Victorian Fires

[old bob]

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.

Thats why State controlled insurances are often better than private ones !

[kojaky]

My condolences to the family who lost their loved ones. How I wish the California rain here burn out the fires in Victoria. Keep safe.

[Graeme]

My condolences to the family who lost their loved ones. How I wish the California rain here burn out the fires in Victoria. Keep safe.

Thanks The confirmed death toll is now over 170 and they're expecting it to go over 200. But it wasn't that long ago that they expected it go over 40....

 

The Healesville Sanctuary, north east of Melbourne, is a great tourist attraction for overseas visitors because it's almost completely Australian native animals. My avatar photo was taken there. Because of a fire in that region, they have evacuated all of their endangered species (including, in some cases, eggs) to Melbourne Zoo.

 

There are just so many stories on the newspaper websites here that I don't know what to pass on. I think I'll just quote a letter to the editor from The Age Newspaper:

 

UNTIL this weekend, few Victorians would even have heard of Strathewen. For 10 years I was the principal of the small school and I learned to love these people.

 

On December 19, a dear friend and the heart and soul of the Strathewen community was diagnosed with cancer. The community rallied to provide support, with a fund-raiser to be held at the hall on February 22. Companies from across the state made donations, all stored at the school.

 

On Saturday, I sat with my friend at Warringal Hospital as she underwent chemotherapy. We received bulletins that her house and car were gone; the school, with the thousands of dollars of donations, was gone; the local hall was burnt to the ground; and, in fact, few homes in the area were left standing.

 

Reeling from this, we have had the devastating news of the deaths of much-loved school families and pillars of the community.

 

My friend, with only the pyjamas she is wearing, has accepted the loss of all her possessions, given thanks that her husband and children survived and grieved for lost friends. I can only hope that she and the other residents of Strathewen have the courage and strength to rebuild their great community.

 

Margaret Hirth, Rosanna

Edited February 9, 2009 by Graeme

[Librent]

Hi Graeme, I live in S Aus and have been watching and reading the reports of the fires in Vic and was horrified and saddened to find out that the fires appear to be deliberately lit. I can understand fires that are caused by natural causes eg lightening strike but for someone to light a fire especially at this time when we are in drought conditions is almost beyond my comprehension. Hopefully you,your loved ones and the wider community that you live in stay safe and can heal from this devastation.

[Graeme]

Thanks, Librent!

 

I'm safe, but there are a lot of people around here who fled from Kinglake (which is why I keep mentioning it so often -- even though there are fires in other parts of the state that have also caused loss of life and property). I spoke to a couple yesterday....

 

I'm sorry, but I should have thought of this before. ABC Radio (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) has been providing non-stop bushfire news since Saturday. You can listen online from the ABC website. At the bottom of the page is a link for a live stream of 774 ABC Melbourne.

 

The good news is that they have just announced that they are currently no urgent alerts in the state. I hope that continues.

[Librent]

Thanks for the links Graeme. I have rellies that live around Warrendyte Dandenong (think spelling is OK)and remember what they went through in 83 Ash Wednesday. Just heard that they have relaxed the roadblocks around Kingslake so residents can go back to see if anything is salvageable.

[Procyon]

I also read about someone who didn't have insurance -- a woman with two kids whose husband had died 8 years earlier. They lost everything in the fire, including the photos of her dead husband (the kids' dad).

 

I really hope people like her get some kind of recompensation. And frankly, I thought insurance companies would claim that this was force majeure and not pay anything to anyone...

[Graeme]

I also read about someone who didn't have insurance -- a woman with two kids whose husband had died 8 years earlier. They lost everything in the fire, including the photos of her dead husband (the kids' dad).

Unfortunately, they aren't alone. There will be a moderate number of people without insurance, for one reason or another.

 

I really hope people like her get some kind of recompensation. And frankly, I thought insurance companies would claim that this was force majeure and not pay anything to anyone...

This has been discussed on the radio, and the announcer made the blunt point that an insurance company makes money by not paying out on claims. However, at least one insurance company came on to say that they will pay out. They can't do anything about people who are under-insured (another major problem), but they will meet their obligations.

 

The situation is complex when it comes to homes, because building insurance typically says that the building will rebuilt, even if it turns out to be a bit more than the estimated value, or they can just take the money it was insured for. What is the best way forward is something that needs discussion.

 

As for the contents, the radio announcer made the comment that it's almost impossible to remember everything that was in a house and wanted to make sure that victims wouldn't be pressured to sign claims that state that no further claim could be made. He was assured that they wouldn't be.

 

Another radio announcer made the comment that it is almost impossible to understand what "lost everything" really means. You want to hammer in a nail -- where is the hammer? Where are the nails? Everything means everything and there is just so much that you don't realise you don't have until you go to use it.

 

Fire is usually not excluded from Australian insurance policies, unless they were deliberately set by someone living at, or owning the property.

 

On that last subject, out of the six major fires here, four have been cleared of being deliberately set, but two are considered suspicious, including the one that destroyed Marysville, where it is estimated 100 people have died, and the one in the Gippsland area where 21 people have died.

 

The fire that destroyed a few homes in Narre Warren was started by human action, but that one appears to be stupidity, not malicious. From what I heard, someone was using a tool that generated sparks (I think it was an angle grinder) on a Total Fire Ban day when they're banned. They'll be charged.

 

There have also been cases where some smaller fires have been deliberately lit, but were put under control quickly.

[Graeme]

For those who are cynical about human nature: Strangers step in to rescue Flowerdale wedding

 

The part that really got to me was the last line. It's the people who give without wanting anything in return that show how generous humanity can be.

