[enencephoth]

As Im sure most of you would have heard, Australia has just suffered its largest peace-time disaster - over 130 dead in the fires that have rampaged through the state of Victoria. Whole towns wiped off the map. Not all the fires have been put out yet. The newspapers are full of disturbing shots from helicopters of bodybags stacked next to burnt-out cars.

As areas are opened to emergeny crews, the death toll could be revised to approximately 200. It could take months to identify all those who have perished.

I sincerely hope noone from this forum has been caught in the tragedy. My thoughts go out to anyone who has lost friends and family, and the 5000 that have lost everything.

NSW is also battling fires, and Perth has an arsonist running around at the moment. I hope the rest of summer doesnt bring any more of this.

[jdynwa]

My thoughts and prayers to all those afflicted. And those arsonists should be tied up and used for uchikomi-geiko (carbon shinai only) before being turned over to the cops.

[Wr8dIAUk]

I hope no-one from Mumeishi Dojo in Berwick were affected. They are located near some of the fire fronts.

Last Saturday was a hellish day in Melbourne. 46 degrees Celsius (115 F) was the official temperature. Some people reported temperatures as high as 50 degrees in the shade. 100 km/h north winds. We sat around thinking we were suffering, little realising what was going on in Kinglake and Marysville...

The radiant heat was so great that survivors (and who knows how they did survive...) reported that their cars were spontaneously combusting as they drove them. One man who had built a fire-proof bunker found that the special fire-proof hatch doors he had installed had warped in the heat and wouldn't close.

The official toll is now 173, with fears it will pass 300. Whole towns are gone, and police are still unable to enter areas under threat of continuing fires or ruins that are still unsafe to enter.

Anyone interested in donating to the relief fund can donate via the Australian Red Cross.

b

[Wxrxnhar]

This is the story of a man who managed to save himself and his children. It paints a pretty vivid picture. Another worse story I will spare you, that of a man who had the opposite fortune. He saved his house but his children all perished.

b

[Tveabuti]

Bloody hell! Sometimes it drives me nuts being an expat (not that there is anything I could do against a raging bushfire of course......) and being so far away. Luckily for me, my family is in Queensland, but it still tears me up. Thanks for the link to the aussie Red Cross. I will donate right away.
50 deg C?? That is insanity.
Radiant heat is crazy; between people getting cooked in their cars, and the family with their cats and dogs running around the cricket oval trying to avoid the heat and tongues of flame as the wind changed, I can't even imagine how bad it must be.
Well, here's hoping any arsonists got a little taste of their own medicine. Of course there are always the yobbos who toss the lit cigs out of their cars as they race down the motorway, instead of putting them out in an ashtray. Idiots.

[alenbarbaf]

Bloody hell! Sometimes it drives me nuts being an expat (not that there is anything I could do against a raging bushfire of course......) and being so far away.

I went to lunch with an Aussie colleague today who said the same thing. He was shocked by how quickly the death toll is rising. He also mentioned idiots with cigs. He's one the lucky ones with no connection to anything close to the fires.

[HitAttetlyTek]

I'm donating to a charity my company (Westpac) is organising. It might be a drop in the ocean, but every little bit counts. And I hope the authorities catch the bastard(s) who did this (according to MX they are close to getting one of the arsonists).

My prayers go out to the people of Victoria.

[sDePrx59]

Apparently at least some of the fires were lit deliberately and they are tracking down some suspects. I hope to god they find them and not only throw the book at them, but beat them to a pulp with it as well.

[BPitt]

Here are some photos of the situation from Boston Globe's always excellent The Big Picture series.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/200..._australi.html

[ultramDoctoo]

As Im sure most of you would have heard, Australia has just suffered its largest peace-time disaster - over 130 dead in the fires that have rampaged through the state of Victoria.

I heard about it too, its terrible, I was about to send you an email to check out about you and then I saw your post, I know that Perth isnt on the way of fire thou. but Im glad to know that you and your family is ok.

images of the disaster are simply overwhelming, yesterday, after practice, I was talking about it with my kendo mate that trained in Australia and have some relatives there. he used the prhase "sea of fire" to talk about it, as he was told by his relatives.

I really dont know what else I can say, just hang in there friend.

[Buildityrit]

This is truly awful. the pictures Nebosuke posted from the Boston Globe are mind numbing.

It's just so sad; so many people killed. people with families, children, mums , dads, grandparents, friends, hopes, worries.

And then there are those who survive but will be affected by this tragedy for the rest of their lives - and this includes the Fire fighters, ambulance crews, Police, hospital staff and other such workers.


A heartbreaking, terrible piece of news.

[VistaULTIMATEdownloadaPro]

They're closing in on the fire bugs and it looks like they're going to be charged with murder.

Death toll is now around 180.

There's a few things that can be done, money through Red Cross, obviously.

