Australia Bushfire Thread [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Elm11

2009-02-08, 03:46 AM

Hey, just here to update playgrounders concerning bushfires in the state of Victoria, Australia. Currently, over 750 homes are confirmed destroyed, but fog is so thick no kind of arial survelance can moniter anywhere near the fire front, and it is suspected of 1000 homes have now been claimed. Likewise, it is feared that upto 150 people are dead, but still officially missing.

The death toll in victoria has now hit over 80, with many people attempting to escape the fires via the roads, crashing in the thick smoke, and then being burnt to death by the fire front as it sweeps through.

Flames over 50ft high have been recorded at some areas in eastern victoria, among the thicker bushland areas, and up to speeds of 55 kph in some areas.

Spot fires have sprung up in places that aren't even near the main bushfires, and can grow over a matter of minutes to a dangerous blaze, consuming entire blocks or farms before (if) they get pulled under control. Lightning strikes have also been responcible for causing many blazes, and even worse, a fire confirmed to have burned over 100 homes, and 50 other buidlings, also killing 9 people, is suspected to have been started by arson.

A historical town in australian history called maryland, with 300 homes and several hundred other buiildings, was razed to the ground in less than an hour, with 11 people dying in the blaze.

Please playgrounders, it's a big world, with big happenings, and you may not think this important, but spare a thought to those that have died, are dying, and have lost it all.

EDIT: some people may believe that this should be in australia in the playground, but these are to the best of my knowledge the worst fires on historical record in australia, and thus deserve their own thread.

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 03:57 AM

Ash Wednesday is worse right now, but I think these will take the lead fairly soon...Which is a very bad thing :<

News on BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7877178.stm), The Age (http://www.theage.com.au/national/death-toll-rises-from-bushfires-20090208-80jv.html), ABC (US) (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=6829353), ABC (Aus) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/bushfires/). Probably all say mostly the same thing, but ABC aus and The Age will have the latest I would imagine.

EDIT: Take that back, death toll is now higher than Ash Wednesday, the previous worst.

Elm11

2009-02-08, 03:59 AM

I've been hearing reports from an abc news broadcast that this is currently standing much worse than ash wednesday, and that was half an hour ago. But thank you for telling me anyway

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 04:13 AM

I thought that Ash Wednesday's death toll was in the 70's, but it seems that it was only in the 40's...My mistake v.v

Ershin

2009-02-08, 04:34 AM

Man things are pretty scary right now. I leave right near Anglesea so we are worrying about another Ash Wednesday repeat :smalleek:

Elm11

2009-02-08, 04:57 AM

Best of luck for any dangers to come then. I hope you all make it through alright, and keep me posted if anything big develops near you.

Yarram

2009-02-08, 05:08 AM

Man things are pretty scary right now. I leave right near Anglesea so we are worrying about another Ash Wednesday repeat :smalleek:

So far it's worse than Ash Wednesday. Man I'm glad I live in Northern-NSW now.

Galileo

2009-02-08, 05:10 AM

I'm on the East Coast of New Zealand, and I first found out about this when I went outside and the light was coloured orange by the ash.

Lord Herman

2009-02-08, 05:22 AM

I'd heard about the bushfires, but I didn't know it was this bad. And to think that some of those fires may actually have been caused by arson.

Stay safe, guys!

Yarram

2009-02-08, 05:29 AM

I'd heard about the bushfires, but I didn't know it was this bad. And to think that some of those fires may actually have been caused by arson.

Stay safe, guys!

They think most of them were caused by arson. Kind of sick hey?

In conclusion to that statement, arsonists = murderers.

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 05:35 AM

The police have said that if they find whoever lit any of them, they're most likely going to be charged with murder. I agree with that too, don't see why they shouldn't be.

Elm11

2009-02-08, 05:40 AM

now confirmed that at least 79 people are dead, but with now over 200 missing. at least half of these deaths are believed to be caused by arson, and police are saying that any people found guilty of arson will be under charges of first degree murder which i find completely appropriate. around 650 homes are confirmed destroyed, with a further 540 commercial buildings, and both counts are rising rapidly. I this is an update from 9:32 pm

There are fears the Kinglake fire, currently threatening the town of Taggerty, could spread as far as Jamieson approximately 50km east.

