Wireless Hill involved in bushfire

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Dave VK6KV

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Nov 8, 2025, 4:13:50 AMNov 8
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Hi All,

Not sure if you've heard the news, but a fire was reported on or near the north-eastern part of the loop road around Wireless Hill at 3:09pm this afternoon. Fire services are in attendance, but the fire was neither contained nor controlled at about 5pm today.

DFES is asking people in the immediate area to evacuate now, or activate their BRAP if they intend to stay and defend, and obviously, everyone else is encouraged to stay away from the area.

I don't know anything about the state of the buildings or otherwise, although they are relatively isolated from immediate threat, by well-maintained surroundings.

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

Martin VK6ZMS

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Nov 8, 2025, 6:20:25 AMNov 8
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Regards
Martin 
VK6ZMS

Dave VK6KV

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Nov 8, 2025, 7:55:02 PMNov 8
to Martin VK6ZMS, VHF group
Funny, they couldn’t find the reporter a set of fire gear so they stuck her in medico hi viz…

Walter WJH reports that the fire was well away from all buildings and apart from the smell of smoke and the FESA patrol vehicle you wouldn’t even know there had been a fire.

Interestingly, local reports of VK6RLM’s signal varied over time yesterday evening, most likely due to smoke affecting propagation.

Cheers, Dave VK6KV


N1DAE-David

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Nov 8, 2025, 10:16:06 PMNov 8
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Glad to hear this didn't affect your building/equipment. A little too close for comfort!

Martin VK6ZMS

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Nov 8, 2025, 10:51:04 PMNov 8
to Dave VK6KV, group VHF
That is  the DFES specified fire kit for media. Same material as the vollies,
I drove past today evening looks
intact.



Sent from my iPhone 



On 9 Nov 2025, at 8:55 am, Dave VK6KV <vk...@daves-domain.com> wrote:



Bob Lockley VK6KW

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Nov 8, 2025, 11:38:33 PMNov 8
to Dave VK6KV, Martin VK6ZMS, VHF group

QRM from Smoke Signals??

Needs further investigation methinks.

73,

Bob VK6KW.

 

From: 'Dave VK6KV' via WA VHF Announce <wa-vhf-...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2025 8:55 AM
To: Martin VK6ZMS <vk6...@gmail.com>
Cc: VHF group <wa-vhf-...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Wireless Hill involved in bushfire

 

Funny, they couldn’t find the reporter a set of fire gear so they stuck her in medico hi viz…

 

Walter WJH reports that the fire was well away from all buildings and apart from the smell of smoke and the FESA patrol vehicle you wouldn’t even know there had been a fire.

 

Interestingly, local reports of VK6RLM’s signal varied over time yesterday evening, most likely due to smoke affecting propagation.

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

 

On Sat, 8 Nov 2025 at 19:20, Martin VK6ZMS <vk6...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

 

 

 

On 8 Nov 2025, at 5:13 pm, 'Dave VK6KV' via WA VHF Announce <wa-vhf-...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

 

Hi All,

 

Not sure if you've heard the news, but a fire was reported on or near the north-eastern part of the loop road around Wireless Hill at 3:09pm this afternoon. Fire services are in attendance, but the fire was neither contained nor controlled at about 5pm today.

 

DFES is asking people in the immediate area to evacuate now, or activate their BRAP if they intend to stay and defend, and obviously, everyone else is encouraged to stay away from the area.

 

I don't know anything about the state of the buildings or otherwise, although they are relatively isolated from immediate threat, by well-maintained surroundings.

 

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

 

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Regards

Martin 

VK6ZMS

 

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image001.jpg

Martin VK6ZMS

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Nov 8, 2025, 11:44:58 PMNov 8
to rloc...@bigpond.net.au, Dave VK6KV, group VHF
The  old analogue 2ghz vision link in the salt mine chopper used to breakup when beaming through smoke from bushfires. I thought it could of been the amount of carbon in the air.

