Bushfires burning in Oz- thoughts for those in the line of fire.

[sgilli3]

My thoughts are with you all in Oz- who are suffering from the spate of bush fires raging and also for those in Nth Qld, who have terrible floods.

 

Many of the areas currently alight, I have lived in or have family there still.

 

One of the fires is in the Bendigo region, which is where Rosie is from.

 

 

As a survivor of the Ash Wednesday fires, my thoughts and prayers are with you all.

 

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=744638

xx

[Remudamom]

We've had lots of fires around here. 80 of our acres burned Sunday while we were at church, they had cattle on them too. Now 80 acres is really just nothing, but it could have spread so quickly. We're seeing smoke almost daily all around us.

[Rosie_0801]

Ooh. Don't talk about Ash Wednesday. Just thinking about it sends shivers up my spine. My dad knew the firefighters who perished in those fires at Panton Hill.

 

The fire in our area is about 10km away, it has now been contained. I'm right in the centre of Bendigo so not in any danger. More concerning for us is waiting to hear from my grandmother's brother since his street in Kinglake burned down last night. That particular fire is out now, but he hasn't made contact yet. I've also got my fingers crossed for my friend in Kilmore East. She's been evacuated, but hadn't heard from her husband (an ambulance officer) last I heard. I expect he's fine, but I'm hoping their house is safe. I think it is, from what I can glean from the CFA website. Victoria was about due for a nasty year of fires. The last three years or so we've sent firefighters and trucks up to NSW.

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/images/news_image/state_overview_20090207_2230_21119.pdf

 

Rosie

[newbie]

Rosie,

Stay safe and keep us posted.

 

Remudamom,

Where are you , that you are having wildfires, I hope all animals are safe. That can be a logistics nightmare.

 

Stay safe.

[Melissa in Australia]

there are at lest 35 dead and rising now as they get into the areas burnt last night. it seems that most of the people killed were in their cars.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/5306833 .

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/5306704

 

I am about 200 km from the fires, but we have ash raining down on our house.

the weather was unbelievably awful. it was 46oC ( around 114oF I think) with a really strong north wind.

Edited February 8, 2009 by melissaL

[newbie]

Thats absolutely horrible. There is nothing on the news here in Ca. Just stimulus junk.

 

Sending lots of prayers.

[Melissa in Australia]

here are some more news reports;

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/5307027/township-marysville-vic-destroyed/

 

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/local/5307062/35-killed-towns-feared-wiped-map/

 

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/local/5307105/glance-fires-burning-afternoon/

[sgilli3]

Ooh. Don't talk about Ash Wednesday. Just thinking about it sends shivers up my spine. My dad knew the firefighters who perished in those fires at Panton Hill.

 

The fire in our area is about 10km away, it has now been contained. I'm right in the centre of Bendigo so not in any danger. More concerning for us is waiting to hear from my grandmother's brother since his street in Kinglake burned down last night. That particular fire is out now, but he hasn't made contact yet. I've also got my fingers crossed for my friend in Kilmore East. She's been evacuated, but hadn't heard from her husband (an ambulance officer) last I heard. I expect he's fine, but I'm hoping their house is safe. I think it is, from what I can glean from the CFA website. Victoria was about due for a nasty year of fires. The last three years or so we've sent firefighters and trucks up to NSW.

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/images/news_image/state_overview_20090207_2230_21119.pdf

 

Rosie

 

 

We were the lucky survivors of Ash Wednesday ( living in Cockatoo at the time)

 

Spoke to a friend last night from Hidden Valley (just out of Wallan), and a dad from the one of the local primary schools is dead, a few have lost their houses and a few people are still missing.

Another friend has lost her home. What makes their story even sadder, was that her hubby has been home for 10 days after being in the rehabilitation centre for 8 months, after breaking his back.

 

Fires burning close to family and friends out Pakenham way also, but all safe and well.

 

Keep safe Rosie.

 

( we arent far off building our new home back in Vic...we used to be in the SE- but heading your way now- we will be about 1/2 hr nth Ballarat)

[Melissa in Australia]

the death toll is now at 65. and over 600 houses have burned

[Rosie_0801]

I am about 200 km from the fires, but we have ash raining down on our house.