The same fire is also moving north towards the township of Yea, and is currently 11km south-west of the town centre. this is especially devastating to me, because our good friends have a wonderful holiday home less than 10 minutes drive away from jamieson, which cost them many thousands of dollars to build and maintain.

Elm11

2009-02-08, 05:50 AM

Update:

Temperatures in Victoria today reached 46° Celsius (115° Fahrenheit), with the combination of temperatures and high winds helped to fuel the fires. The fire was reported to be moving at an estimated 60 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour). "This has been an absolute tragedy for the state and we believe this figure may only get worse. We're concerned this figure could even reach up into the 40s," stated Kieran Walshe, the Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner, referring to the death toll.

"The whole of Kinglake is ablaze, I live a couple of kilometers out of town, I heard explosions, by the time I got to the road there were fires everywhere. [There is] flame everywhere, trees exploding, gas tanks exploding, buildings on fire, it's very, very, very serious," said a resident of Kinglake, a small township north of Melbourne that was greatly affected by the flames. "I can't quite see down into the main stretch of town, but there's a lot of flame coming up from there, so I presume most of the town is going up," he also stated. Kinglake has had the most deaths in the fire outbreak so far, where it was reported that six people traveling in a car were all killed when it was set ablaze by the raging flames.

Over 30,000 volunteers are currently fighting the blazes across the country, along with the help of helicopters and aircraft dropping chemicals and water onto the site hoping to help extinguish the fire. Greg Esnouf, the Victoria Country Fire Authority deputy chief, stated that conditions for firefighters were "off the scale" dangerously, and also stated that the forecast for Sunday would not be different than the previous few days.

taken from wiki-news

Exeson

2009-02-08, 05:59 AM

Well damn. Just damn.

My condolences to anyone who has been affected.

Good luck to anyone and everyone who needs it. Just get out of there.

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 06:01 AM

Update on BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7877178.stm

84 confirmed dead, 30,000 hectares (115sq miles) burnt, 640 homes destroyed, 14,000 without power.

This is...Just wow. Mainly because of yesterday as well. The reports from the BoM are looking chancy for rain at best, but thankfully not hitting over 30 degrees again this week. Unfortunately, fast winds (30+km/h) for the next few days...That's really not going to help.

Elm11

2009-02-08, 06:32 AM

Thanks for the update. Things are developing extremely quickly. Just found a report from yesterday stating fears that the death toll could rise a high as 40 considering that the are now well over 80, that is disturbing.

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 06:35 AM

With over 200 missing, they're probably expecting at least triple figure deaths, which will be a first for a bush fire in Australia. Well, the 80 was already a first.

Dallas-Dakota

2009-02-08, 06:36 AM

:smalleek:
Has anybody heard from Ink?
:smalleek:

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 06:37 AM

Wasn't Ink in Northern NSW or nearish Sydney?

Dallas-Dakota

2009-02-08, 06:44 AM

I thought he lived in south-east Australia?
And that the forest fires are in south-australia?

:smallconfused::smalleek:

St.Sinner

2009-02-08, 06:45 AM

Take care, everybody down there. Hopefully things will turn around, and soon.

I cannot begin to comprehend the people who deliberately light fires all over the place. What could they possibly stand to gain? Absolutely charge them with murder, I say. The tricky part would be actually catching them first.

NSW seems to have escaped the worst of the weather, what with the bushfires in Vic, the heatwave in SA, and the flooding in Queensland.

Edit: Don't worry, Ink is fine. He's in Sydney :smallsmile:

Dallas-Dakota

2009-02-08, 06:47 AM

Sinner, you know Ink, right? is he ok?

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 06:49 AM

I thought he lived in south-east Australia?
And that the forest fires are in south-australia?

:smallconfused::smalleek:

The bushfires are in Victoria, a map of where the fires are is here (http://www.theage.com.au/national/death-toll-rises-from-bushfires-20090208-80jv.html).

