Katoomba Fire Day 4

It was a beautiful day in Katoomba. If one looked away from the direction of the fire, everything seemed perfectly clear and pristine. The wind seemed to have changed direction since day 1 and the flames were a great deal closer to the populated east/west "Blue Mountains" ridge at Katoomba than they had been on Sunday.

The winds up here were swirly and gusted strongly, but at the fire itself, smoke rose as if unmolested by a breeze. Perhaps the nearby Narrow Neck landform was acting as a welcome windbreak. Extra 1 shows a closer and clearer image of the fire as seen from Echo Point. While obviously under threat, Scenic World, the Federal Pass and Cliff Drive as yet remain well separated from the action, thank goodness.

Media reports have obviously frightened visitors away to some extent. Katoomba seemed quite deserted this morning. There were still a few sight seers at Echo Point, however, (extra 2) mostly staring at the fire way across the valley and far below.