 

Are you serious? The fires are 2km from here and thanks to the wind direction we can hardly smell the smoke.

 

We were the lucky survivors of Ash Wednesday ( living in Cockatoo at the time)

 

Spoke to a friend last night from Hidden Valley (just out of Wallan), and a dad from the one of the local primary schools is dead, a few have lost their houses and a few people are still missing.

Another friend has lost her home. What makes their story even sadder, was that her hubby has been home for 10 days after being in the rehabilitation centre for 8 months, after breaking his back.

 

Mm. Cockatoo isn't a fun place to be during fire season. I'm sorry to hear about your friends in Hidden Valley, they're right in the middle of it all. I've just heard from my friend in Kilmore East, both family and property are safe, thank goodness. We're still worrying about my great uncle up in Kinglake. He's not listed with Red Cross as being at any of the relief centres as yet. It could be days before that sort of info is brought up to date. My grandmother, as you'd imagine, is taking it pretty hard...

 

( we arent far off building our new home back in Vic...we used to be in the SE- but heading your way now- we will be about 1/2 hr nth Ballarat)

 

Around Clunes, eh? Not into medieval re-enactment are you? The Ballarat group would welcome new members. * shameless plug by the group president here ;) *

 

The weather looks to be a bit cooler for the next couple of days, but that won't do much to help the fire efforts if the wind keeps up.

 

Rosie

[sgilli3]

Clunes it is!!

 

We decided when we moved over here, that upon our return we would head over your way, and we were originally looking at moving to Bendigo.

 

Then, while looking at land on the internet, we came across a perfect spot for us..Clunes.

 

My dad lives in Ballarat, so is very chuffed (everyone else is either in Melbourne or all over Oz), and as DH will be traveling back and forward to the UAE for work, its not too far from Melb. airport.

 

Dont know much about re-enactments- but know doubt you will fill me in :D

 

Looking forward to heading back home!

 

Stay safe.

[LindaOz]

 

My dad lives in Ballarat, so is very chuffed (everyone else is either in Melbourne or all over Oz), and as DH will be traveling back and forward to the UAE for work, its not too far from Melb. airport.

 

 

My dad lives in Ballarat too, and I spent my teenage years there. Clunes looks like a lovely town :001_smile:

 

Rosie, I hope you are safe. My uncle lives in Bendigo and the fires were 1km from him two days ago. I haven't heard more since.

 

I remember Ash Wednesday too, and it seems that this disaster is even worse. My thoughts are with you.

[Melissa in Australia]

update on the fires;

the death toll is now at 108, houses burned 750

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/5307913

 

it is really awful.

[Rosie_0801]

The big Bendigo bush fire is out now, though there are a couple of small fires around town still.

I'd like to hear from Keptwoman now, since the fires are making their way down her neck of the woods...

 

Rosie- who will fill anyone in on re-enactment if they ask :D

[AnnetteB]

That is a bit of good news. We are left rather speechless here. I can't even imagine such consuming fire.

[Lucy in Australia]

If anyone really wants to get an idea of how bad it is, here's a link to Melbourne's main newspaper: http://www.theage.com.au/

Just click on any of the headlines & you'll get an idea. Be warned, though... My heart is absolutely breaking.

 

I'm a bit worried about keptwoman, too. I think she's smack bang in the middle of it all.

[keptwoman]

Aw guys thanks for thinking of us. No, we are well out of the way (Frankston) and totally safe. In fact we haven't even seen or smelt a whiff of smoke.

We've been watching it on TV and listening to the radio a lot. The numbers are just mind blowing. And the horror just has no words does it.

[Rosie_0801]

Aw guys thanks for thinking of us. No, we are well out of the way (Frankston) and totally safe. In fact we haven't even seen or smelt a whiff of smoke.

We've been watching it on TV and listening to the radio a lot. The numbers are just mind blowing. And the horror just has no words does it.

 

Phew. I thought you were over in the eastern suburbs.

 

Rosie

[Melissa in Australia]

Thanks Lucy. I fuond the vidio clip very moving.

[keptwoman]

Yes we used to be Rosie (well INNER East) but we moved in August.

[Unicorn.]

Rosie, just wanted to let you know I'm thinking about you, and praying for your great uncle.