Cheers 
Sent from my iPhone 



On 9 Nov 2025, at 12:38 pm, Bob Lockley VK6KW <rloc...@bigpond.net.au> wrote:



QRM from Smoke Signals??

Needs further investigation methinks.

73,

Bob VK6KW.

 

From: 'Dave VK6KV' via WA VHF Announce <wa-vhf-...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2025 8:55 AM
To: Martin VK6ZMS <vk6...@gmail.com>
Cc: VHF group <wa-vhf-...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Wireless Hill involved in bushfire

 

Funny, they couldn’t find the reporter a set of fire gear so they stuck her in medico hi viz…

 

Walter WJH reports that the fire was well away from all buildings and apart from the smell of smoke and the FESA patrol vehicle you wouldn’t even know there had been a fire.

 

Interestingly, local reports of VK6RLM’s signal varied over time yesterday evening, most likely due to smoke affecting propagation.

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

 

On Sat, 8 Nov 2025 at 19:20, Martin VK6ZMS <vk6...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

 

<image001.jpg>

Walter HILL

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Nov 9, 2025, 12:02:09 AMNov 9
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All,

I live proximate to WH < 2km as the raven flies.

Yesterday afternoon I was 'disturbed' by the sound of low flying helicopters - ah the serenity.

The backyard of my QTH is reasonably elevated and faces west looking towards 'Garden City' and WH beyond it. It was very evident that the WH reserve was on fire. There was a strong SW'ly blowing at the time which would have been even stronger at WH. It was  blowing the smoke NE, over Canning Highway and thence over the river. 

I could also see that the FESA operated helicopters were using a water source directly south of my QTH for fire suppression. At one stage I counted 4 helos operating in a circuit.

Around 08:00 this morning I drove up to WH to inspect the damage. From the main carpark and even near the giant tree in front of the 'Cottage' there was little evidence of fire. It is apparent though that on the outside ( the Left ) of Telefunken Drive, commencing near the Western Tower Anchor ( not the one with the stairs ) the fire had swept close to the roadway. The burnt area extends along the western edge of Telefunken Drive in a NE direction. I did not climb the lookout to check the extent of the burnt area. FESA were still in attendance presumably watching for flare-ups. There is no obvious sign of ash or debris anywhere near any of the building including our clubhouse. 

It was fortunate though that the fire did no start directly to the south of Operators' Cottage. With the strong wind blowing it is quite possible that the canopies of the trees could have been ignited by embers & radiant heat. The lawn area itself would have prevented a slower moving, ground-level fire from moving through.


Walter

VK6WJH

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 ,-_|\  Walter HILL
/     \	email: hill(at)ieee(dot)org
\_,-._/ 
     v  

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Denis Brown

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Nov 9, 2025, 12:18:49 AMNov 9
to Walter HILL, wa-vhf-...@googlegroups.com
Many thanks Walter, Dave, Martin et al

Glad to know that thereviscno damage to our shack, buildings generally.

At Dave's suggestion i kerchunked RFM several times yesterday afternoon, evening and found that it was alive which was a good sign.

73
Denis VK6AKR 

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Regards

Martin 

VK6ZMS

 

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/     \	email: hill(at)ieee(dot)org
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Dave VK6KV

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Nov 9, 2025, 12:42:24 AMNov 9
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It’s mostly the particle size and less so the quantity. It’s well known in bush firefighting.

Cheers, Dave VK6KV

Ray

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Nov 9, 2025, 6:35:03 AMNov 9
to Martin VK6ZMS, rloc...@bigpond.net.au, Dave VK6KV, group VHF
I understand that it is charged potassium ions release by the burning plant matter that causes the problem. 

Cheers
Ray - VK6ZRW 



From: wa-vhf-...@googlegroups.com <wa-vhf-...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Martin VK6ZMS <vk6...@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2025 12:44:42 PM
To: rloc...@bigpond.net.au <rloc...@bigpond.net.au>
Cc: Dave VK6KV <vk...@daves-domain.com>; group VHF <wa-vhf-...@googlegroups.com>
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