Victorian Fires

[Graeme]

 

(From The Age Newspaper in Melbourne)

 

We're at the edge of the affect area. One of our neighbours told us a little while ago about someone who lost their two children in the fire at Kinglake. The man had been out fighting the fire, while the children were being looked after by their grandmother. The fire raced through and burnt the house to the ground. There were no survivors....

[Former Member]

My thoughts and prayers go out to those involved.

[jovian_w2002]

Me too. I'll keep those affected in my prayers. This is truly one of the worst bushfires in Australia in decades.

[Graeme]

Just an update:

 

The current death toll is 66, but that's expected to rise. The number of homes destroyed is over 700, and that figure is also expected to rise. The fires are still not under control.

[AFriendlyFace]

Oh no, how terrible. I'm so sorry.

 

 

Please keep us posted.

 

 

-Kevin

[Kanaye]

Thats terrible.

 

I hope you stay safe Graeme.

[Graeme]

I hope you stay safe Graeme.

I'm fine. The closest fire is no longer in our area, though we've sent the boys to stay with their grandmother, just to be safe. There are still a lot of people in danger, though, in other parts of the state.

[PlugInMatty]

Just an update:

 

The current death toll is 66, but that's expected to rise. The number of homes destroyed is over 700, and that figure is also expected to rise. The fires are still not under control.

 

That death toll is now 76, with more expected to come.

 

Tragic.

[jovian_w2002]

Now 84 are confirmed dead Truly tragic

[Jack Scribe]

Now 84 are confirmed dead Truly tragic

And now comes word that some of the fires were caused by arsonists.

 

We in California are very aware of the havoc, damage and personal loss that these fires cause. My prayers go out to all who have been victimized by this tragedy.

 

Jack

[Emulated]

My thoughts go out to those who have been affected by this tragedy.

 

I hope no more people lose their lives.

 

EL

[Graeme]

Photo galleries from the local newspapers:

Bushfires across Victoria (The Age Newspaper)

 

Killer Bushfires (Melbourne's Herald Sun)

Edited February 8, 2009 by Graeme

[Tiger]

I found another story about the fires. The death toll is 108, and that makes it the worst in Australia's history. I've also been talking to a friend of mine who says that they're trying to save the power plant in La Trobe Valley. Recovery could take several years. Entire towns have been destroyed. Here's the story:

 

The wildfires that have ripped through the state of Victoria

 

The death toll from fires in southern Australia has reached at least 108, the worst in the country's history.

 

Thousands of firefighters, aided by the army, are battling several major bush fires, and the number of dead is expected to rise as fires are put out.

 

Arsonists responsible for lighting the fires could be charged with murder, police have said.

 

Entire towns in Victoria state were destroyed as fires were fanned by extreme temperatures and wind.

 

Temperatures are dropping now, but officials fear they will not be able to get the fires under control until there is substantial rain.

 

"We could still have a lot worse," said Sharon Smee of Victoria's Country Fire Authority. "There's still hot spots out there and there's a lot of people who are really exhausted and tired."

 

'Absolutely horrific'

 

Firefighters have been battling against what are described as the worst conditions in Victoria's history.

 

Witnesses described seeing walls of flames four storeys high, trees exploding and the skies raining ash, as fires tore across 30,000 hectares (115 sq miles) of forests, farmland and towns.

 

John Coleridge from the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne said most of those rescued from the fires had suffered burns.

 

"They range from minor, just the soles of their feet running away through embers, to people who've got major, life-threatening burns," he said.

 

"And unfortunately there are some people who will not survive."

 

The BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney said police suspect that in at least one case fires have been restarted by arsonists after being extinguished by firefighters.

 

New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees said arsonists faced a maximum 25 years' jail.

 

"We will throw the book at you if you are caught," he was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

 

"Some of these fires have started in localities that could only be by hand, it could not be natural causes," Victoria state Police Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe was quoted as saying by AFP.

 

He said there would be a "full, thorough investigation".

 

At least 700 homes have been destroyed in Victoria and about 14,000 homes are without power.

