Author Topic: Bushfire tragedy in Victoria, Australia (Read 5311 times)

heffay · « **Reply #25 on:** February 10, 2009, 04:38:59 PM »

Quote from: Ecosse on February 10, 2009, 03:00:25 PM

As one not personally facing this disaster I suppose I can afford to focus my anger on the POS's responsible.

Again, my thoughts go out to all my Aussie brothers and sisters. The scale of this destruction is just beyond imagination.

agreed eco... i can't imagine why and... in all honesty... i'd rip them to shreds

BeSeeingYou · « **Reply #26 on:** February 10, 2009, 05:02:29 PM »

We just received and email from a long time friend who lives in Wollongong informing us that his mother and brother died in the fire at Strathewen. He said that 30 people out of a population of 200 were killed, many trying to save their homes. When we were over there in 2006 we met the mother and brother so all of a sudden this takes on a more personal dimension for us. Out thoughts are with all those in the affected area and those with family and friends there.

heffay · « **Reply #27 on:** February 10, 2009, 05:04:48 PM »

im sorry rust.. for whatever it might be worth

BobbyR · « **Reply #28 on:** February 10, 2009, 08:01:07 PM »

Rust, be as good a friend to you friend as you can. Got a call about a mate of mine, the Docs gave him 3 months, I don;t know what to say to him. He is a crusty Scot and not one for sentimental drivel. I will miss him nonetheless.

78 k550 · « **Reply #29 on:** February 10, 2009, 09:24:59 PM »

My prayer are with you all.

Paul

heffay · « **Reply #30 on:** February 10, 2009, 09:35:02 PM »

there is an in depth photo journal at this site...
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/02/bushfires_in_victoria_australi.html
please take my posting the link as a search for knowledge and beauty.

photos 23 and 25 show the melting of the alloy wheels we spoke about earlier.

wishing you well, Australia.

toycollector10 · « **Reply #31 on:** February 10, 2009, 11:08:57 PM »

I heard an interview over the radio yesterday. The expert was a guy who was in some sort of Australian bush fire control agency.

He claimed, with conviction and authority, that the Green Party in local government has the blame for the tragedy laid squarely at their feet. For the last forty years the common sense has gone out of the management of fire prone areas, and the old lessons, once hard learned, are going to have to be revisited.

No burn offs, no controlled clearing of scrub and fallen brush or bush, as we call it down here. The Bad Science that "nature would take care of it all"..Well it has, that's for bloody sure!! Weasel words such as Enhanced Biodiversity resulting from untouched native bush and forest land, which just doesn't mean a bloody thing, does it, when the earth has been scorched.

So when the Royal Commission of Enquiry has taken it's course let's see how the Greens have distanced themselves from it all!!

The thing is, all Australian states have their own policies regarding management of fire prone areas. It's a state thing, not a national government administration thing. So it looks as if Victoria had it all wrong. Why no fires west of Sydney or other forested areas such as Noosa or wherever?

I'll be interested in following up on the outcome of all this, not that it'll do any of the poor dead people any bloody good.

Ecosse · « **Reply #32 on:** February 10, 2009, 11:23:49 PM »

Just clicked heff's link. Rarely has my heart gone out to an entire nation as it has for this great country.

I'm just gutted.

Grumpol · « **Reply #33 on:** February 10, 2009, 11:46:12 PM »

And things get worse, there were a few new fires today (as if fighting the existing ones isnt enough) that the police and fireys think were deliberatly lit, and theres scum going in looting the properties!

Since sunday morning there has been more than 38 million pledged/donated to the various bushfire appeals, and people have been donating truckloads of goods to help the victims of the fire get back on their feet.
Most of the people who have lost everything have stated that they will not be leaving but will be rebuilding their lives and their homes.
Many of the people with children have said that their biggest worry is getting the kids back to school, to their friends and some semblance of normality and the schools are helping, one woman has told that the school has offered to replace all the books, uniforms etc that her children have lost.

Today the Australian cricket team visited the area to help raise spirits, the footage was wonderful. People who had lost everything had a smile on their faces for the first time in days. One woman who had not seen or heard of her son in days took a shine to one of the cricketers because he looked like her son, he spent a few hours with her to try and cheer her up.

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #34 on:** February 11, 2009, 02:44:47 AM »

Quote from: toycollector10 on February 10, 2009, 11:08:57 PM

I heard an interview over the radio yesterday. The expert was a guy who was in some sort of Australian bush fire control agency.

He claimed, with conviction and authority, that the Green Party in local government has the blame for the tragedy laid squarely at their feet. For the last forty years the common sense has gone out of the management of fire prone areas, and the old lessons, once hard learned, are going to have to be revisited.

No burn offs, no controlled clearing of scrub and fallen brush or bush, as we call it down here. The Bad Science that "nature would take care of it all"..Well it has, that's for bloody sure!!

