OT Prayers up for our Australian friends.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 6:52 am

Prayers for all those affected by this disaster.

At least 76 people have died in the worst bushfires in Australia's history.

Australia's deadliest bushfire, 76 dead

The fire storm tore through several towns north of Melbourne on Saturday night, killing people in their cars as they tried to flee or as they huddled in their homes.

Thousands of firefighters are still battling scores of fires in Victoria and New South Wales.

The previous worst bushfire tragedy was in 1983, when 75 people were killed in the "Ash Wednesday" fires.

Firefighters said at least 640 homes were destroyed in the fires across Victoria State so far this weekend, the vast majority in the worst-affected areas north of Melbourne.

Many of those confirmed dead were trapped in cars trying to flee one of the infernos.

Thousands of firefighters battled for a second straight day on Sunday to contain the blazes, which witnesses said reached four storeys high.

Fires are still burning across about 770 sq miles north of Melbourne, with towns remaining under threat.

Wildfires are a natural annual event in Australia, but this year a combination of scorching weather, drought and tinder-dry bush has created prime conditions for blazes to take hold.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said: "Hell and its fury have visited the good people of Victoria."

Pop Watts · Post by **Pop Watts** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:05 am

I cannot believe it.
We have had some furiously hot weather here in Sydney, but our mates to the South, in Victoria, have had it so much worse.
I have friends living in the Yarra Valley, just North East of Melbourne and I cannot contact them.
I hope and pray that they are safe.
To the North of Australia, where I grew up and most of my family still live, there have been huge floods caused by a tropical cyclone.(you blokes call them hurricanes) All of my mates and family are OK up in North Queensland, but I am still just shocked about the fires in Victoria.
It is 11pm now in Sydney and a cool change is just starting to come in, it will be 20 degrees Celcius cooler tomorrow than it was today!!!!!
Things can only get better.
Take care.
Pop.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:39 pm

Here is a Fox News link to the story:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,489705,00.html

My condolences to Australia's people.

Joe

Jaguarundi · Post by **Jaguarundi** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:12 pm

Godbless

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:35 pm

Prayers up.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:38 pm

prayers up.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:40 pm

Prayers up. Growing up in So California I have seen my share of wild fires scary stuff.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:08 pm

Prayers up!

Mike D. · Post by **Mike D.** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:45 pm

That's horrifying! We're praying for those unfortunate folks in OZ. I know how those fires run, too, having worked where families were cooked in their cars as the intense heat overran them while they tried to escape. Somewhere, I probably still have photos of vehicles with their melted aluminum engines running down the road. Some bodies were completely burned away and not recognizeable for what they were.

stuffy · Post by **stuffy** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:48 pm

your prayers are much appreciated

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:03 pm

Prayer said, and will continue to be. We had a bad fire season here last year, but it was nothing compared to what those folks are enduring.

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:04 pm

Prayers up.

brionic · Post by **brionic** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:22 pm

Sounds a lot like the Southern California wildfires - no wonder if the eucalyptus trees, which are native to Australia, are as abundant in the suburbs there as they are in SoCal.

My heart goes out to all of the people who have been caught in this disaster.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:37 pm

Mother Nature has been a harsh bitch lately.... Please accept my heartfelt sadness for those lost and hurt.

gundownunder · Post by **gundownunder** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:59 pm

Latest figures are, 108 people dead and still counting, and over 1 million acres burnt.

The really sad part is that many of the fires were apparently deliberately lit, and our governments dont have the grit to hang the mongrels when they catch them.

I'm on the opposite side of the country from Victoria and we are about to enter another hot dry spell of about 5 days so we expect some nasty fires over here too.

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:56 pm

prayers up. best of luck to all concerned.

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:49 pm

Prayer's for all of OZ. Sad, sad situation.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:18 pm

Prayers up indeed. Glad to hear that GDU is safe - hope our other fellow levergunners from the land down under, and their families, are safe as well. I wish your government would make a VERY CLEAR example out of anyone caught lighting these fires!!!

waz · Post by **waz** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:43 pm

Thanks all.
It's appreciated. I'm about half way between the floods and the fires but am sure those involved appreciate the thoughts and prayers.
W

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:12 am

At least "Mr." Howard can't blame gunowners this time.

Though he may try.

Any chance of sending Howard and a hand-picked selection of Parliment to the Front Lines?

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:16 pm

It's pretty grim at the moment down there

Looks like arsen too, if it is the fool must be feeling pretty sick now!

Nath.

model55 · Post by **model55** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:33 pm

Prayers up. Has anyone heard from Bruce Scott?

MikeS. · Post by **MikeS.** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:37 pm

Prayers up to all of you. I too lived in Calif. and was exposed to way too many wildfires. I read earlier tonight it is now upto 130 dead.