 

Most of the people who died came from a cluster of small towns to the north of Melbourne. The BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney said many charred bodies had been found in cars. It is thought they were trying to escape the fires but were overtaken by their "sheer speed and ferocity".

 

Some cars appeared to have crashed into one another as people tried to flee the flames.

 

Victoria Country Fire Authority said the death toll had risen to 108.

 

At least 18 people were reported to have died in the town of Kinglake, four at Wandong, four at St Andrews and three at Strathewen.

 

One Strathewen resident told ABC local radio how people had witnessed "absolutely horrific" scenes as they had helped battle the flames.

 

"The school's gone, the hall's gone... some people left it too late. We've lost friends, and we're just waiting for more - children, loved ones," she said.

 

The town of Marysville, with about 500 residents, was said to have been burned to the ground, though most residents managed to shelter from the blaze in a local park.

 

In Kinglake, where witnesses said most of the town was destroyed, one woman quoted by the Melbourne Age described the arrival of a badly burnt man and his daughter seeking shelter on a patch of open ground.

 

"He had skin hanging off him everywhere and his little girl was burnt, but not as badly as her dad, and he just came down and he said 'Look, I've lost my wife, I've lost my other kid, I just need you to save [my daughter],'" she said.

 

'Tragic day'

 

Tens of thousands of firefighters have been trying to contain blazes in two other states - New South Wales and South Australia - but the fires there were largely contained or burning away from residential areas.

 

The fire service is using water-bombing aircraft to contain fires and thousands of volunteers are using water hoses.

 

"It's obviously a tragic day and a tragic week in our history," Victorian state Premier John Brumby said.

Late on Sunday, he said he had accepted an offer from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to send in troops to relieve overstretched emergency crews.

 

"Hell in all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria in the last 24 hours," said Mr Rudd.

 

Bush fires are common in Australia, but the current blazes have eclipsed the death toll from what had been the previous worst fire in 1983, when 75 people died on a day that became known as Ash Wednesday.

The leader of the Green party, Bob Brown said summer fires would get worse unless Australia and other nations showed more leadership on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 

"It's a sobering reminder of the need for this nation and the whole world to act and put at a priority our need to tackle climate change," he said.

 

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7877178.stm

[jfalkon]

The reports keep coming in and they are truly frightening. I am also in an area prone to fires and I can understand how terrible it is for those who were unharmed. The agony of those who lost homes and loved ones is unimaginable. I will keep the victims in my prayers.

[JamesSavik]

 

Six fires have merged into one huge firestorm.

 

Here in Mississippi, we won't soon forget the Aussies that helped during hurricane Katrina.

 

Please take care down there.

[C James]

Take care and stay safe, Graeme. All my best to you and your family.

[Mark Arbour]

Fires in the South and flooding in the North; that's a tough go. And such a shame, Australia is a beautiful country with some of the nicest people I've ever encountered in my travels, and online. Best of luck to you.

[C James]

A couple of the posts here were drifting into the political realm, so I moved them to the Soapbox. The thread is here.

 

I hope you get some rain soon, Graeme.

[KJames]

Photo galleries from the local newspapers:

Bushfires across Victoria (The Age Newspaper)

 

Killer Bushfires (Melbourne's Herald Sun)

 

 

Graeme, I recognize some of the place names as settings for some of your stories....having wildfires in Southern California a couple years ago near where I used to live, I am well aware of the dangers of dry brush...unfortunately, loving nature has its risks...but when some fires are deliberately set, then it makes it all worse... It doesn't alleviate the suffering of the victims, but in Southern California, there is no statute of limitation on murder, whether caused due to arson, gunshot or whatever means--if someone commits a crime and someone else dies in the commission, they are automatically guilty of murder in the first degree...same goes if a repeat drunk driver kills someone while driving under the influence.

[Graeme]

I hope you get some rain soon, Graeme.

No rain in the long range forecast. I attended a community briefing tonight and they indicated that they expecting the wind to shift around on the weekend and there is a risk that the fire will head back in our direction. I don't expect to be in any danger, but we won't be taking any chances. If there's a risk, we'll be sending the boys back to stay with their grandmother again.

