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--- 195209 [2016/06/17 11:09] – tyreless
+++ 195209 [2023/08/31 13:16] (current) – p17 sbw
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 Each in turn can be further elaborated.
-  - Dry Fuel. A protracted period of below-average rainfall leaves timber, leaves, and forest litter in a tinder dry... [Page 17 missing]
+  - Dry Fuel. A protracted period of below-average rainfall leaves timber, leaves, and forest litter in a tinder dry condition. This state can be predicted from rainfall records, and cross checked practically by a scientific device called a "hazard stick". A specially prepared wooden test piece is accurately weighed daily to determine its moisture content, hence its inflammability.
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+  - Low Humidity. Mean daily humidity falling over a period of some days; coupled with
+  - High Temperature. Mean daily temperature rising over a period of days. The combination reaches a point where, even at night, the temperature does not fall below what scientists call the "dew point" - the temperature at which moisture will condense from the atmosphere on to a solid object as "dew". Mr. Foley plots temperature and humidity readings daily on special charts. If, for example, temperature rises above 75° and humidity falls below 50% simultaneously and early in the morning - say 8 or 9 o'clock - he looks for trouble. If, in addition, the readings stay that way through the night, with temperature up and humidity down, Mr. Foley is certain there'll be trouble the next day. And he's usually right.
+  - The meteorological men with their weather maps can predict North or North West winds, which are the fire danger winds for Sydney and eastern N.S.W. They do it by studying their pressure systems and barometer readings. If these winds are due, even if velocity is only 10 MPH and the other three conditions exist you have the combination to give serious fire danger conditions - conditions when the least spark or smouldering fire can start an uncontrollable holocaust. Conditions when men with beaters, men with spray pumps, even chains wide so-called firebreaks are useless, conditions when men, far from being able to fight the fire, are lucky to escape with their lives,
+Remember - meteorological men have plotted all this in advance, have checked and cross-checked their findings by means of the special "Fire Hazard Rating" table, have followed graphs of rising temperature and drying-up humidity, and have compared fire reports from all over the State. They pass their findings to the N.S.W. Chief Secretary's Department in Macquarie Street. When they find that a "blow-up" day is forecast, the message goes with top speed to the Department; the Minister signs a proclamation and before an hour has passed the fire lighting prohibition has been printed by the Government Printer and published as law of the land.
+This - the speediest of all transitions from a laboratory figure into a Government Gazette = is done for your protection and mine, in an endeavour to save large portions of the country - farms and forests, homes and national parks, from going up in smoke.
+Respect the official proclamations of fire lighting prohibition and do your part in upholding then.
 =====Federation Notes.=====