EDIT: Ahah! Correctomundo about Ink, I rawk :P

Also, I'll be going to bed now. Tomorrow I'll come back and add what I can when I can. School will be taking up most of my time but I'll try and keep this thread up to date :P

St.Sinner

2009-02-08, 06:53 AM

I need to pass along to Ink that everybody here is paranoid about his safety now, since the accident. You lot are so sweet, you know that? :smallsmile:

Elm11

2009-02-08, 07:00 AM

phew anyway, even i know ink, and i hardly know anyone here =P.

confirming the death toll has hit 90, with fires still raging out of control all across kingslake, near bendigo and many other suburban zones. also confirmed a full 40,000 hectares of land have been reduced to ash by the fires. I'm signing out for the night, but my best wishes to all of you, and hope you keep those people who have lost it all, even their lives, in your thoughts, minds and hearts, because them and their families may never recover. Goodnight all.

Kalbron

2009-02-08, 07:09 AM

{Scrubbed}

Elm11

2009-02-08, 07:19 AM

I'm sorry, and i respect your posting, but real world politics, especially in such an abrubt (and controversial) form is against forum rules as is vigilanty modding :smallredface: ah well, please keep the kinda thing outta a good thread.

wow... that was quick.

oball

2009-02-08, 07:55 AM

A lot of people have lost their homes and all their belongings, so if anybody feels like helping them out, the Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm) is accepting donations.

Rettu Skcollob

2009-02-08, 08:22 AM

Floods in one part of Australia, and record bushfires in the other... Damn, this does not bode well for 2009. Someone anger the wrong God? [/forcedlevity] Stay safe you guys down there, and don't be afraid to leave your material possessions behind if necessary: Your life is more important.

Oregano

2009-02-08, 10:20 AM

Wow, that's...damn.:smalleek:

I think if they catch anyone responsible there should be no sympathy. This was the first I'd heard about this as well.:smalleek:

Recaiden

2009-02-08, 10:24 AM

That's terrible. I hadn't even heard. 90 people.:smallfrown:

Phaedra

2009-02-08, 10:27 AM

Apparently the death toll is now at least 96 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7877178.stm). It's scary how fast the flames are spreading.

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 03:04 PM

Death toll is 108 confirmed now, expected to continue to rise. 31 active fires are burning, at least 750 homes destroyed, more than 330,000ha burnt out.

loopy

2009-02-08, 03:09 PM

Well, not that anyone has really worried for me, but I'm just letting you all know that I'm safe for the conceivable future. The closest fire (at Peats Ridge) is still about 25 miles away, so as long as it doesn't hit Bouddi National Park, I'm safe.

If it does... well, I'm screwed. :smallbiggrin:

Thanatos 51-50

2009-02-08, 04:45 PM

I wonder if it would be too much to ask for all you wondefrul Aussies who haven't posted in here to post, would it?
Need to know you guys are safe an' stuff.

I'm hoping that if someone ever catches the <expletive deleted> who set these, there is some very bloody murder thats going to be taking place.
Some very bloody, firey murder.

Stay safe, guys. All of you ready for the Zo,bie Apocolypse should have no problem, the rest of you...
:smalleek:

Dallas-Dakota

2009-02-08, 04:48 PM

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 05:29 PM

The fire's now being treated on the same scale as a major terrorist attack, so pretty much every resource in Victoria and many from NSW are being used to counter it. The Army is also being called in to help.

Ashtar

2009-02-08, 05:37 PM

Hope you are all safe. I would do anything to send you the latest snow and cold weather we've had. The snow is now 3 meters deep in my dad's garden, so we wouldn't miss it.

Be safe and I wish the fires out, like right now.

SoD

2009-02-08, 05:41 PM

I wonder if it would be too much to ask for all you wondefrul Aussies who haven't posted in here to post, would it?
Need to know you guys are safe an' stuff.

Here I am, all safe. Mind you, not much danger down my way (Tasmania). Yet.

