about the area.

I wonder how she is doing now.