Australian Wildfires...

Bonedigger · February 08, 2009, 07:44:09 AM

To all of my Oz friends, While I've been out of pocket of late (job related) I would like to extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to those who've lost family and property in the recent horrific wildfires which are sweeping SE Australia. If there is a charity/collection online I would like to contribute to it.

Take Care and God Speed friends
Ben

Paint Your Wagon · February 08, 2009, 08:28:56 AM

On Flemish TV just now they said there are at least like 90 dead and that the fires were arson
So much so that some fires that were extinguished by the firebrigade were restarted a second time by the arsonist(s)
If cought they will be prosecuted for murder .
Sad thing is that it is probably an insurance swindle on a very large scale .
My sympaties to our Aussie knights for these dark times . I am afraid they will come to all of us

Triggersmob · February 08, 2009, 09:01:13 AM

Thank you for your thoughts.
The death toll is now up to 108 and rising.
With strong southerly winds expected over the next few days, I think the fire will be hard to control.
The good news is, the hot spell has ended and max temp of 21 due today. It will be a big relief for the fire fighters.
If they catch the arsonist(s) they should be burnt at the stake!!

Paint Your Wagon · February 08, 2009, 09:21:51 AM

Quote from: triggersmob on February 08, 2009, 09:01:13 AM

Thank you for your thoughts.
The death toll is now up to 108 and rising.
With strong southerly winds expected over the next few days, I think the fire will be hard to control.
The good news is, the hot spell has ended and max temp of 21 due today. It will be a big relief for the fire fighters.
If they catch the arsonist(s) they should be burnt at the stake!!

Burnt at the stake is too fast a death
They should be put over a little bambo plant that grows like 10 cm a day .
Or just flayed alive with care and fed water frequently .
Unfortunately in this times were German ex billionaires jump in front of trains there are scum that think to make an easy 100.000 by burning down their house and to look inconspicuous they burn down 100 other houses
I am glad your heat wave is over ; since the world is effed up . We are going to get snow for the third time this winter . I cannot remember this ever happening with a long warmer spell in between . After all we are a Northsea country with warm seabreezes .

TwoShadows · February 08, 2009, 12:15:43 PM

Being an ex-fireman I know how fast a ground fire can move. It is almost beyond belief trying to keep up in a fire truck, hoping you can get control, before it gets away from you. We here in the states have been watching our Aussies friends battle the blaze and deeply regret there have been so many lives lost. We see such blazes out west almost yearly but not with such a huge loss of life. And to think arson was the cause really turns my stomach as it was for money or fun. There are no other reasons to light that match. I do hope all our friends here are safe and sound and out of harms way and do wish the Aussies the strength to endure this level of a disaster.

CoinCrusader42 · February 08, 2009, 12:15:59 PM

Western Colorado has had numerous major fires, although our small town isn't in a wooded area, and is never in any forest fire danger. However we have had major overcast due to smoke and ash from nearby fires, and are well aware of the dangers involved.

Needless to say, we hope the Australian fire is contained soon, with no more loss of life.

Nevol · February 08, 2009, 12:41:27 PM

Go to this site to make a donation: http://www.redcross.org.au/default.asp

On 6th Feb I bought 2 coins from a seller on Ebay, his house was burnt down & he emailed me for my Bank details so he could refund the money. I replied saying a refund was not necessary. He & his family are OK, but they lost everything. I don't know him personally, but thought it was the least I could do to make life a little easier for him. It might buy them a couple meals.

This is his reply to me:

hello Nancy, thank you for your kindness. We are still in shock, its all a bit sureal, about 10 people we know died and another 10 are missing so there are people worse of than us! We have our cats and dog and our daughter in yr 12 had the wits to save her books and people have offered her a place to stay so she can go to school, she used to travel to Melbourne 1.5 hours by bus each way every day so that may be better for her, two of her friends from school lost their parents. We are now trying to figure our where to from here, God bless, Norm

This site has the latest news: http://www.news.com.au/

Yass · February 08, 2009, 01:57:52 PM

My mother is one of the lucky ones. She lives in Boolarra. The towns of Mirboo North are on either side of her. Churchill is really suffering. My mother evacuated about a week ago, and while I believe 11 houses surrounding Boolarra were destroyed, the actual small town itself was spared.

Mum is back home, but she sheltered with friends in Churchill at the time. Now Churchill is being destroyed.

This area of Gippsland has extensive open-cut coal deposits and plantations. Pray that it doesn't gain a hold in the mines.

Bonedigger · February 08, 2009, 02:00:12 PM

Thank you for the link. Although it ain't as much as (I hope) some big corporations might donate. It'll help some folks in need for they are my Celtic Brothers/Sisters...

Eringobraugh · February 08, 2009, 02:20:07 PM

"Google Australia engineers have created a Flash map to keep track of the deadly bushfires ravaging southeastern Australia and help reduce the traffic burden to official sites coordinating emergency services.

The fires, which have reportedly claimed more than 100 lives, are being tracked in real-time with information provided by the State of Victoria's Country Fire Authority via an RSS feed. The numbers on the map markers indicate the number of fires at that location and the colors represent the current containment status of that site (green represents safe, yellow for controlled, orange for contained, and red going).

"We hope that it's of some use to people who may be affected, to emergency services personnel, and that it takes some load off other websites which are being inundated," the team wrote in a blog posting. "The map certainly makes the scale of this disaster immediately apparent."

The team says it is working to incorporate additional information into the map, and also offers tips for Web site operators who want to embed the map on their sites. "

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10159214-2.html

CoinCrusader42 · February 08, 2009, 02:24:07 PM

I just watched the national news regarding the fires, and was amazed to learn that "the fire" has been as many as 700 of them, and the temperatures in some areas are over 100 F. Also, looks like the winds are a big factor.

Hope it's over soon, with no more loss of life.

Humpybong · February 08, 2009, 06:42:23 PM

What with bushfires in Victoria and floods in North Queensland.......Australia seems to be a disaster area at the moment.

Fires have now claimed over 130 lives and they expect that this could double.

Triggersmob · February 08, 2009, 10:01:23 PM

Quote

over 100 F

A couple of days ago, Melbourne actually had it's hottest day ever since recording began, 116 degrees.

CoinCrusader42 · February 09, 2009, 08:58:13 AM

That's amazing.

The only times I have experienced that kind of temperature was years ago when we drove down south of Phoenix, Arizona, and another time driving through Needles, California.

What causes that sort of heat in Melborne? Elevation? Desert area?

Anyway, that's hot!! It's currently 35 F here. Supposed to snow this evening.

Hope the fires are getting under control.

Sap · February 09, 2009, 07:26:35 PM

Quote from: CoinCrusader42 on February 09, 2009, 08:58:13 AM

What causes that sort of heat in Melborne? Elevation? Desert area?

Melbourne is at sea level, as are most of Australia's large cities.

Melbourne's weather (which, to us Queenslanders, always seems bizarrely unpredictable) is caused by the city being wedged in between the cold circumpolar waters of Antarctica and the hot, dry desert of Australia's red centre. When a high-pressure system hovers in just the right place, hot dry desert winds blast southwards, creating blast-furnace conditions. Once the system moves on, it might send cold, wet polar weather north towards Melbourne as it leaves.

Melbourne really is one of those "four seasons in a day" places.

tiddyathome · February 09, 2009, 07:45:46 PM

The fires are only 1/2 hour from the NSW border. Everyone is digging deep. People who cant really afford much them selfs are donating. little kid handed me his money box today containing $7.85 for fire victims.

Eringobraugh · February 10, 2009, 09:50:12 AM

Quote

The fires are only 1/2 hour from the NSW border. Everyone is digging deep. People who cant really afford much them selfs are donating. little kid handed me his money box today containing $7.85 for fire victims.

Its really amazing how people can be so giving and caring in an emergency!!!!!!

Humpybong · February 10, 2009, 10:30:37 PM

I agree....this shows more than that.

This koala has been burnt lightly on his bottom..........and in need of water

Look at the koala paw in the man's hand......remember this is a wild koala NOT tame

Triggersmob · February 11, 2009, 09:17:24 AM

Koala's are even flagging down cyclist to get a drink...

AdamL · February 11, 2009, 10:43:00 AM

Those are great pictures! I'm praying for the people of Australia, and the animals too.

Triggersmob · February 11, 2009, 09:13:18 PM

Estimates are, about 1,000,000 animals have died.

Humpybong · February 12, 2009, 08:56:12 AM

It is actually part of a video taken on a mobile phone. Should be the photo of the year.

Great to see something like this with all the horror and deaths at the moment.

GregK · February 12, 2009, 09:06:15 PM

Iâ€™ve been away from the system for a while on work conferences. As a Firie (not active now) I cringe at the thought that some of these fires may have been deliberately started.

Nevol · February 13, 2009, 07:27:08 AM

Yass sent me a heap of Koala/fire pictures from Victoria, but I don't know how to put them up for others to see.

Yass · February 13, 2009, 10:21:51 AM

Quote from: Nevol on February 13, 2009, 07:27:08 AM

Yass sent me a heap of Koala/fire pictures from Victoria, but I don't know how to put them up for others to see.

I believe they are attachments to the emails. You simply file/save the attachements to the hard drive and then upload them as per a normal picture.

Yass · February 15, 2009, 04:01:32 PM

The gallery and its scultures at this site were destroyed in the bushfire. Some may be recovered but its sad to see such art go up in smoke.

Art & Sculpture Garden

I'm having some trouble posting the URL link. It wont work properly. Have a look anyway, its well worth the effort.

Bonedigger · February 27, 2009, 05:37:16 AM

Quote from: OldDan on February 12, 2009, 02:14:59 AM

Humpy, the same picture of the firefighter giving water, was printed in our little home town news paper.

Same here Old Dan, same here...

CoinCrusader42 · March 04, 2009, 09:49:35 PM

Sometimes it seems as though Australia has more than its share of disasters.

I'm sure we all wish nothing but the best for our Aussie friends who were effected by the fires.

News

Bonedigger

Yass

Bonedigger

tiddyathome

Yass

Yass

Bonedigger