We have similar debates here in the western U.S. Many of our fires are started by lightening strikes (sadly some arson also). Nature has been taking care of things for a long time, unfortunately folks have moved in built homes in what use to be wilderness so efforts to fight the fires are very aggressive leaving fuel to build up over many years. The U.S. Forest Service is also rethinking their strategy re: clearing, controlled burns, etc.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #35 on:** February 11, 2009, 03:05:42 AM »

Yeah, it's a real problem Bob, and there is fault on both the side of the "greens" who seem to have infiltrated every level of state and local government, and some home owners themselves, who want to surround themselves with highly inflammable trees and bush, without much thought to the consequences.

I thought of this analogy. Living like that is like buying a gun, loading it, holding it to your head, cocking it, taking the safety off, and then hoping that no-one bumps you.

None of this should be seen as me being insensitive to the hundreds of dead and injured, I still feel sick over this situation, and while there are still 35 fires out of control and several towns at risk, my thoughts are with the poor buggers living in the path of these fires, who are no doubt praying for a miracle. Cheers, Terry.

Freaky1 · « **Reply #36 on:** February 11, 2009, 03:06:48 AM »

My heart goes out to everyone there dealing with these fires, the pictures are shocking to say the least. Here in Colorado we have had some bad fires over the last few years but nothing, and I mean nothing, anywhere near this bad, it is hard to even imagine the size and intensity. Then to think there are people who would start this on purpose, any amount of justice would never be enough.
Is there any relief from the winds, or help from the weather at all in the forcast?

Retro Rocket · « **Reply #37 on:** February 11, 2009, 03:54:04 AM »

Hi all, it is also the "it will never happen to me" syndrome as well that contributes to the loss of life and disorganization. When these hills were first settled in the early part of last century the folks that lived there built bunkers to shelter in in case of fire because it was obvious to them that living in the Australian bush meant living with fire. Most of the species of trees in Aus have adapted to fire and most of them only shed seed or germinate seed after a fire has gone through, this was a well known fact. We are a more blase' about everything these days. After being in the rural fire brigade i can see both sides to the story, i have seen controlled burns get away and do quite a bit of damage and i have seen the loss of habitat and wildlife that goes with it. If you intend to live in these type of places you need to be educated on what to do in these circumstances. I was taught to ALWAYS have a box of matches or a lighter with me when in the bush so if there was a fire and i was caught i could light a fire ahead of the coming fire to create a break and "stay on the black". Once the bush burns away from you, you stay in the burnt area or "on the black" as fire can only burn once. There are quite a few strategies for fire safety, so maybe education would be a great place to start for the next generation of people moving back to the bush.........just my 2 cents worth...

Mick

my78k · « **Reply #38 on:** February 11, 2009, 09:46:38 AM »

Mick, I am glad that you posted what you did in your last post as I had just re-read the thread from beginning to end and realized that my earlier comments may have seemed disrespectful when I was asking about how people get caught up in these fires. Please realize that it was spoken more from a place of ignorance of these situations. I have only ever lived in Urban surroundings and have no idea of the innerworkings of these types of fires. It truly is amazing and having learned more in the last 24 hours than in my entire life about how these brush fires operate and the types of damage they can do I am truly in awe of natures forces once again.

Rust, my thoughts are with you as they are with everyone affected both directly and indirectly by this horrible situation.

Dennis

Patrick · « **Reply #39 on:** February 11, 2009, 04:08:38 PM »

I keep watching the reports and I am stunned and saddened by the enormous loss of life,. Buildings and cars are just things, and things can be replaced. Family and friends cannot.

Here in Texas we are no strangers to wildfires. We have at least a few every year when it gets hot and the grass and other plants dry out. When I lived in West Texas a couple decades back we had a controlled burn get out of control and burn more than 150,000 acres in just more than two days. Took out most of the town of Albany and a few smaller communities. The difference, though, is that it is rare for these fires to kill any one. The first thing we do is get the hell out of the way. "Sheltering in place" in the face of a wild fire has got to be the most insane policy I have ever heard. Fire takes everything in its path.

I am very glad you are OK, Terry. I only wish the same could be said for all those folks who perished. It's a tragedy.

Patrick

UnCrash · « **Reply #40 on:** February 11, 2009, 05:37:27 PM »

Anyone see this video of a firefighter re-hydrating a Koala?

Ecosse · « **Reply #41 on:** February 11, 2009, 07:15:22 PM »

that's great 'crash, thanks. the loss of animal life and suffering is hard to take in addition to that of human life but thanks to people like these firefighters this nightmare will be overcome.

can't imagine what's going through the mind of that koala.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #42 on:** February 11, 2009, 08:43:07 PM »

Thanks guys, well the death toll hasn't been revised up today from yesterdays 181, but the morgue that the coroner has set up can take up to 300, although they say some bodies may never be found, because the intensity of the heat completely vapourised some of them.