[Rosie_0801]

Thanks, if anything had happened to him it'd have taken years off my grandmother's life I think; but we got a phone call last night and he's fine. It took so long to track him down because he wasn't in any of the relief centres, but in hospital because he hadn't taken his medication with him when he left. He's very lucky.

 

Rosie

[Melissa in Australia]

just updating.

the death toll is expected to rise to 300. 800 houses were destroyed. and over 5000 people are now homeless. the fires are still going, they have just slowed down with the cooler weather.

[sgilli3]

Some updated pics of the devestation :sad:

 

http://www.news.com.au/gallery/0,22010,5037339-5006020,00.html#

[JFSinIL]

These fires sound FAST - I grew up in S. California and follow fires there very closely and S. Ca NEVER gets that high a death toll!!!! How come folks are not being evacuated in time Down Under??????

 

I just read a Melbourne on-line paper - folks were taught how to STAY PUT and uses hoses and filled gutters to stop embers from ignuiting roofs, to wear cotton clothes and hunker in the darkest part of the house until the fire past then go out and put out spot fires with the hose...WHAT THE F**K??!! Sorry, my California -bred brain can not wrap itself around that kind of advice!!!!!! No wonder folks are dying down there!!!!!

Edited February 10, 2009 by JFSinIL

[Rosie_0801]

Actually, JFS, that advice wasn't quite as stupid as it might sound. Obviously the safest thing is to get the hell out of there at the first whiff of danger, but if you haven't then bunkering down is (statistically) safer than jumping in the car and getting caught. Providing you are sensible enough to have sprinklers and all those bushfire cautionary measures in place. The problem with these fires was they were moving so fast that there really wasn't enough advance warning in many cases. Unless one was supposed to take the onset of summer as warning, which for some areas would have been sensible. My great uncle lived in Kinglake. He was lucky enough to get out, by the skin of his teeth. My grandmother was watching the news at 4pm and there was no mention of Kinglake being in any danger. Ten minutes later, my uncle could see flames and was in the car fleeing the area. Not so many minutes after that, nearly the entire township was wiped out. It didn't help that there were virtually no emergency services even there since they were almost all fighting the fires elsewhere. They wouldn't have been if Kinglake was considered in danger, kwim? One story from my town reported a mere 3 minutes between seeing flames on the horizon and their house being burned to the ground. It's a tricky choice. If you have adequate fire prevention strategies in place you are safer at home than in the car. Unfortunately you don't know if what you have is adequate until after the event... If only firebugs restricted their pyromaniac tendencies to playing with matches in their own kitchens there would have been much less loss of life and property. My dad thinks arsonists should be chained to the front of fire trucks going into battle. Not exactly an ethical thing to do, but it would be sure to cure them, huh?

 

Rosie-glad for the cooler weather, but wishing the wind would calm down.

Edited February 11, 2009 by Rosie_0801

[sgilli3]

These fires sound FAST - I grew up in S. California and follow fires there very closely and S. Ca NEVER gets that high a death toll!!!! How come folks are not being evacuated in time Down Under??????

 

I just read a Melbourne on-line paper - folks were taught how to STAY PUT and uses hoses and filled gutters to stop embers from ignuiting roofs, to wear cotton clothes and hunker in the darkest part of the house until the fire past then go out and put out spot fires with the hose...WHAT THE F**K??!! Sorry, my California -bred brain can not wrap itself around that kind of advice!!!!!! No wonder folks are dying down there!!!!!

 

What paper did you get that info from?

People still have the choice as to whether they want to stay put or to be evacuated.

Sadly for many, nobody knew just how big the fires were to get, how many fires they were going to be battling or just how much devastation the change in wind would bring.

 

We were always taught -that if were wanted to stay and protect the property, then you were to wear wool- not cotton...and yes, I have battled spot fires with hoses and even blankets in the past.

( I have even stood on the roof- hosing off embers as they landed)

 

Theses fires moved horrendously quick- quicker than the ones that wiped out my WHOLE community a few years back.

 

I read that at one point, the fire front moved 20 kms (12 miles) in 2 minutes.

We have friends who have lost everything ( including their beloved family members, pets, livestock, businesses etc), and they said that the sudden wind change, went from them quite possibly being able to save their homes, to having less than 3 minutes, to decide whether to bunker down or try and make a run for it.