I'm hoping that if someone ever catches the <expletive deleted> who set these, there is some very bloody murder thats going to be taking place.
Some very bloody, firey murder.

Do we know that they were deliberatly lit, or not? I usually try to avoid the news...both on TV and paper form.

Stay safe, guys. All of you ready for the Zo,bie Apocolypse should have no problem, the rest of you...
:smalleek:

Well, I've borrowed the book from my mate, but haven't read it yet! My zombie plan; go to Captains house, see what he does.

WrathOfLife

2009-02-08, 06:09 PM

I know that atleast one person has being arrested and charged for lighting one of the fire's due to see court sometime this week.

The rest I'm not too sure about.

As for resources being shipped across to Vic, I've only heard about NSW's sending a few crews. South Australia (to my knowledge) appears to be held in reserve at this stage. Due to the heatwave we've just had (in-addition to our own bushfire issue on the weekend), seems SA is still keeping its crews on the ready.

Edit: I stand corrected;

Fifty firefighters from South Australia's fire services will fly to Melbourne today to assist in battling devastating bushfires which continue to burn out of control in Victoria.

The team comprises 40 Country Fire Service (CFS) firefighters and 10 Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) firefighters who will spend five days helping the Country Fire Authority (CFA) in combating multiple bushfires.

The CFS has also dispatched the Erickson Aircrane known as Flynn from the Adelaide hills, after a comprehensive assessment of the risks.

The Aircrane has been responded to assist the Victorians in dealing with the continuing imminent risk to life and property.

The CFS Chief Officer, Euan Ferguson has advised that an additional helicopter and an additional fixed wing bomber have been engaged to supplement South Australia's fleet while the Aircrane is deployed interstate.

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 08:05 PM

Do we know that they were deliberatly lit, or not? I usually try to avoid the news...both on TV and paper form.

Authorities suspect they were deliberately lit, although it can't be totally certain.

Felixaar

2009-02-08, 09:36 PM

To those who have lost, I hope they can rebuild. To those who are gone, I hope they have safe passage. To those who are deliberately responsible, I hope they suffer.

oball

2009-02-08, 10:08 PM

Authorities suspect they were deliberately lit, although it can't be totally certain.

At least one (in Bendigo, that killed 2 people and razed about 50 houses) was caused by some idiot throwing a lit cigarette butt out of their car window (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25027063-1243,00.html).

It boggles the mind that someone would do something so utterly stupid with the conditions what they were.

Dispozition

2009-02-08, 10:34 PM

Australian officials have warned that the death toll from wildfires that have already killed 128 people in the state of Victoria is likely to rise further.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the numbers were "numbing" and warned the nation to prepare for more bad news.

Troops and emergency crews are still battling about 25 fires - two of which are threatening urban areas.

Some towns have been almost completely destroyed by the fires, with arson suspected in some cases.

An area of 3,000 sq km (1,200 sq miles) has been affected.

Firefighters say temperatures have dropped and conditions have improved, allowing them to get some of the blazes under control.

But two fires north-east of Melbourne are still described as major concerns.

One is threatening hamlets near to the town of Beechworth, and the other is the Murrindindi Mill fire, which is moving north-eastwards, threatening the township of Taggerty.

From the BBC. Pretty much says it all.

St.Sinner

2009-02-09, 01:29 AM

131 is the latest figure I'm hearing from the news now, with 700 houses destroyed. One man has been charged with starting a fire. What I'd love to see is these sickos convicted and thrown in the slammer to serve consecutive life sentences as a warning for the potential future sickos out there.

Generic Archer

2009-02-09, 01:45 AM

bookeater

2009-02-09, 03:17 AM

There are fears that the final total could be as high as 200. It just rips my guts out,I'm in WA and we've never had fires as bad as these. To the guys who are still fighting these fires, you've gone above and beyond the call.