For those in Aus - Red Cross outside of Vic isn't taking goods because of the cost of transporting them (makes sense, it's often cheaper to buy new locally than transport second hand). Some people, such as one chaplain here, are physically transporting good themselves. There was a little note in the newspaper on Monday for instance that a chaplain in WA was taking a plane over with goods but it left at three pm that day so keep your eye out if you have physical goods to donate.

Blood. This will change from state to state but Red Cross here told me whilst you can still walk in off the street, there are long delays as everyone rushes to donate. I'm trying to organise a corporate group to donate - Red Cross have a thing set up for this. But she couldn't book us in until March - this is still crucial. Burns victims require blood for weeks as they recover. In March, they will still need the blood.

If you have the time to wait around a while to donate blood, please do. Only one in three Australians can donate. The Alfred ran out of morphine for patients over the weekend.

So far $31,225,562 has been raised through Red Cross, our Prime Minister is promising a bunch of money for survivors and to help pay for funuerals, too.

My best friend's parents live close to where the bushfires were (but not threatened) and have some intense stories, including fires racing downhill (bush fires don't burn down hill - they're not meant to do that) and fire storms.

Read in the news how one couple's pump failed and they saved their house by using forty cans of cola!

The stories and tragedies just keep pouring in.

[yurawerj]

Take a look at the amazing footage shot by firefighters who found a koala after the fire, it had managed to escape with only a few burns - the little guy held out his paw and let people give it 3 bottles of water. Koalas are generally not friendly!!


http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/

[Fegasderty]

Hang those arsonists I say!

[Spongebob]

wow, this is a real tragedy. My thoughts go out to all those affected by it.
Hang in there all.

[Zebrabitch]

My heart, prayers, condolensces goes out to everyone. I wish everyone the best of luck and that the memory of last ones will not fade, but instead be with those of us left to pick up peices and carry on. Be thankful each and everyday for what you have! You never know when things will change. Hang in there everyone!

[RichardHaads]

I hope no-one from Mumeishi Dojo in Berwick were affected. They are located near some of the fire fronts.

Last Saturday was a hellish day in Melbourne. 46 degrees Celsius (115 F) was the official temperature. Some people reported temperatures as high as 50 degrees in the shade. 100 km/h north winds. We sat around thinking we were suffering, little realising what was going on in Kinglake and Marysville...

The radiant heat was so great that survivors (and who knows how they did survive...) reported that their cars were spontaneously combusting as they drove them. One man who had built a fire-proof bunker found that the special fire-proof hatch doors he had installed had warped in the heat and wouldn't close.

The official toll is now 173, with fears it will pass 300. Whole towns are gone, and police are still unable to enter areas under threat of continuing fires or ruins that are still unsafe to enter.

Anyone interested in donating to the relief fund can donate via the Australian Red Cross.

b

So far as I am aware, no one has been affected by the fires with the exception of my sensei, who is a volunteer fire fighter. Where he was situated, at one stage had 72 trucks!!

Thanks to all our international friends for your kind wishes. They are greatly appreciated

[Karinochka]

Apparently at least some of the fires were lit deliberately and they are tracking down some suspects. I hope to god they find them and not only throw the book at them, but beat them to a pulp with it as well.

the reports we are getting in the UK are saying that your PM is calling it mass murder, whats the penalty for that in OZ
got be life no parole surely

this just appeared on the BBC website a few minutes ago http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/7887561.stm

[Apparpsmose]

So far as I am aware, no one has been affected by the fires with the exception of my sensei, who is a volunteer fire fighter. Where he was situated, at one stage had 72 trucks!!

Glad to hear it Trent.

It may be hard for non-Aussies to understand what a massive job firefighting in the Australian bush can be. Such an enormous place and so few people to do the job. The fireys (in Victoria the CFA - Country Fire Authority) are all volunteers and yet they are as well-trained a fighting force as any army. When there are fires they walk away from paying jobs or from tending their farms and fight fires for as long as it takes: often in 12 hour shifts (or longer when things get really hairy), often for weeks at a time.

Interestingly two CFA volunteers just lost their jobs with Fosters Brewing (the company says it is just a really bad coincidence and nothing to do with them being away from work fighting fires). I just love this quote, it's so unbelievably Aussie:

Dave Dixon, a volunteer at Broadford who had battled the Kilmore fire, learned of his redundancy in a news report on Thursday.

"That was a bit interesting," he said. Ha hAAA! Gotta love those fireys!

b

[karkinadze]

Interestingly two CFA volunteers just lost their jobs with Fosters Brewing (the company says it is just a really bad coincidence and nothing to do with them being away from work fighting fires). I just love this quote, it's so unbelievably Aussie:



Ha hAAA! Gotta love those fireys!

b

personally i think those blokes deserve a medal NOT the shaft,
feck thats disgraceful, might be "just" a coincidence, but thats gonna hurt Fosters as far as bad publicity is concerned