Up to 116 dead now

 

Unfortunately you are dead right. It is like fighting nature herself.

Our biggest problem with fires in the more arid regions of the world, is that they are a natural occurrence.

Lightning is the cause of the most destructive wildfires, while people start more wildfires, they are usually much more contained.

My prayers are with those who have been affected by this tragic event.

 

WHITTLESEA, Australia – Suspicions that the worst wildfires ever to strike Australia were deliberately set led police to declare crime scenes Monday in towns incinerated by blazes, while investigators moving into the charred landscape discovered more bodies. The death toll stood at 130.

Officials believe arson may be behind at least some of the more than 400 fires that tore a destructive path across a vast swath of southern Victoria state over the weekend. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, visibly upset during a television interview, reflected national disgust at the idea.

"What do you say about anyone like that?" Rudd said. "There's no words to describe it, other than it's mass murder."

Police have sealed off at least two towns — Marysville and Kinglake — where dozens of deaths occurred — setting up roadside checkpoints and controlling access to the area.

Victoria Police Commissioner Christine Nixon said specialist fire investigators were on the ground at one fire site, in Churchill, east of Melbourne, and would go to others.
Kinglake is "where the most deaths are, but wherever a death has occurred we investigate that as a crime," Nixon told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Anyone found guilty of lighting a wildfire that causes death faces 25 years in prison in Victoria. However, a murder conviction could result in a life sentence, said federal Attorney General Robert McClelland.

At least 750 homes were destroyed. Officials said both the tolls of human life and property would almost certainly rise.

Stunned survivors were gathering at dozens of emergency relief centers at town halls and schools.

At the town of Whittlesea, 7 miles (12 kilometers) west of the Kinglake region, survivors sat in the dirt outside, accepting cups of coffee and sandwiches being handed out by volunteers. Others hugged each other with tears in their eyes.
Australian Red Cross officials were compiling lists of survivors to make it easy for family members to track them down. The Red Cross said more than 4,000 people had been listed across the state.

Jack Barber said he fled his house in Pheasant Creek with his wife and a few belongings on Saturday and spent the night on a sports field dodging flames that licked at them from different directions as wind gusts blew them closer.
They drove out of the disaster zone on Sunday.

"There were dead horses, live horses, kangaroos bouncing down the road with flames at their back. It was horrific," Barber said.

Victoria state Premier John Brumby on Monday announced a royal commission would be held. A royal commission is among the highest-level investigations that can be called under Australian law. Usually, a former judge is appointed to take extensive evidence and make formal findings that can lead to charges or changes in the law.
While weather conditions have eased since Saturday's inferno, more than one dozen fires still burned in Victoria and gusting winds threatened to fan them toward towns not previously hit. Forecasters said temperatures may rise again later in the week.
Blazes have been burning for weeks in the southeastern state of Victoria but turned deadly Saturday when searing temperatures and wind blasts created a firestorm that swept across the region. A long-running drought in the south — the worst in a century — had left forests extra dry and Saturday's fire conditions were said to be the worst ever in Australia.


From the air, the landscape was blackened as far as the eye could see. Entire forests were reduced to leafless, charred trunks, farmland to ashes. The Victoria Country Fire Service said some 850 square miles (2,200 kilometers) were burned out.

Only five houses were left standing out of about 40 in one neighborhood of the hard-hit Kinglake district that an Associated Press news crew flew over. Street after street was lined by smoldering wrecks of homes, roofs collapsed inward, iron roof sheets twisted from the heat. The burned-out hulks of cars dotted roads. A church was smoldering, only one wall with a giant cross etched in it remained standing.
Residents were repeatedly advised on radio and television announcements to initiate their so-called "fire plan" — whether it be staying in their homes to battle the flames or to evacuate before the roads became too dangerous. But some of the deaths were people who were apparently caught by the fire as they fled in their cars or killed when charred tree limbs fell on their vehicles.

 

WOW..Im sorry for the losses all of those families have had due 2 this fire...All of which r in my prayers and heart.....I hope that the Fire Departments can get all of this under control as soon as possible....:rose:

 

Fucking fire bug cunts.

 

I cried when i saw it on the news, we have friends who live in Austrailia, havent heard from them, we are worried. Our prayers and hearts go out to every one who lives there. mrs d

 

I'm just shocked that all of that happened. I'd never heard of something so horrific, so when it came on the news I was really confused. Wildfires are dangerous, but "raining fire" just sounds beyond possible.

I hope that all of our Aussie members made it out alright. I can only hope that my old exchange student friends are safe.

