How are our friends down-under faring with the devastating fires? I've been through a couple here in the US west, and I don't wish that on anyone, let alone friends.

I heard dead toll was over 100 this morning,hope all is well with AR members from Victoria

Very heavy smoke over Melbourne, over 109 dead but this number sure to rise, most died with no warning of the fire and no time to get away......

128 and counting

my thoughts are with you all over there in this very sad time

quote:

Originally posted by MADNESS:
128 and counting

my thoughts are with you all over there in this very sad time

+1, its a staggering loss. Hope they catch the bastard's that are lighting them.

I'm on course at Wagga at the moment and this is the first time I've had access to a computer.Its a very sad time. Wagga is covered in smoke haze and its a few hundred K's away from the boarder!! Its scary to contemplate the scale of the fires.

Has anyone heard from our Victorian members??

Heard from one and have seen another posting on Australia hunting.net

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
Wagga is covered in smoke haze and its a few hundred K's away from the boarder!! Its scary to contemplate the scale of the fires.

We are getting the smoke haze here in NZ from the fire's


.

As posted on Nitro`s forum today.



Reged: 01/01/03
Posts: 1114
Loc: Melbourne/Victoria/Australia
Re: Hope all you Aussies are OK [Re: 500Nitro]
#126488 - 10/02/09 07:55 AM
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I am on the edge of that fire zone,all of those towns mentioned in reports are very close to me,we were warned to be prepared for ember attacks yesterday and last night.The air was full of black ash and charcoal that will last for months unless rain comes.

Fire preps and fire watch inhaling the constant thick smoke here is real shit....but we cannot complain as we have lost nothing unlike the thousands that have.


Being in a rural community amongst high hills has been three nights watching from high for more threatening outbreaks.

Yesterday we donated 60 large rolls of hay to try and alleviate farmers that have lost the lot,lots and lots more needed and any donations would help the Aussie communities.


There are many links set up to accept donations including direct bank deposits,please help....even if its only a fiver.

Anyone that has ever been exposed to the speeds of wildfire in our eucy bush will tell you how fast the fire spreads,crowning where the fire jumps from tree top ridges to the next one and the next and so on can have a fire appearing miles away in minutes....I had the experience of driving at 75 miles per hour ( yes MPH) with my wife as a fire outstripped us as it was alongside the road back in the big 80`s fire,yes it is incredible and hard to believe but thats the way it is.

A simple demo with a eucy branch held over a fire will soon show how quick as its virtually an explosion.

--------------------
Winter means deer hunting and deer hunting means SAMBAR

To donate to the Red Cross State Government Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund:

Visit www.redcross.org.au

Phone 1800 811 700

Go to any NAB, ANZ, Westpac or Commonwealth Bank branch

Go to any Bunnings store

Make a direct deposit to the Victorian Bushfire Relief Fund
BSB 082-001, Account number 860-046-797

Another appeal set up is the Myer Bushfire Appeal. All proceeds will go to the Salvation Army. Donate at any Victorian Myer store.

Good to hear from you John stay safe mate

Good to see you are OK John.
Back to work, got plenty of casualties to treat.
And another bad forecast...

i feel for those people. I wish i could go up and help with feeding firefighters, (but i know I'd only be in the way), or just offering a room to one of the now homeless people.
Heres a link so people can see the number of the different fires.
Fire map202009

The fatality count was 173 this morning and it will more than likely get higher. One report was 9 people perished in a house which was fitted with sprinklers inside the roof and was judged the safest. Mate was tasked with clearing a few houses, what he saw inside will haunt him a long time as entire families perished together.

Sad time all round.
Cheers...
Con

Every summer we have some big fires here in NW Patagonia, but not of that uge dimmention and with so many victims.
We all hope the fires could be controled or stoped !!
My Best

PH

as at 6am EST Australia fires are still burning and many places are under threat.

Over 180 people have been killed with the toll expected to go well over 200.

I`m sure many people from smaller countries may not realise that these fires are in a lot of inaccessible areas and are in many thousands of square miles and that increases the problems of containment,the fires will need constant attention for weeks,possibly months or until heavy rains come which are not due for a long time however.

All you Aussies are in our prayers. Stay safe and God bless.

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:
All you Aussies are in our prayers. Stay safe and God bless.

The emormaty of the fires can be appreciated when official figures after 4 days, indicate that 1.5 million acres, 1050 homes and over 180 people were burnt to death, in just 16 hours of pure hell. Nearly 5,700 are homeless.

The amount of support from AR members and those from many other forums is appreciated, and a testiment that we are one global community and compassion knows no bounds!

It is a horrible situation and a horrible way to die. Are there any ways to contribute to funds for the victims?

How is that these people are dying? Is the fire moving so fast that they have no time/no warning?

Do the authorities have any leads on the arsonist?

Larry note two posts of mine back.

Thanks.

I didn't read every post. I will send something today.

You can use a credit card as I did.
I pray for all down under.

You are champions,thanks Yanks,I dropped a couple of boxes of beer into our fire shed for the boys coming off the night shift this morning,cold ales for ashy/smokey throats

IT WAS EASY TO MAKE A DONATION AND TOOK ONLY 3-4 MINUTES.

I URGE ALL HERE TO DO SO.

Toll expected to exceed 300. As I write this the air is still pungent with smoke and I am about 100 Km away from the current fire fronts which continue to burn despite the lower temperatures. I am missing several friends, aren't listed with the Red Cross and have not contacted anyone in their circle of friends since Black Saturday. One of them was a very experienced fire fighter (CFA Captain ret)and if anyone could have survived an "ordinary" bushfire he would have. This fire was different, reported 8 to 10 times more heat output than an "ordinary" fire, 80000 Kw/m2 whatever that means, total output on that day said to be roughly equivalent to 500 Hiroshima blasts or about 10 megatons. Flash point of eucalypus oil is 49 C which was about the outside temperature in the shade that day. Blame being placed squarely in the green camp which have blocked preventative cool weather burnoffs to reduce fuel load. Interesting to note that the antihunting crowd is nowhere to be seen in saving injured wildlife.

Forgot to mention, they have arrested and charged a guy with arson and causing the deaths of 22 people (in one of the smaller areas affected). Also been charged with kiddie porn offences! It is rumoured he resisted arrest and had to be appropriately subdued.

quote:

Interesting to note that the antihunting crowd is nowhere to be seen in saving injured wildlife.

Ah yes where are they now ? Hiding under their beds the germs!

quote:

It is rumoured he resisted arrest and had to be appropriately subdued.

He will be more than subdued if guilty and the bend over brigade get to him while he is enjoying his own little hell called jail.


Reports say he is in a "fragile mental state"

Fragile? I should think so, facing 30+ consecutive life sentences...

Remember the High Court of Vic ruling a while back? Insanity is no longer a defence in Arson cases.