Fires in Australia

[Aussie Mike]

I just spoke with Guy again. He's back to it at 5:30 tomorrow morning. They are trying to get containment lines secure before more hot weather this weekend.

He's part of a team with 5 trucks and a 4x4 ute suport vehicle carrying 3 blokes to coordinate the Strike team. This is very much a team effort with guys relying on each other to protect their backs. Even though it's nearly all voulunteer fire fighters they take it very seriously. CFA is a big part of many country peoples weekly activities and way of life.

I also found out a bit more about the Caterpillar. They driver was overtaken by the flames as he tried to drive out. He quickly crawled underneath the machine and wraped himself in a blanket when the fire hit. He thought he was a gonner and was very lucky to survive. I reckon the sheer bulk of metal in the machine saved his life by shielding him from the intense heat.

Come home safe fellas.

Cheers

[khansmith]

I am sending hopes and prayers to all of you down under. I am so sorry for this horrible fire.

[BMK]

For those people whom are sending PM's thanks.

The toll to date at 0830 today.

81 missing

181 dead

55 in hospital with 22 of those in a critical/danger stage.

The community is raising many dollars with an appeal just reaching $50 million. With many dollars still needed.

[ROUSHAC]

We had a fire in the Adirondacks back in 1962 when there was a drought in the area. They thought that The Northway (Interstate 87) would act as a firebreak. I remember that it leapt over parts of Interstate 87 (which was under construction at the time) like it was nothing. It finally burnt itself out.

I feel for you folks. Fires like yours are VERY scary. I hope the deaths and injuries don't go higher. You can always rebuild property, but people are irreplaceable. Good luck to all of you down under.

[BMK]

Here's an interesting fact from Adelaide Advertiser journalist Andrew Bolte todays paper.

Hope I get the details right - from memory

"... the temperature recorded during the fires was not the hottest we have experienced in Australia, it got to 47c in 1876 and fires on that day burnt out many more acres than these fires.



Mmmm my point is why are all the Green senators saying that this last fire was brought about by climate change when this was experienced over 130 years ago and it was far hotter and a lot more damage caused.

Fires are not new to Australians.

Mmmm must have been all the horses and cows that were on the roads contributing to the climate change and carbon emissions...

[Ron61]

Bernie,

I seriously doubt if climate change set those fires. Every year we have a few arson fires and until they say that is what they were, the GREEN GLOBS jump on the news with it is the climate changing that is causing them. Then when they learn they are arson fires they just fade away.

Ron

[BMK]

Ron61

Ron,

The Greenies' senators over here worry me a little.

There are scientists in universities working on all the climate issues in small offices the size of bathrooms. Today the government funding has seen them move to whole floors.



They are the same guys who told us Y2K was the end of the computer and we would be in trouble. Even my 12 year old next door neighbour at the time, asked the question.."how does a computer know what day it is or what a day is"?

... now the government are going to levy the farmers as their animals are contributing to global warming. You guessed it, they are all vegetarians these Greenies.

Mmmm send over Arnold..

[BMK]

I was amazed to hear that we still have one fire that is out of control and our fireman have been working to contain it. It's three weeks later and still going.

One farmer nearby has had his dams nearly drained to fight fires and he now faces a whole new issue of water shortage for stock. Boy they are doing it tough.

I did read that the Government will transport water in to compensate their use of his water..

Bernie

[Rob. Smith]

One of the problems leading up to this disaster was the build up of fuel...The local government prohibited the cleaning / collection of wood from along the roadside and severely restricted clean-up burn offs. ( save the habitat for the animals) It's nice to be Green and kind to the wild life but small fires don't hurt the creatures. Thes fires cooked them....literally.

[Ron61]

Rob,

We have much the same problem here except it is the tree huggers that refuse to let any of the dead underbrush be cleaned out. That is why every Summer you see the big fires in California.

Ron

[BMK]

Ron61

Ron

Same problem here but we do not call them tree hugers - The Department of Sustainability and Environment - The DSE.

Their big claim to fame is the amount of signs on the roadside and tracks into the bush advising not to remove undergrowth of cut of dead trees.

www.dse.vic.gov.au

Exciting read....

[Ron61]

Bernie,

There is a lot of the same rules that we have and if people would just follow them and use common sense it would help a lot. Our Tree Huggers don't even want fire roads cut into the canyons and mountains so the fire equipment can get in there, yet many of them live in isolated mountain homes and they have driveways which is ok. If our dam Media would quit paying any attention to them, they would for the most part go away.

Ron

[ac andy]

Hi guys, havent been on for a while. We are in Yarra Glen and the fires came too damn close for our liking. My wife and four kids were home on the Saturday night when the fires came through. I was desperately trying to get home from a limousine job in the city and drove through the fire on the way back into Yarra Glen. It is quite sad up here to see people walking around crying and in a daze with nowhere to go.

I got on a fire truck on the Thursday after the fires and we managed to get up to Kinglake. It looks like an atomic bomb has gone off up there.

As i type this, three weeks after the fires, the CFA siren is sounding again now.

Unfortunately it is not all over yet!

See you guys at Shelbyfest.

Andy.

[Ron61]

I saw in the news here that you could have some lightening and more fires and that they were warning people if that happens to not wait to long to evacuate. Did it happen? I haven't seen anything else after that report. We had over 1,800 lightening caused fires here last Summer but most of the people here got out as they are used to having to leave their homes almost every year. I won't have to worry now for another year or so as last Summers fires burned almost everything that is big around here.

Ron

[BMK]

Ron61

Ron

The coastal areas between Geelong where we have the city property and Apollo Bay are linked by the Great Ocean Road.

www.greatoceanroad.com.au

www.greatoceanrd.org.au

These areas are part of the Otway Forest - Ash Wednesday fires tore through there many years ago.

The fire staff are very worried about this area as back burning and burning off has been limited by the Department.

Livestock that eats all the under growth has been banned or limited in many of these areas.

I have a friend who runs cattle on a property that borders the State Forest in the Otways and he has had grazing rights removed - for God only knows what reason.

He now has run a 20m - 60 foot - clearing around that boundary as he is fearful that a fire will jump into his property.

Enquirieis that will be condusted will see some changes no doubt. The old shut the gate after the horse has bolted thinking...

[badrich]

To my friends Stiffy, Bernie and all the other Melbourne Cobra Club members I was happy to meet on my last visit Down Under, you are all in my thoughts. I hope you and yours have been personally spared from these terrible fires.

I know the yank dollars aren't worth a lot these days, but I'd like to donate some to help those affected by this disaster. Where would a safe place be to do my little bit? I'd rather avoid a big place like the Red Cross. Peace, Rich.

[LoBelly]

Originally Posted by badrich

To my friends Stiffy, Bernie and all the other Melbourne Cobra Club members I was happy to meet on my last visit Down Under, you are all in my thoughts. I hope you and yours have been personally spared from these terrible fires.

I know the yank dollars aren't worth a lot these days, but I'd like to donate some to help those affected by this disaster. Where would a safe place be to do my little bit? I'd rather avoid a big place like the Red Cross. Peace, Rich.

Hello Rich

It is very kind of you to think of those affected here.

Having looked at a number of collection points it appears that most of the donations are being funnelled into main fund overseen by federal & state governments an independant panel of community leaders

http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/bushfireappeal

To the extent that it is possible to know it appears that the Red Cross is as good a place as any, and safe in terms of the money getting through.

LoBelly

[BMK]

Badrich

Rich,

Long time since we spoke and met with you at the F1.

I was well away from the fires and in Geelong.