 

173 and rising

The death toll is now 173 and rising. Whole towns have been wiped out. Many more will be found dead in the 100s of 1000s hectares burnt. Worst still many fires still rage and threaten all in the paths. Raining fire is ember attack. When gums trees which are high in volatile oils, some 80 meters high explode, it shoots embers high into the air and these can travel for 20 kilometers and more. One guy on the news who escaped with just his clothes on his back was watching the fires/smoke on the horison some 20 kilometers away when all of a sudden he was under ember attack. Some of these embers are chunks of burning wood. Minutes later his house was burnt to the ground. Luckily the weather is cooler and will be so for at least 5 days, but when the heat returns one wonders what will happen.
Mars

 

As Mars has said an ember attack is just like it is raining fire. The Eucalyptus trees (Gum) are extremely volatile and when it is warm they give off an oil that is highly flammable. So when the fire come along in a forest it travels through the tops of trees and generates its own weather system.
The updrafts from the heat can throw leaves, bark and bits of timber up to 20 k's down wind or because the updrafts are swirling around can throw it up to 5-10 k's right angles to the main font. This is one reason so many people have been caught as the fire came in from up to 3 fronts and swamped them. Nowhere to go. You can not stop something that is travelling over 100k's an hour and is 80' high.

 

its suspected it wasnt an accident if im correct

 

189 and rising

The death toll is now 189 and will rise as some of the areas burnt still havent been checked as yet. The fires were so hot [they 1200 degrees] some times there is nothing remaing to be able to identify the dead. Over 1 million acres burnt so far and rising. About 1800 houses burnt plus lots of cars etc. The scenes on the news are terrible as are eye witness accounts of what happened. On that day one couldnt drive fast enough to get away from the fire. Spot fires from ember attack surrounded whole towns and there was no escape. Many of the fires still burn and if we get more hot weather and wind off they go again. Which will mean more houses and maybe more people. Our water supply is also at risk from contamination. They have caught one guy [pedolfile as well] who will be jailed for 25+ if convicted. He should be executed but sadly we dont have that option in AU. Other fires were lit by other firebugs and also lightening caused some. Others were already alite before the bad day. Maybe now they will do fire reduction/backburning like they used to do and build houses that cant easily burn.
Mars

 

unfortunately mars, the greenies wont let backburning happen. a nessecary natural thing isnt allowed to happen because some pollies think its killing "mother earth" or some shit. makes me sick to the stomache when they tell us we cant backburn on major scales.. then expect all us fireys (im a member of the NSW RFS) to save their homes when these desastrous fires happen. but, we're just little people.. what do we know
(im often wrong.. dont quote me but im pretty sure thats how it works.. my apologies if im incorrect)

last i heard, all of the NSW RFS stations in my area are trying to pool together as much money as possible to send down to you guys.. my prayers are with you all..

if i hadn't spent a week in hospital just now i'd be down there fighting with you...

 

Keepsake on this occasion you are incorrect, it has nothing to do with the greenies when it comes to backburning, they're getting the blame because they protest the loudest. The Greenies don't have the power to decide wether we can or can not backburn, they can only voice thier opinions.

The first people to ask why there's no backburning is The Department of Sustainability in each state, but they aren't entirely to blame because for them to act they have to get a request from the local council or fire authority in each area to do backburning. Though we can't blame them either because of red tape and paperwork. By the time they put in a request to do backburning 12 months could have passed before it's approved as it has to filter through umpteen departments.

Forest management should have it's own department and they should consult with the traditional owners of Oz, the Aborigines, they did maintain Oz for 60,000 years before the white man turned up to fuck things around.

We've all gotta hope that from the tragedy that's happened in Victoria with these fires that this time we learn and change policies to maintain our forests better, design houses that are more resistant to fires, people who live in forest areas have to do firefighting courses, home and community fire bunkers to be compulsary and any other decision the Royal Commision comes up with.
We had a chance to change things after Ash Wednesday, but we didn't, just went back to the same old ways.

 

Oh, no, and I agree with the other posts too, terrible and
I hope our members here are safe too, and my thoughts and prayers go out to those affected. Hopefully some cooler weather will come along to help too.

 

I posted a more recent update about them having a suspect and about 190 people have died.

 

Lioness the toll has now grown to 208......and hasn't finished, it could be weeks before we know what the final death toll will be.

 

that is sooooooo sad!!!

 

The Death toll has actually risen recently, from burns victims dying in hospital from their injuries.

Also very sad, one of the Volunteer Fire Fighters was killed on Tuesday.
Last count was over 200 now not sure of the exact number though.

My heart goes out to all those in Victoria.

ChinaGirl

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Hello to everyone in this thread
I live in Adelaide South Australia and have heard the death toll is up to 200+ and I seen it on the news.
Death toll could rise even more, will keep U posted
View attachment just 1 photo I found

 

thanks 69magpie.. i didnt think i was right lol

the aborigines backburned for years before white people came... what does that tell you lol