Victoria Ablaze

emergency services websites are overloaded.

The Age newspaper (national daily) are making their site available t for emergency information.

http://www.theage.com.au/

The week ahead does not bode well:




This is tragic. Right now, the death toll is now 76.

DP - so glad your still safe. I got a tad worried - how did so many people die? I lived through the Canberra fires where many who stayed said they could have saved more house if more people had stayed (lots of spot fires) but the Marysville/Kingslake look like staying was insane - were they given the choice?

I also tried searching the words 'bushfire' and 'state of emergency'.

It has been only 14 months since the fires on Kangaroo Island and 6 years since the disaster in Canberra. However, this loss of life is unexpected and horrific. I hope that all our 2kers there (and any other Victorians) wake up tomorrow a lot safer than today.

There was never really any option. The fire came so fast. Call it unlucky but Kinglake was uphill, the wind was almost galeforce, high temps and low humididity, all of this combined together.

No -one had advance warning that the fire was coming with the ferocity that it did.

Kinglake is/was almost a suburb of Melbourne with many retireees, weekenders and tree changers living their dream of a house nestled amongst the trees on their bush block.
Marysville was the same. The fire burned faster than you can drive trees exploding into flames ahead of the fire front.

The advice we are given is have a fire plan if you are going to leave leave early. If you are going to stay be prepared. Petrol driven pump own water supply and sprinkler system. Fuel such as mulch on gardens close to the house should be cleared away.

In the end one must realise that on its day (a day such as this) there is nothing that can be done, you just need to be lucky.

We are currently recieving a few spots of rain but we are not out of the woods yet.

That's terrible, what's happening!

Sure I wish you good luck, guys!

Have finally managed to make contact with my niece, who lives in Jindivik (Gippsland) & works in the area. Along with others, she worked frantically yesterday afternoon to get the dairy cows on one of her employer's farms to safety. They succeeded, but her employer's house, along with quite a number of other homes in the area, perished. She said it was the most terrifying thing she's ever experienced - the heat, wind, the noise & speed of the advancing fire. She's still pretty shaken today.
Have also managed to check on two other family members close to the fires in the Latrobe Valley area. Everyone's OK.
Very worried about an old friend I've not had contact with for a while who lives in Kinglake with her two little boys. Her house borders onto a forest reserve/park area. I'm hoping the three of them got out OK, because I wouldn't expect her home would have survived.

The death toll is now 84, with more expected.

This is so very, very sad to read.

Thinking of you all and hoping that there is no more loss of life. Such a tragedy.

Stay safe..... all of you... keep in touch when you can and let us know you are alright.

x

Has anyone heard from Margo at all. Deb, you said she's in a city - so I'm reckoning they will be safer there - but possibly with power outtage. Let us know if anyone hears from her. You OK Deb?

I'm in a whole other state

It's a big country

Margo lives in a huge city

She may be away for the weekend, too

I am so sorry for you people down there with the fires.
If only I could send you the rain we are getting in the north.
Have been flooded in for days and it's still raining.
Wow, talk about extremes.
Take care everyone, our thoughts are with you all.
bungie

just waking up.....over a hundred dead....yeah, send the water!

How far north Bungie? I'm in Cairns. I've been emailing water south all week.

What an awful horrific event. Someone asked if could have been predicited, and yes it could, but not exactly when or where with enough warning to make a difference.

Those who live in these areas, nestled in the beautiful bushland, are aware of the possibility that this could happen, and more or less live with that risk.
Much of the native ecosystem actually requires these events to occur.

So very sorry for those who have lost loved ones this weekend.
Lost everything to fire when I was about 13, but that was just stuff, nobody hurt, so I know the fear, but not the loss.

The red cross have launched an appeal:
www.redcross.org.au

Truly awful
Wishing you the best, if you are anywhere near this
(I am hoping to hear back from Olga - soon. If anyone has heard from her in the last several hours - please put my mind at rest )

126 and climbing

For latest report see here: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25027055-421,00.html?referrer=email

Olga lives in the capital Melbourne and will be safe surrounded as she is by brick and concrete.

I am beginning to think about defense here.

We are 1 hour by road from one of the fire fronts but protected by the mass of water called Lake Eildon, and a very large slice of country.

Fire could conceivably sweep to the south and north of us later in the week as temperatures rise and if south westerlies continue to blow. the real danger to us will be later in the week if the fire front sweeps to the north into the strathbogie ranges combined with a northerly wind shift it could spell real danger for me.