Is there any news on Kato, believe he's part of the emergency services.
It was bad news about Tony and Cheryl's place just glad they weren't there.
Would be good to find out how every one else is faring.
Hope everyone else is ok
I,m back and all in one piece. Missed the main front that hit Yarram by 10 mins.Lots of work to do over the next month and not much sailing i think.
Great news there Craig
The work which you guys are doing over there is amazing and we feel for whats going on.
Hopefully there weren't any other sandy point villains affected
The fire on the Prom has flared up today in a major way with a strong easterly wind fanning it. Previously it burnt to the eastern shore of the Prom but now it is coming back across towards Waratah Bay and Sandy Point. Still 15 km or so away and if it keeps going east it is not so bad but if the wind swings a bit south east it will head straight for Sandy Point. We have the inlet as a fire break but I am most worried about embers jumping the inlet. That would be very serious indeed for the Sandy Point township but at the moment the probability of that seems reasonably low. We just don't want any really strong ESE wind (when did I ever wish that before? 
)
Maybe Kato has a better insight into what is happening as he is probably observing it up close.
Tom Chalko took some photos from his veranda this morning before it took off. This is from about 40km away. see here:http://picasaweb.google.com/mt.best.net/Promfire14Feb09?authkey=UkAAvfxLBjo#slideshow
Tom brought his sailing gear to my place for safekeeping a few days ago. Tonight he came and took it home again!!
This linked file opens in Google Earth but it is from early this morning I think:
rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=FAS_SEAustralia3.2009045.terra.721.250m.kmz
Hi Andrew,
Didn't know there where so many fires & how close to Melbourne.
Must be lots of smoke drifting thru the City?
Older images:
earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/37017/bushfires-in-southeast-australia
Just got back from the Prom and back down there tomorrow,sorry about the smoke.
Just a few flames during backburning
and a little smoke
Most of the work today was to steer the fire away from public land and keep it in the park. The next few days we,ll work on containing it,but it won,t be controlled untill we get a lot of rain. The fire is very unlikely to reach shallow inlet,but you could store all your gear at my place Daffy 
. Might even get a little wet
Thanks for the offer Craig. I might just take you up on that.
Good to hear your assessment that it is unlikely to reach Shallow Inlet though.
Toms Pictures:
Sandy Point is in heavy smoke. Seehttp://picasaweb.google.com/mt.best.net/SandyPointInSmoke?authkey=hFBa16yYpXU#slideshow
Fire at nearby Wilson Promontory National Park approaches Sandy Point. Some people sail today, but smell of smoke is strong. The fire is about 10 km away and ESE 15-20 knot wind brings it closer. Hopefully firefighters attend the fire and have enough resources to control it.
Photos of the fire taken last night from my place at Mt Best, about 40 km away are at
picasaweb.google.com/mt.best.net/Promfire15Feb09?authkey=d4sdlKQH_18#slideshow
A last chance effort at stopping the fire from crossing the Prom road at Millars Rd
The small fire in front is the control burn, the one at the back is the wild fire. It did jump the control lines in the end, just too much East wind
My new favorite toy, just dial them up and they drop half an ocean on the spot fire. The problem is that everyone wants one
The Prom as I left it. Far dunes on the right is near Darby River.
Back there on Tuesday, the slow tour of Victoria continues