Lianae

2009-02-09, 07:24 AM

It's pretty possible that it will go over 200, at 135 now, there will still be plenty of people missing and the chances that all of those people will turn up safe and sound are sadly pretty slim. So far in Melbourne we're ok, but people in Hurstbridge, which is 34km from the Melbourne CBD are being advised to evacuate, I don't think they're in immediate danger though. The DSE is pretty informative and has regularly updated maps here (http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenfoe.nsf/LinkView/519C51D981DAE41FCA257257000A5163DC25C965BDA0CAF5CA 2573B400013504).

I also saw on the news that there is evidence that someone had been attempting to relight some of the fires that have been put out, which to me is just the most disgusting thing - there's no way you can say you didn't realise what the consequences would be then.

Also if you want to help, I know the Red Cross (www.redcross.org.au) among others are accepting donations specifically for bushfire relief, and if you ring around I'm sure your local Red Cross or Salvo's are accepting donations of clothes, toys, shoes and books etc., after all many of these people lost everything they own, especially devastating when you consider that many families' property is their source of income. I know I'm spending tomorrow cleaning out my cupboards!

WrathOfLife

2009-02-09, 07:27 AM

I'm not sure if i'm glad or sorry that I quit my job as a firie in the ACT a week ago...

A lot of the ACT guys are interstate, both in NSW and Victoria, we were fire free till this arvo but one has just copped up, should be able to deal with it though, the weather has got nice and cool the last day or so.
And having done their job, I feel sorry for the firies, 12 hours in +40 degrees is brutal, and thats before you factor in the fire

That is all well and good. But I feel more for the CFA and CFS who are there, in the same conditions, only difference is they don't get payed to be there. So in addition to risking life and limb most of them are on there "holiday" or taking leave, there by loosing money for just being there saving lives.

KatfishKaos

2009-02-09, 07:40 AM

In South Australia myself, from what I can tell from the news the fires have picked up. Someone please tell me i'm wrong, my family live in Victoria. :smallfrown:

Also, 100 New Zealanders are either currently being flown over or are in australia battling the fires. I want to give a thanks to anyone from New Zealand. You guys are helping.

Elm11

2009-02-09, 07:57 AM

It;s very hard to tell. The cold front and wind changes have ended up working in our favour, providing mild relief, and turning some of the fires back upon themselves, effectively starving them for fuel. However some fires are still raging out of control, and threatening villages and towns.

Depending on where your parents are, they may have been evac'd or may not even be under threat. I can probably find out for you if you like, but then again, you may want to yourself.

Goodluck mate.

Dispozition

2009-02-09, 05:52 PM

From the BBC: The blazes, which have swept across parts of Victoria state, have claimed 173 lives. Hundreds of people have been injured, some critically.

A lot of the fires are pretty much under control, but a very large one is still burning near Bendigo.

Rutskarn

2009-02-10, 12:02 AM

Floods in one part of Australia, and record bushfires in the other... Damn, this does not bode well for 2009. Someone anger the wrong God? [/forcedlevity]

Despite harsh terrain and far, far too many venomous animals, Australia continued to spite the universe by being Too Damn Awesome.

This winter, nature launches the final offense.

/forcedlevity

Elm11

2009-02-10, 02:34 AM

Melbourne, Feb.10 (ANI): The bushfire death toll in southern Australia has risen to 173, even as several towns have been completely ruined.
According to news.com.au, the police are hunting down the arsonist believed to be responsible for lighting one of the worst of Victoria fires. They believe they know the identity of the man who allegedly contributed to the Churchill-Jeeralang blaze in Gippsland. Twenty-one people have died in that region.
The death toll from the bushfires was certain to rise further.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd likened lighting the blazes to mass murder.
Some people in the world truely are disgusting.

Coidzor

2009-02-10, 02:47 AM

Intentionally starting a fire that kills people is definitely causing their deaths with full knowledge of the consequences.

Especially in such a dry, dry country as yours. Yeesh.

Rettu Skcollob

2009-02-10, 03:03 AM

I deliberately omitted my opinions regarding the arsonists earlier, due it it probably breaking the forum regulations on profanity and political discussion. (The subject of Hanging and the return thereof counts as political, I'm sure.)

bookeater

2009-02-10, 05:13 AM

St.Sinner

2009-02-10, 08:10 AM

They're likely sociopaths or people with mental disorders. Some of these psychologists in the news say it could even be volunteer firefighters who do it for the thrill and for the opportunity to play hero. Either way, it would be hard to catch them and much less prove that they intended to murder.

