australia fires

japanesebaby · February 10, 2009, 10:08:10

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7878106.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7878106.stm

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."

:(

feebee42 · February 10, 2009, 10:56:07

Yes, it's truly awful - and I'm worried sick about Scatcat! :(

dsanchez · February 11, 2009, 11:03:40

feebee, got any news from Scatcat?

feebee42 · February 11, 2009, 12:36:27

No!

I have no idea if she's OK, and I'm really worried.
She hasn't replied to my messages or mail, so maybe her computer's offline.
I really, really hope everything is all right with her. :(

Hero · February 12, 2009, 09:25:00

When i heard about these fires i thought of Scatcat too. I hope she's okay :(

dsanchez · February 12, 2009, 09:32:53

According to our googlemap we have in that area to Billee, kissingcrimson, scatcat, zyxibule and nebajn

http://curefans.com/index.php?action=googlemap

Hope everyone is fine (!)

NRP, any update on the situation?

dsanchez · February 12, 2009, 09:34:41

According to the BBC map
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7878106.stm

and the location of our members
http://curefans.com/index.php?action=googlemap

they should be fine, hopefully. Still worried about the people in danger zones.

nausearockpig · February 12, 2009, 09:38:51

from memory Scatcat is in Melbourne proper, so she's not near the fires..

it's a f*cking tragedy though, it seems that some of the fires were deliberatly lit.. hopefully the culprits will be caught and "something" will happen to them in jail... fuckers

it's really bad, the devastation is terrible, the loss of life immense. aside from the human lives lost, there's claims that a million animals may have perished in the fires..

people died in their cars as they tried to escape the fireballs.

just terrible....

feebee42 · February 12, 2009, 12:40:47

It's just heartbreaking. I can't understand how some people could be so cruel and stupid by setting fires like that.
The thought of all those folk losing their homes and their families, and the poor animals burning made me cry.
But here is a story with a happy-ending for a koala today, which made me smile:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1141662/Australians-comfort-badly-burned-koalas-best-friends-surviving-bushfires.html

(Just copy the link and paste to read it.)

I too hope everyone is safe.

japanesebaby · February 12, 2009, 13:33:48

Quote from: feebee42 on February 12, 2009, 12:40:47
It's just heartbreaking. I can't understand how some people could be so cruel and stupid by setting fires like that.
The thought of all those folk losing their homes and their families, and the poor animals burning made me cry.

i was just thinking the same today. it's awful, not just all the lives homes lost but also the massive damage it's done to the nature and environment.

Quote from: feebee42 on February 12, 2009, 12:40:47
But here is a story with a happy-ending for a koala today, which made me smile:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1141662/Australians-comfort-badly-burned-koalas-best-friends-surviving-bushfires.html
[/quote]
just read about this too in the paper while going to work this morning:
here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyA7lJI_gF8

i hope everyone's safe too.

nausearockpig · February 12, 2009, 23:46:05

Bushfires are a natural part of the Australian bush lifecycle. Meaning that they are sparked naturally by lightning and nature rebuilds in time. But these wanton acts of destruction or accidental stupidity are NOT easy to recover from.

japanesebaby · February 13, 2009, 11:41:37

Quote from: nausearockpig on February 12, 2009, 23:46:05
Bushfires are a natural part of the Australian bush lifecycle. Meaning that they are sparked naturally by lightning and nature rebuilds in time.

that's right of course. many species around the world are actually dependent on regular fires in order to reproduce, (like some plant seeds which won't "wake up" unless they are exposed to the extreme heat of the bush fire first).

there's been some news of an arrest today:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,492124,00.html

scatcat · March 03, 2009, 17:25:39

hey you guys.. I am back online for now.. I am totally in awe of the topic here, and the worldwide reaction!

It has been THE HOTTEST YEAR IN MY LIFE TIME. ( and the hottest on record since settlement !) Like walking into an oven.. and breathing in smoke for days

I am fine. I have yet to contact other Aussies.. but I will hope to reach them soon, or maybe they can pop in and say a few words!