 

 

My heart breaks for my family + friends back home.

[Rosie_0801]

Where were your friends and family located, Sgilli?

[ajjkt]

It was today's copy of The Age that bore that exert. The advice that I've grown up understanding was 'Leave very early or stay and defend' because so many lives are lost in a last minute plea. These fires have just been so much more ferocious than our other terrible bushfires have been.

 

It really puts things in perspective when you here the stories. Almost everyone seems to know someone who's affected.

[Peela]

13 years ago I spent a week in Marysville- an incredibly GREEN and pretty town- now it doesn't exist!

 

The fire safety strategies are going to be reviewed for obvious reasons, however I have seen many interviews with people who didnt even know the fire was so close and just managed to get out of the house in moments before it was engulfed- obviously the dead people who didnt get out in time, can't be interviewed.

I saw one interview with a woman who said they had done everything right- no flammable material near the house, sprinklers, full water tanks- everything in preparation as the fire dept specifies - but by the time they realised there was a fire at all (for many people there was no warning smell or ash or anything) the roads were all blocked because of fire- the fire came from 3 directions at once. They managed to get out just before the last road was blocked, but lost everything. People are told to leave early, or stay and protect their property, and I know many people including relatives who have in the past saved their own homes by staying. But this fire was unusual and people didn't have time to even make the decision to stay or go.

Australians are used to bushfires but this was unusual in the speed it travelled, the lack of warning, the scale of the fires- not one or two but I believe hundreds at once, and several years worth of dead wood in the bush.

So many stories, I was crying watching the news this evening (I think I was numb before) but what gets me most is the generosity it is bringing out in people- even over here in W.A. thousands of boxes of goods are being stockpiled and sent over, as well as millions of $.

Glad you are safe, Rosie, and Melissa.

[sgilli3]

13 years ago I spent a week in Marysville- an incredibly GREEN and pretty town- now it doesn't exist!

 

The fire safety strategies are going to be reviewed for obvious reasons, however I have seen many interviews with people who didnt even know the fire was so close and just managed to get out of the house in moments before it was engulfed- obviously the dead people who didnt get out in time, can't be interviewed.

I saw one interview with a woman who said they had done everything right- no flammable material near the house, sprinklers, full water tanks- everything in preparation as the fire dept specifies - but by the time they realised there was a fire at all (for many people there was no warning smell or ash or anything) the roads were all blocked because of fire- the fire came from 3 directions at once. They managed to get out just before the last road was blocked, but lost everything. People are told to leave early, or stay and protect their property, and I know many people including relatives who have in the past saved their own homes by staying. But this fire was unusual and people didn't have time to even make the decision to stay or go.

Australians are used to bushfires but this was unusual in the speed it travelled, the lack of warning, the scale of the fires- not one or two but I believe hundreds at once, and several years worth of dead wood in the bush.

So many stories, I was crying watching the news this evening (I think I was numb before) but what gets me most is the generosity it is bringing out in people- even over here in W.A. thousands of boxes of goods are being stockpiled and sent over, as well as millions of $.

Glad you are safe, Rosie, and Melissa.

 

 

I was reading about Brian Naylor's home- and the paper reported, that it could have been an advert in a fire prevention magazine- as it was so well set up: there was no vegetation near the home, pumps hooked up to the pool, sprinklers on the roof, separate water tanks for fire fighting, leave protectors on gutters , even had small tractors to clear fire breaks if needed etc....yet he and his wife Moiree both perished in the blaze.

[sgilli3]

Where were your friends and family located, Sgilli?

 

We are a spread out bunch- from Gippsland,Berwick, Nar Nar Goon, Kilmore, Horsham, Healsville, Ballarat, Echuca etc etc etc....lol

 

Friends that have lost it all,are from Kilmore East.

 

So many beautiful places and so many lives destroyed.

[JFSinIL]

What paper did you get that info from?

 

/QUOTE]

 

http://www.theage.com.au/ this was the paper on 2/10/09

 

Now that I have read the posts that came after my first one, I see how the death toll has gotten so high - if the fires moved that fast in S. California I am sure we'd have a high death toll there as well! This is such a sad situation!!!!