[Tilmbeinymn]

The current death toll is 181 and expected to rise considerably higher. Over 750 homes have been lost. Thousands of people are homeless. Hundreds of thousands of acres have been burnt. Some of the fires are suspected to have been lit by arsonists. Arsonists light fires in Australia every summer, but rarely get caught.

One has to wonder what kind of society produces people who do this.

Victoria and South Australia have been experiencing unprecedented and uncharacteristic extreme heat this summer. Queensland is experiencing severe flooding.

One has to wonder what we are doing to the environment.

My parents were involved in the last most serious fires, known as the Ash Wednesday fires, in Victoria and South Australia in 1983. My father fought very hard to save their house. The rest of their quarter-acre block was burnt. They were very lucky. Most others around them were not. Although I have no contact with my parents, the tragic stories we've been seeing over the last week or so have brought all the memories (and anger) back, but it's much worse this time (the worst in Australia's history). It's horrible.

Obama offers his prayers for the nation

10th February 2009, 13:15 WST US President Barack Obama has telephoned Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to offer his prayers for the people of Victoria, and the nation, suffering from Australia’s deadliest bushfires on record. Mr Rudd has taken phone calls from a long list of world leaders, who have offered their condolences, and some with offers of assistance.

“President Obama said that we should know in Australia that the prayers of himself, his wife Michelle, their family and of the American people are with the people of Victoria, people of Australia,” he told parliament.

The US, along with New Zealand and Britain, is willing to lend a hand and about 35 American firefighting operation chiefs, aviation managers, planning section chiefs and specialists in land rehabilitation are waiting for final orders to help bolster the effort to control the blazes.

Mr Rudd said the sympathetic response from international friends was “an expression of our common humanity”.

Since the scale of destruction from the Victoria bushfires became apparent, Mr Rudd has also taken calls from:

* British Prime Minister Gordon Brown,
* New Zealand Prime Minister John Key,
* European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso,
* United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and
* Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Countries as far flung as the tiny European principality of Andorra, Pakistan, France, Brazil, Cuba and Nauru have sent messages of support as Australia reels from the tragedy, which has claimed at least 173 lives.

“Expressions of sympathy have also been accompanied by offers of practical help," Mr Rudd said.

France and Japan had made urgent inquiries as to what assistance they may offer. Thailand was proposing a financial donation to the bushfire victims.

Indonesia had offered assistance with disaster victim identification.
New Zealand had offered 100 firefighters. Singapore has offered to deploy Super Puma helicopters.

“The United States Department of the Interior is in discussions with the government of Victoria on the provision of personnel and assistance.,” Mr Rudd said.

Australia welcomed each of the offers of support and expressions of sympathy from around the world, he said.

“It is good that they have come.

“All Victorians and all Australians should know that in this darkest hour they are not alone.”

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ntentID=123975