A river of smoke

What makes this picture (originally from NASA's Earth Observatory) so amazing is the sheer scale (see the left hand bottom indicator): 250 kilometers wide!

Today is relatively okay, but the last few days Melbourne was covered in a thick pall of smoke. The most striking thing (apart from feeling each breath going down your windpipe) was the difference in temperature: at least five degrees lower than on clear days, just caused by the smoke-cloud cover. One hell of a proof for the credibility of nuclear winter.

We have just had the first casualty from the fires: a firefighter who fell of a trailer in the path of the next tanker. Apparently they were rushing to a fire that was lighted on purpose. Police are looking for the people who were responsible; judging from earlier cases they will be charged with murder. I really don't understand these people... especially not in a country where everybody knows about the dangers.

Edit (December 16): apparently the first reports about the firefighter's death were incorrect. It now seems the trailer he was in overturned on top of him, crushing him to death.