Ricky S

2009-02-10, 05:41 PM

This may sound harsh, but I really am sick of hearing about the fires. I realise what a traumatic event it may and I sympathise but when I look at other countries. Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and all the other 3rd world countries, I think wow we really are self obsessed. I know 170 deaths is a terrible thing but in comparison to the rest of the world it is nothing at all.

I am also angry that it even happened, because there should have been better advise and warning from the local fire fighters or whatever earky warning bushfire system there is. People were burned alive while trying to drive away! Honestly in a fire prone area there should be better systems in place. But that said I dont want to hear about it anymore, I now know people have died and it is just depressing to hear it over and over.

WrathOfLife

2009-02-11, 12:10 AM

There are police reports that seem to confirm that the final total will be above 200. The sick thing is that some of the arsonists are thought to be volunteer firefighters :smallfurious: I mean what goes on in these peoples heads ?

Various things actually. Some of them probably want to get caught, so they use what they know. I rather it this way then like the KI fire's where CFS merely let a burnoff get away from them.

Its always a struggle inside emergancy services to come to terms with the feeling of doing good. Alot of people make the wrong connection, they say things like "Man, I wish the pager would go off, I'd love a callout right now" and then feel guilty about it because the pager going off means some one is in very real danger. They think that they WANT people to be in danger so they can help, when what they really want, or should want, is to be there and able to help people who are in danger.

It doesn't seem like a great deal of difference but its fairly important when you see first hand the devastation your asking for.

llamamushroom

2009-02-11, 01:45 AM

I am also angry that it even happened, because there should have been better advise and warning from the local fire fighters or whatever earky warning bushfire system there is. People were burned alive while trying to drive away! Honestly in a fire prone area there should be better systems in place. But that said I dont want to hear about it anymore, I now know people have died and it is just depressing to hear it over and over.

A large part of the tragedy is that the early warning systems were in place and were working, until the winds picked up and fires travelled distances that should have taken them days in hours. Also, many of the people who were burned in their cars would have either crashed (due to the smoke being blown ahead) and been incapacitated, found the road blocked due to said crashes, or left too late to have any real chance of escape, considering that many of the townships had just one road in or out.

For me, one of the quite disturbing things about these fires is that only a couple of days before they really hit the news, I was thinking about how much some of the forests and bushlands around Australia need a good burn-back to stay healthy.

Ishmael

2009-02-11, 02:04 AM

As a veteran of the 2004 and 2007 Southern California wildfires, I can really sympathize with you Australians. Those things are damn scary. When the sky turns all red and the air is filled with ash, and you can't go outside because it makes you start to choke, it's horrifying. All you can do is just watch the TV and see the fires get closer and closer to where you live, and when you need to start evacuating, it's even more scary, since you can really feel the impact, then.

And when you crest a really high hill, and you SEE the fires not that far away, it's hauntingly beautiful, but terrifying.

Ugh. Scary memories. I wish you all well. Stay safe!

Ashtar

2009-02-11, 05:08 AM

Lianae

2009-02-12, 04:35 AM

Small fire update: this afternoon a fire broke out about 13 km from the Melbourne CBD, around 500m from my house hurrah. At the moment it appears to be out, but they already said that once today and then it crossed the river :smallannoyed:.
Not sure what's happening in the big fires, but I know that about $AUS56 million has been raised so far.