 

Graeme, I recognize some of the place names as settings for some of your stories....having wildfires in Southern California a couple years ago near where I used to live, I am well aware of the dangers of dry brush...unfortunately, loving nature has its risks...but when some fires are deliberately set, then it makes it all worse... It doesn't alleviate the suffering of the victims, but in Southern California, there is no statute of limitation on murder, whether caused due to arson, gunshot or whatever means--if someone commits a crime and someone else dies in the commission, they are automatically guilty of murder in the first degree...same goes if a repeat drunk driver kills someone while driving under the influence.

My anthology entry Bushfire was inspired by the terrain in the Toolangi State Forest -- which is now burning.

My first story, New Brother was set in the Yarra Valley -- which is now burning in parts (though Yarra Glen itself is still okay).

Falls Creek is fine, though I mentioned Beechworth in Falls Creek Lessons and that's also currently in danger.

 

I haven't been keeping up to date with the fires in NSW, but I hope Dubbo is okay..... :wacko:

Edited February 9, 2009 by Graeme

[old bob]

My thoughts go also out to those involved.

I hope all our aussie members will stay safe.

Graeme, just a question :

Here (Switzerland), in some places (states or towns) every owner as every tenant of a flat or an house has to subscribe a fire insurance either for the entire house or, for the tenant, for his furnitures and belongings. You can choose between a private insurance company of the state insurance. If you dont subscribe yourself, the state does it for you and you have to pay a penalty .Insurance primes are cheap. for instance, I pay yearly 0.175 % of the value of my furnitures. For an house, its even cheaper. Do you have such state supported insurances in Australia ? If not, you should !

Old bob

[Graeme]

Hi, old bob,

 

No, we don't have state sponsored insurance for homes. We do for motor vehicles, but that's mainly to help pay the other person in an accident that you're responsible for. It doesn't help you. To do that, and for any insurance for home and contents, you need to have private insurance.

 

And, yes, I've heard of at least one person who doesn't have insurance.... Unfortunately, insurance is one of the first things that goes in harsh economic times.

 

Current news reports are expecting the toll to pass 200. It wasn't that long ago that they were saying they expected the toll to pass 40....

 

I spoke to someone from the church last night who has lost his home. He was shellshocked. My wife spoke to her doctor, who has lost her home, dogs, cats and horses.

 

We're not 100% sure, because we didn't want to ask detailed questions, but it seems that one of the classmates of our youngest son lost her grandmother in the fires.

[AFriendlyFace]

Here (Switzerland), in some places (states or towns) every owner as every tenant of a flat or an house has to subscribe a fire insurance either for the entire house or, for the tenant, for his furnitures and belongings. You can choose between a private insurance company of the state insurance. If you dont subscribe yourself, the state does it for you and you have to pay a penalty .Insurance primes are cheap. for instance, I pay yearly 0.175 % of the value of my furnitures. For an house, its even cheaper. Do you have such state supported insurances in Australia ? If not, you should !

Old bob

 

This does sound like a good idea. I personally would also be in favour of something similar with flood/storm damage for the coastal regions of Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Mississippi, etc., especially after the last few years and the hurricanes and floods they've brought!

 

 

Graeme, Matty, JFalkon, et all,

 

I'm so very sorry for these terrible events and it's even more horrific knowing it might have been intentional

 

You folks stay safe and my thoughts and prayers are with you, and all the people of Victoria.

 

-Kevin

[JamesSavik]

This does sound like a good idea. I personally would also be in favour of something similar with flood/storm damage for the coastal regions of Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Mississippi, etc., especially after the last few years and the hurricanes and floods they've brought!

 

Many in South Mississippi had insurance at the time that Katrina struck and the insurance companies weaseled out of paying.

 

Insurance sounds like a good idea but let the buyer beware- they are in business to take your money and deny your claims if they can get away with it.

[Graeme]

Insurance sounds like a good idea but let the buyer beware- they are in business to take your money and deny your claims if they can get away with it.

They are, however, vulnerable to publicity. The ones here have obliquely been warned -- don't be stingy, or find yourself getting lots of bad press.