Where there's smoke

Another blog about something that happened a while ago.

I was at the water treatment plant. Nothing particularly interesting was going on. I went outside to use the olfactorily sensational place otherwise known affectionally as the Portaloo. Walking back to the plant, a giant plume of smoke began to rise up into the sky.

It so happened that the smoke was not, as the fire brigade claimed, eminating from some poor old wooden house. It was Parks Victoria staff burning off. I know, because I saw their cool flame-thrower type things that don't really throw flames, but rather let it dribble out of a long nozzle.

Driving through a fire is really something else. Even if it was controlled. It's a sudden change of light. The sky suddenly changed to an eerie amber colour. You can't see more than about 10 metres ahead. The air starts to drip with the acrid smell of burning trees.

If you've ever seen the movie Constantine, the Hell transitions are really similar to the sensation. (Except demons don't start chasing you.)