The biggest concern at the moment is that two of the larger fires are only a few miles apart, and because of the strong winds, may "link up" creating one massive fire front, which will be a real concern as the weather warms up again over the coming weekend. There was a little rain over one of the larger fires this morning, but not enough to do much more than slow it down.

One of the most chilling stories I heard today was all the "000" operators (911 in the US) receiving calls from many of the people who were dying in their homes and cars, begging for help with their children screaming in the background, who just couldn't be helped. I can only imagine how terrible that would be for them, you wouldn't forget about that easily.

The Koala thing was fantastic, and it surprised me how desperate "Sammy" the Koala was, to overcome her natural fear of man to walk right up to the CFA guy to beg him for some water. "Sammy" suffered from badly burned paws, but has been treated for her injuries, and is enjoying her new found celebrity status at the shelter, while she recovers.

One report this morning suggested that there might be a "foster care" plan for people to take injured animals into their homes and care for them while they recover, so I'm up for that if my dog and four cats don't mind, I wouldn't mind a Koala, I've got a gum tree in my back yard, so it'd have plenty of leaves to chew on.

That picture of "Sammy" holding the firemans' hand really symbolises the hope that I'm sure all Aussies share, that once this is over, once we have gotten past the heartbreak, we can rebuild. Cheers, Terry.

toycollector10 · « **Reply #43 on:** February 11, 2009, 10:10:29 PM »

My family on my mother's side left Australia for New Zealand in the 1880's. They'd been burnt out of their home three times due to bush fires. They just up and left. That's what the family oral history tells me anyway....

Ecosse · « **Reply #44 on:** February 11, 2009, 10:23:27 PM »

Thanks Terry. Found this piece in the Australian.

fuzzybutt · « **Reply #45 on:** February 11, 2009, 11:34:11 PM »

i'm still having a problem just trying to wrap my brain around the magnitude of whats happened. and now the news tonight mentioned a couple of new fires that arson was suspected then people looting burned out homes and business'. i hope theres a special place in hell for people like that, they need to be whipped

Grumpol · « **Reply #46 on:** February 11, 2009, 11:46:47 PM »

There are some horrifying stories coming out of victoria at the moment, but there are some heartwarming stories as well.
One bloke drove into one of the towns this morning with a caravan in tow, got out of his car taped the keys and a note on the door of the caravan, the note read something like
"Use this for as long as they need it, just call me when its not needed any more"
There are people offering holiday houses, caravans, spare rooms and one developer offered a complete block of flats he had just renovated for as long as they needed them rent free.
Over 50 million dollars has been raised in 3 days and more is being donated every minute.
Truckloads of clothing, toys , food and things for the animals are flooding into victoria from all over the country all hours of the day and night.
Insurance companies are actually paying out without trouble for the most part, striking telstra (our largest phone service provider) workers are working non stop to repair services to the towns free of charge.
And now theres this http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/751206/give-an-hours-pay-to-bushfire-victims i will be urging my boss to read this in the morning

Ecosse · « **Reply #47 on:** February 11, 2009, 11:57:23 PM »

Good to get the news Grumpol. Like our 9/11 it's in the absolute of darkest times we see the best potential of people in their utterly selfless acts.

I hope the Big Guy is taking note.

fishman_Phil · « **Reply #48 on:** February 11, 2009, 11:58:30 PM »

I have travelled through the Kinglake district a couple of times in past visits to Australia and down through the Yarra and many of the smaller towns in the surrounding district. Such beautiful country and quiet roads. Most notible to me in a visit Kinglake district was going to John Bennett's garage. A restorer of classic and vintage motorycles. Have no part he will make it. Have a photo he will reproduce it. Nice guy. I hope he is okay, but I am sure his business has gone along with the bikes, parts and machinery.
My thoughts are with the friends I have in and around Melbourne. Horrific stories coming across here to New Zealand. Likewise we must not forget about those up in the Queensland State that have been hit by the severe flooding.
Take care all.

ofreen · « **Reply #49 on:** February 12, 2009, 09:58:51 PM »

Quote from: Terry in Australia on February 11, 2009, 03:05:42 AM

None of this should be seen as me being insensitive to the hundreds of dead and injured, I still feel sick over this situation, and while there are still 35 fires out of control and several towns at risk, my thoughts are with the poor buggers living in the path of these fires, who are no doubt praying for a miracle. Cheers, Terry.

It doesn't seem insensitive to me. If we can't learn from our mistakes, more people will be hurt. It is no different here. The smart ones will have a greenbelt around their house and keep brush cleared back. It has to be done, but many don't. Wild fires cause much damage every summer in California and other places in the western U.S. because people won't learn this simple lesson.

News:

Author Topic: Bushfire tragedy in Victoria, Australia (Read 5311 times)

fuzzybutt