I had no idea, until feebee tried to contact me,

that the world was aware of the devastation occurring here. I love the Australian bush. I was bred and brought up in our 'wilderness" ( we call it 'bushland' here) I love our tree-fern gullies, our sweeping plains, rugged mountain ranges.. ( some words are from 'Our Sunburnt Country' ) The Aboriginal People, the Keepers of this Great Land.. knew how to look after this country.. constant in drought, and floods.. the Aboriginal People used fire to burn lands, for encouraging new growth, and to bring animals to fresh feeding grounds, and, most importantly, a lot of Native Australian Flora.. ONLY seed, or flower after fires..

Quote from: nausearockpig on February 12, 2009, 23:46:05
Bushfires are a natural part of the Australian bush lifecycle. Meaning that they are sparked naturally by lightning and nature rebuilds in time. But these wanton acts of destruction or accidental stupidity are NOT easy to recover from.

It is the most unfortunate times of the last few decades which have truly led to these tragedies. State Governments have continually not 'back-burned' , therefore leaving MANY TOWNS and COMMUNITIES TRAPPED. We have suffered many years of drought, which is our Country's pattern. "Droughts and flooding plains" As we endure the most extreme heat , possibly in the world, our most Northern State, Queensland, is in extreme flooding. .. and to our west, in Western Australia, tropical cyclones!!

So much so that our interior lake, Eyre, has been filled ONLY for the 3rd time in our Country's settlement history ( 200 years)
I love the 'Bush'. I love camping. It is such tragedies that actually stun most of us here. For example.. Marysville.. a lush, green, tree-ferned gully , a haven for bush-walkers and campers... GONE.
Wilson's Prom.... my first real school camping trip was here.. now under fire threat.. a magical place where freshwater meets saltwater on the beach.. acres of native bushland.. GONE.
.. I cannot continue on naming the communities devatsted .. it is so far-reaching.

Watching a special episode of R.S.P.C.A. in connection with the fires.. had me hysterically crying.. native animals,cattle, sheep, dogs, and especially cats... distressed me sooo much, I can no longer bear to watch T.V. about the fires and the casualties ( animals just cut me so much) Kangaroos, Wombats, Horses, Birds, and many , many native and endangered animals.... just lost.

There are heros, of course, the C.F.A., the fire Brigades, BUT, some of the fires HAD been lit by arsonists... MURDERERS!!

Finally today, a slight reprieve.. a pouring of rain.. not much, but a tease. I just hope that the rest of this Great State got a trickle of this rain. God knows they need it.

I would like to thank you all for the concern. It is humbly appreciated.

We will survive, that is what we do. After all.. we are just a convict settlement and leftovers.. right??

feebee42 · March 03, 2009, 18:07:12

Beautifully written, Scatcat!
I'm just so glad that you're OK.

Hope our other members are too...

scatcat · March 03, 2009, 19:55:37

Quote from: feebee42 on March 03, 2009, 18:07:12
Beautifully written, Scatcat!
I'm just so glad that you're OK.
Hope our other members are too...

Thanx feebee.. it is so hard for me to construct proper sentences!

Most schools and communities/sporting/musicians are holding events to raise money and awareness.. get this.. yesterday I got an sms from 'Telstra'- via the Victorian Police, alerting of the extreme fire danger.. a few weeks too late!!

.. the day my son started school in Feb. , was 46 degrees plus hot wind.. he came home , with heat stroke. .. No extreme warnings on this day and the following week. My son suffered heat exhaustion, and respiratory irritation.. even though he is lucky to attend a 'private' school on scholarship.. at least 90% of the class rooms have no airconditioning, and to top it off, we had power blackouts- no electricity , some suburbs for many days!

As part of the human race.. we are all united. I would like to thank all of you out there, who are concerned and offer compassion, and support for us here.
For the lives lost and the total devastation.

Although I cannot speak for all Australians..
but from my heart.. thanks for thinking and remembering us Down Under.