[Graeme]

As it is beginning to look like the fires are being brought under control, I thought I'd give an update.

 

Homes lost: 1830

People homeless: 7000 estimated, of which 3000 are living at emergency relief centres scattered around the state

Area burnt: over 440,000 hectares. That's more than a million acres.

Lives lost: 181, but they still expect that to rise, with some estimates exceeding 300.

 

They have someone they are expecting to charge for deliberating lighting one of the fires that ended up taking a confirmed 21 lives (so far).

Edited February 13, 2009 by Graeme

[Palantir]

Hi there Graeme and others,

I registered with Gay Authors a couple of days before the fires hit and then the internet went down in my town which is Healesville.

I've only got the net back today or I would have contributed more.

We still have fire burning close by and though the major threat has been downgraded it's by no means over.

My own home is relatively safe, though my vehicle is still packed with belongings ready to evacuate if need be. Not so for people in Chum Creek, which is only a few kilometres away where thirty some houses were burnt down.

At yesterdays count there were 90 large earthmoving pieces of equipment bulldozing a major containment break round the threatened outskirts of the town and firefighters are still arriving from all over.

Further into the ranges a complete township (Marysville) was razed to the ground.

According to the official fire fighting authority's website there were over 60 fires burning in the state today (much reduced from the over 400 total of the first horror day). Most of them are small and classified as safe or contained and no communities are under direct threat.

Rain is like a forgotten event here.

I'm letting off a bit of steam here.

Iarwain.

[Graeme]

Hi, Iarwain

 

Welcome to GA. I wish it could have been in easier circumstances....

 

I've been keeping an eye on the situation in the Healesville area because it seems to highest risk fire in our area. That's not to downplay the other fires, but it's the one closest to home.

 

I'm glad you're okay, but I'm sure you'll know people who have been affected. I know I do....

[AFriendlyFace]

Welcome to the site Iarwain, I'm sorry things have been so rough in your area and I'm glad it looks like the major threat is over. Take care and good luck,

 

Kevin

[jovian_w2002]

Take care Iarwain And welcome to GA

[AFriendlyFace]

What is the general condition now? Have things settled down? What are they projecting the damage and loss to be? Timeline on recovery?

 

Just curious and concerned

-Kevin

[Palantir]

Thanks for the thoughts Graeme, AFriendlyFace(Kevin) and Jovian.

Yes, things have quietened down a great deal, at least from the view of the public. There was a tragic loss of one of the firefighters when a limb of a tree fell on him.

The firefighters never stop as they try to contain the major outbreaks. There are over 300 fire trucks and appliances and 90 bulldozers working on the big fire in Melbourne's water catchment area to the east and north of the town.

Yesterday when the smoke cleared for a while about ten fires were plainly visible, but burning in areas that don't directly threaten the town.

 

I don't know how a timeline for recovery could be set Kevin.

The death toll is over 200 now and the authorities have finally started saying it might not rise by much more.

It appears to me that the various government and community services have been moving heaven and earth to pour help and support into the devastated areas. There are huge restraints to overcome though with every single death requiring proper investigation as well as decisions to be made about whether it's even safe for some of the communities to be rebuilt in their current locations.

 

Iarwain.

[Graeme]

As with these things, the old crisis areas are now largely quiet, but there are new areas of concern. Nowhere near the peak of activity that was reached almost two weeks ago, but there are still fires burning out of control. The main major fire new Melbourne itself is, as Iarwain said, in the Healeville area to the north-east of Melbourne. There's also a fire burning out of control in the Wilson's Prom. National Park, but that's not currently threatening anyone. The main concern there is that there are storms being forecast (some will be only wind storms, unfortunately), and that could blow the fires in new directions, as well as re-energising fires that have been burning down.

[Drewbie]

As with these things, the old crisis areas are now largely quiet, but there are new areas of concern. Nowhere near the peak of activity that was reached almost two weeks ago, but there are still fires burning out of control. The main major fire new Melbourne itself is, as Iarwain said, in the Healeville area to the north-east of Melbourne. There's also a fire burning out of control in the Wilson's Prom. National Park, but that's not currently threatening anyone. The main concern there is that there are storms being forecast (some will be only wind storms, unfortunately), and that could blow the fires in new directions, as well as re-energising fires that have been burning down.

 

Good to hear it's better a little bit better.

 

[Varrsinn]

Hey Graeme man. Just letting you know us in the west are thinking about you guys over in Vic. Lots of events and activitys going around to raise money.

 

Incase anyone else was interest current death toll stands at 209. thats alot of ruined lives... My heart goes out to them.

[Graeme]

Hey Graeme man. Just letting you know us in the west are thinking about you guys over in Vic. Lots of events and activitys going around to raise money.

 

Incase anyone else was interest current death toll stands at 209. thats alot of ruined lives... My heart goes out to them.

Thanks, Varrsinn!

 

I'm constantly amazed and proud by my fellow Australians, and how generous they are at this time. Even people affected by the floods in Queensland have been donating to help those in Victoria. Farmers, who are generally doing things tough due to the drought, have donated feed, goods and even stock so the farmers who were burnt out by the fires can restart.

 

Thanks again. Even though it hasn't affected me personally, I know people who have been, and on their behalf, thank you

[Tiger]

These are some more images that a friend of mine gave me. After all this time, these fires are still consuming.

[Graeme]

Until we get a decent rain, the major fires will continue to smoulder, and flare up when the wind picks up. And that doesn't count the new fires that have started.....