Serpentine

2009-02-12, 06:32 AM

Latest death-toll: 181, and there are still towns they haven't been able to check out yet. Towns, people :smalleek: And I thought the fires around Canberra the other year were bad enough...
I think a lot of arsons do have a mental illness (at least as much as, say, a sociopath or psychopath does). Others are just ********s. Speaking of which, there was a story some years ago. A suspected arson had been moving down NSW and around Victoria for some years. They finally caught him in Albury when I was in Tallangatta. He was a volunteer firefighter, and apparently he had seen footage of the firefighters in the aftermath of the twin towers attacks, and wanted to be a hero like them. He started a whole lot, and just happened to be the first man at the scene most of the time...
I hadn't heard about people trying to relight controlled fires. That's the lowest of the low, right there... Oh, and as an added bonus, some people may be putting themselves at risk of asbestosis (sp?) by going back to their asbestos-filled burnt-out homes without breathing protection :smallsigh:

Elm11

2009-02-12, 06:46 AM

Wow, thanks for the updates, and that picture is touching. I just feel bad for the koala :smallfrown:.

And phew, lianda, that was really close. Hope you stay safe.

loopy

2009-02-12, 08:06 AM

Lord Herman

2009-02-12, 09:38 AM

Just a note for you foreign types, if that had been a dropbear, that man would be dead right now.

You'd think that a firefighter would have the sense to spread vegemite behind his ears before going into the forest.

Serpentine

2009-02-16, 02:57 AM

My mum just forwarded me this picture and I wanted to share it. Keep up the good work those that are out there.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_ec8ddFHZy7g/SZKiUE5A2ZI/AAAAAAAABHc/JFVZIt0amFA/s400/mail.google.com.jpgMy sister told me the story about this picture. Apparently her paws were all burnt up, and she was limping around. When she saw the firefighter, she just sat down and stayed there, looking up as if to say, in my sister's words, "Just kill me already." When the bottle of water was offered, she grabbed it and sucked it down, like a baby at milk. She's been taken into care, and should be able to be released in about six months. Furthermore, a male koala that had also been rescued had been keeping close to her, sitting with his arm over her, and the like. Another reunion, perhaps? :smallwink:

On the 181 I mentioned above: I'm told that that doesn't include the 50-odd unidentified bodies :smallsigh:

On people getting killed in their cars and the failure of the systems: It was just too fast. The fires came on too fast for people to make a timely "stay or go" decision. They were going a good 100km or something like that in places, and the people driving had to go incredibly slowly because of the smoke. All too often they crashed, which caused more crashes, and there was no way they could outrun the flames on foot. Any system would have been overwhelmed.

Confirmed causes so far: Arson, cigarette butts thrown out of windows, lightning strikes (I think), power tools, power lines :smallsigh:

billtodamax

2009-02-16, 04:59 AM

I hate the people who do this. I personally come from Canberra, and was up with my grandma when the fires around here started getting bad, but the ones in Victoria are far worse. My heart goes out to those in Victoria, please come out of this safely.

_Zoot_

2009-02-16, 06:03 AM

When the Fires were in Canberra (my home town) i was in Melbourne, Victoria. When he fires are in Victoria I’m in Canberra.......

I feel sorry for the people that have lost there things or there lives. I just watched a 4 corners program about it and the problem wasn't a problem of the system it was just that the scale and the speed of the fires was to much.

Also, on the picture.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww IT'S SO CUTE!

St.Sinner

2009-02-16, 10:18 AM

The first time I saw that picture, my immediate thought was: Koalas don't drink water.

It appears they've arrested the suspected arsonist who set a blaze that killed 20 people. A 39 year old guy, who by all accounts seems to be a psychopath.

Rettu Skcollob

2009-02-16, 05:54 PM

Yeah, they eat Eucalyptus leaves to get their water, don't they? I remember vaguely hearing some story about all the koalas in some country town going on a mad water-drinking spree a year or so back, so I guess it's possible that they can.

On the Arsonist: Fantastic. I hope they string the psycho up.

Felixaar

2009-02-16, 09:16 PM

I'd like to see them prove his guilt first. But after that a public burning, I think, would be tastefully ironic.

Curiously enough, there's a fire on the hill opposite my house (maybe three, four hundred metres away? I have sucky distance judgement). Of course, this occurs most every bushfire season and has never made it here (gotten pretty close once or twice) so no cause for alarm, but just in case, pretend I said something heartwarming and nice to remember me by :smallwink: