3.15 pm and Melbourne has disappeared completely under the smoke haze. Thge ghostly shapes of huge office blocks have disappeared - visibility has been reduced to 3kms or so. The windowpanes reflect the heat and are now hot to touch. The wind has risen slightly. It is hot and getting hotter, the smell of smoke pervades the office and the air conditioning is fighting a loosing battle with the heat. Many cars are now on the road and traffic jams are beginning to build. As far as the eye can see, Toorak Road is just a line of creeping traffic. Are people escaping the smoke, or heading home for the long weekend?