For those in the snow: be greatful for it. (Oz fires)

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Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:54 pm

Quote:

Fourteen people are dead and at least 100 homes have been destroyed as fires burn over tens of thousands of hectares in Victoria and New South Wales.

Six have been killed at Kinglake, four at Wandong, three at Strathewen and one at Clonbinane. Police fear up to 40 people may have died.

from here.

(^^ from the ABC website also)

Quote:

Melbourne's temperature peaked at 46.4 degrees Celsius

that's 115.5F - hottest since records began. I'm sitting here listening to people on the radio calling in saying their houses have been burnt to the ground. I can't go to sleep with the smell of smoke in the air. I just hope I don't have to grab my son and leave in the middle of the night.

Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:05 pm

Just saw the special news update. Sad

Another story: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bushfires-ravage-the-state/2009/02/07/1233423565321.html

I can't believe some were started by arsonists. Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:27 pm

That's devastating and frightening .. talking about extremes .. Looking at this makes me realise I'm perfectly happy with our temperate climate.

Hang in there and stay safe you guys down under.

Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 3:30 pm

If there's anyone I hate more than scammers, it's arsonists. Scammers do at least have a comprehensible motive - money.

Juan's stalker Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 1423

Sorry you all are going through that JJJ.
Will be thinking of you and hoping for lots of rain to put it out.
Please be safe.

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

The best of luck to you, JJJ

Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:52 pm

Dramaqueen wrote:

Will be thinking of you and hoping for lots of rain to put it out.

That's the problem. Victoria is suffering a 12-yr drought so there's very little water anyway and there's no rain forecast in the foreseeable future. The whole state has been tinder-dry for years so the fires start and spread very quickly. If any of the arsonists are eventually caught they will be charged with homicide. Meanwhile, Queensland has torrential rains and widespread flooding...

Spare a thought for the Country Fire Authority (CFA) firefighters, all volunteers, who go out in these hellish conditions trying to save lives and property. As I type the death toll is expected to go as high as 100 and over 400 homes have been lost. I hate to think about the livestock and wildlife that's perished. And the fires are still raging out of control.

If anyone wants to offer some prayers, now would be a good time.

Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 10:10 pm

The CFA volunteers are heroes in an age where the term is debased freely by wanton application to sports stars, and where recognition goes all too often to the vapid and the shallow and the inane.

In the Ash Wednesday fire disaster of 1983 an entire unit of twelve volunteers perished as they fought the fires.

We should be grateful that such people exist.

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:37 am

I will say a prayer. Crying or Very sad

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:29 am

these guys are full blown heroes, and should be recognized as such.

As an example of what these guys are in, I just heard a report on the radio by a reporter looking at a car that had the mag rims melted into puddles of metal on the ground. These fires are H O T!

and all for no pay, and very little recognition. It's disgusting.

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:30 am

Channel seven [prime] broke into the late night move last night with a fire report. At the present time there are a number of big fires in Victiria
Six young people where trapped in there car when the fire went through, there all dead, Something like 35 people have died already and many more are unacountable .

Our good friends on here that don't live in OZ, here's a couple of links for further reading..

http://au.news.yahoo.com/

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5306498/35-killed-victorian-bushfires/

http://ninemsn.com.au/ Please click on the links top story..

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:36 am

and here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/bushfires/

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:40 am

The military has been called in to help now and the death toll keeps rising with many people still unaccounted for. We get bushfires every year but this is by far the worst ever in terms of casualties and loss of property and livestock.

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:36 am

Wonder if we'll get lads needing money to quickly return to their fire affected families...

I wouldn't be surprised.

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:29 am

The news here is just devastating. Whole towns wiped out, 36 dead and 640 homes lost and they haven't even been able to get into some of the badly affected towns yet.
God knows what they will find when they get there.
There has been reports that after the CFA has put out a fire and moved on, somebody is reigniting them again.
I only hope that they catch them and lock them away for good.
And to think, North Queensland is facing king tides and more flooding.
What is happening to our planet, the Northern Hemisphere is having terrible times too?

Edit for update...

49 now confirmed dead and expected to rise further.

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:03 am

65...

Ash Wednesday fires was 75.

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:27 am

Sorry to say this but I think there are going to be a lot more than 75 this time. The rescue crews have only just been able to get access to the devastated areas and are starting to search through the ashes. The whole country is shocked at the extent and speed of this catastrophe. And yes, Queensland is enduring torrential rains and flooding. It would be funny if it wasn't so desperately tragic. Some of the stories emerging are heartbreaking, eg, a CFA volunteer firefighter who lost his wife and kids while he was out there in the inferno trying to save their township.

Out of interest, is this story making the news media elsewhere in the world?

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:06 am

Al Jazeera (English) Clicky .

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:21 am

@Gnasher.

It's the main headline on the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Top on CNN too:

http://www.cnn.com/

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:57 am

The official deathtoll is now 75 and they are expecting 100+ once the rescue crews can get access to do a proper search. At the moment it's too dangerous. Many victims had lived in these rural areas all their lives and knew exactly what to do in the event of a bushfire but this one was so intense, fast and unpredictable many were caught unawares and by the time the fire reached them it was already too late. Many died in their cars trying to escape.

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:57 am

I'm not a betting person but I'll not be in the least surprised to see this tragedy incorporated into lad formats within the week.

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:00 am

Well if any of those scumbags do try it I will take special pleasure in making them suffer. This time it's personal Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:28 am

I am lucky that I dont live in any of the effected areas, but I do know people who do, my parents live on a property surrounded by state forrest on NSW's South coast, they do have plenty of fire control measures in place but after seeing the pictures of what has happened further south it is a little worrying.

Please do take care if you are living in those areas, houses and belongings may not always be replaced, but nothing is worth your life Crying or Very sad

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:28 am

The topic heading here made me miss this thread. I started another Embarassed

My heart goes out to all of the victims and families some will be volunteers.
It's a very very sad day for this country.

Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:31 am

We've been watching this on and off all day. You can't miss it. It's a firestorm the likes I've never seen. Entire towns were burnt in minutes. I saw the Premier of VIC (was it?) talking about it and watching him break down on national television was heart breaking.

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