Australian bush fires

raveydavey · Australian bush fires

Sounds that while we're shivering in the snow, things are a whole lot grimmer in parts of Oz, notably Victoria.

I hope all our Antipodean correspondents and their loved ones are OK as the news coming out of there is horrific.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7877178.stm

Stay safe.

30 Mill

Will report later - Its extremely grim here atm

eddiesleftfoot

Reports of malicious fires being started... Twisted Evil

Unbelievable what some people think's a bit of a joke

30 Mill

OK - This is the sitrep

On Sat we had our hottest day on record with temp > 120F

Then the winds came!!! Over 100 km/h in all directions.

The state ended up with many multiple fires

Death toll is over 100 burned alive

Over 750 homes burnt out

My wifes family home in the country ended up 500ft from the edge of the fire!!!

I live in the suburbs of Melbourne, close to where the city ends and rural starts - safe you would think

2 suburbs on either side of me caught fire - my wife, a nurse, had the hospotal on lockdown ready to transport patients if the wind changed direction!!

This is the WORST bushfires we have EVER had in Australia - villages are being ENTIRELY wiped out, places Ive been and laughed and played or worked, no longer exist after this weekend

It has brought me to tears and I dont actually knkow any of the dead - this is what a tragedy really is - and our volunteer CFA (Country Fire Authority) is magnificent - these folks are VOLUNTEERS who go and fight these fires - not the firebrigades as such as they are all metroplitan. Unbelievably fantastic folk

ArmleyWhite

Real bad situation. Hope the tossers that have started these fires are caught and dealt with accordingly. Jeez there are some fucking idiots about.

Stay safe all of you who may be at risk...

wewantourdarbyback

Horrible, nowt more to say. Hearing about those people who burned in their cars trying to escape nearly made me cry.

Stay safe all you lot over there.

Baldy

Our thoughts are with you all down there Pete, tis truly unimaginable what is happening, as we watch the death toll rising and peoples lives ruined, lets pray for that cool change and the rain to start, Stay safe, all our Victorian friends..

30 Mill

Death toll now at over 180 - Still 30 fires burning in the state, no forecast of rain in the foreseeable future - lets pray the wind stays down

wewantourdarbyback

cardboardbox?Youwerelucky

Gopher

Hoping all you lot down there come through this ok, and if they catch the bastards who started this, leave them in a room full of the surviving relatives of those who died in the fires.

30 Mill

One fire was 'clocked" at ravelling 20kms in 2 minutes

Quite a few folk didnt even know they where in danger before they died!!

30 Mill

GOT HIM

Some farkwit (who is now under police protection) has been arrested for one of the fires!!!!! The fire he "allegedly" lit killed 21 so far

There are still 21 fires burning in Vic at the moment. melbourne is covered by a smoke haze and next week its getting hot n windy again

Whats becoming hard to fathom is that a lot of people who died cant be found - their bodies arent burnt, they are being vapourised into dust

However I saw the most amazing wonderfull thing yesterday - I went to the charity drop off point near my house - The family had bought and gathered all new scholling material for choldren and we needed to drop it off there. The place had probably 200 cars there - volunteers helping, cars unloading, trucks unloading. The place was so busy with donations it needed traffic marshalls to keep the traffic flowing

Afterwards a just parked the car and burst into tears

halfaperson

30 I've got to say that it has taken your posts on here to really get over the full horror of the tragedy. That is truly shocking, so glad you and yours are ok but thoughts are with those that aren't.

30 Mill

Fires have re-emerged, but nowhere near as bad as last weekend, tho this time really close to chez Mills house. About 3kms away and a wind change pushed it to the north instead of at us (west of the fire)

Our neighbors had packed up and moved temporarily, and other firends were evacuated

Has died down now, but the fires still rage - Big test this Thurs Fri with very high temps and very windy conditions

raveydavey

All the best mate - our thoughts are with you.

NE1

perhaps its a good time to leave Sad

Good luck Mills

raveydavey

mrs ravey and I were at Freeport, or Junction 32, or whatever that outlet shopping place at Glasshoughton is called this week and the Lions* were collecting for those affected by the Australian bush fires.

I was pleasantly surpised to see them taking a steady stream of money, especially in these financially troubled times. I even put some in, which brought me out in a cold sweat Twisted Evil

* Lions being the group of charitable folk, rather than the feline inhabitants of Africa... Wink

30 Mill

Ive been getting calls from obscure rellies and firends / acquaintances in UK on this (tho the ex-wife hasnt phone up yet tho - wonder if her phones ok?)

Danger has passed for me now - Tho Tuesday coming is sposed to be a danger day

Overall 210 confirmed dead and 37 still missing (as I said before the heat has actually vapourised some bodies!!!)

Thanks to everyone who has sent wished and put some money in the Lions tins - brilliant and much appreciated

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Yesterday the family and I went to a festival celebrating the area and all the diversity of the ethnic groups and association in our area. Everyone was politely applauded and waved at as they walked by in the parade. And then right at the end was the CFA (Country Fire Authority - volunteer firey's) and everyone lining the parade started spontaneous clapping and cheering. Very moving moment indeed. Then as the CFA fire truck past (they have where they are from pained on the side of the truck) I saw it was from close to where I was brought up and 5 years ago they lost an entire crew and truck in another fire - quite an emotional event

30 Mill

And to top it all off...... last night we had an earthquake here in melbourne - Im not making this shit up

(Must have been God jumpining up and and down in the terraces as he saw the replay of Melbourne Victory's win!!!)

EW

If I was God id tip Oz up a bit and let the flood water run down the way and put the fires out!

They should burn that little bastard at the stake btw! Twisted Evil