AU will no more execute the person(s) that started these fires then the US would. Both countries have lost their balls. That is about the only thing I think the Arab/Muslim countries do right. Legal punishment.

Aussie Chris · Post by **Aussie Chris** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:36 am

Thankyou for the prayers. It is really bad down here.

The past two days I have been up there at the Churchill fires and a lot of people have been affected.

Chris

HORACE · Post by **HORACE** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:24 am

Unfortunately, the toll will now exceed well over 200 as more areas are 'liberated'.
If there is any good news in all this it is that Police are very close to an arrest.

I also understand that the Victorian Police Commissioner has directed that wherever a deceased victim is discovered, the area is to be treated as a crime scene for forensic purposes.

Bruce Scott · Post by **Bruce Scott** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:32 am

Fellas,

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

We in the west have been spared but this is always a bad time of year

As of this morning the death count was over 174 and expected to rise. State and Federal govenments say arsonists will be charged with murder.

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:24 am

When they catch that arsonist I only hope he gets what he deserves.

Hagler · Post by **Hagler** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:11 pm

Aussie friends,

My heart goes out to you all.

Mad Max Movies:

http://www.madmaxmovies.com/madmaxfaq.html

...reports that Reg Evans has died in the fire. Reg was the Station Master in that movie:

The Daily Telegraph has a story, too:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 21,00.html

The Telegraph mentions a "partner", so TWO people actually died, there. How sad. Prayers said.

Shawn

Bigahh · Post by **Bigahh** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 5:59 pm

Terrible News! Wish there was something we could do to stop the fires!

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:17 pm

Best of luck from your Canadian cousins. Our prayers and thoughts are with you. May the guilty parties get thier just desserts. Not likely but we can hope.

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:07 pm

My prayers for all.

I heard one thing interesting on the new today. The Austrailian government is going to rethink allowing residents to choose if they will evacuate or stay and fight the fires. Apparently some chose to stay and stayed too long. So the government will step in to "protect" them.

Interestingly, California is now considering a program that will offer some level of training, and possibly some equipment (hoses and such) that would allow homeowners to stay and protect their property during wild fires. I'm just kinda curious if the state will continue looking into this or just let it quietly die. Should they continue and put the plan into practice, I can just see the law suits to follow. Why not only did the government not protect the homeowners, but gave them training and supplies that provided a false sense of security. The state must pay of course. Oh what a tangled web we have woven.

HATCHETTJACK · Post by **HATCHETTJACK** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:27 pm

i did a rain dance for em... prayers to all

Jacko · Post by **Jacko** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:44 am

Thanks to everyone for offering their prayers for the bushfire victims in Victoria . The death toll will top sadly top 200 with over 1 million acres of land burnt . There is still a few dozen fires burning that could turn nasty with a simple wind change . My heart is breaking , I have found myself in tears with the plight of these souls more often than an Aussie bloke wants to admit .

The radio has been full of tales of survival and all recount that the intensity , speed and heat of these fires there was nothing that anyone could have done regardless of how well prepared they or the authorities where .

I live 2000 kilometres north of the fires in Sth East Queensland in a semi urban enviroment North of Brisbane . In the last week with the floods up in North Queensland we have had a fatal crocodile attack and several drownings . Woke up to news of a near fatal shark attack in Sydney harbour on a Navy Clearance diver trying out new equipment .

A tragic week for Australia , but I have been deeply touched buy the spirit of the bushfire victims and generosity shown by my fellow Australians and your heartfelt concern for the bushfire victims . Would you believe that many folks up North who have been floodbound for weeks and have lost much personnel property are donating their disaster relief funding to the Victorian bushfire victims , I can't fathom the generosity .

regards Jacko

the telegraphist · Post by **the telegraphist** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:15 am

Thanks to all for your prayers and fine words. The sad fact is the perps of some of these fires will get a jail term, not life for the rest of their natural life. My relo's are safe in the state of Victoria, but who knows what tomorrow brings. At present fires are still burning but it is cooler. The coming weekend will be another trial, temps are predicted to again rise to the forties centigrade as another blocking high comes across the Australian Bight.
Now tails of the true Aussie spirit are coming through from Victoria, one such sounds small but it is big. Firefighters came across a person walking along the road with burnt feet after having no time to don shoes before fleeing their property, one firefighter took off his socks to give to the person, he went on to fight fires in just boots, for another 48 hours. The Aussie spirit I just love, cant remember the name of the song, but the words go like I GET KNOCKED DOWN BUT I GET UP AGAIN.
There will be enquiries at a Royal Commission level into these fires, I just hope the pollies dont turn it into a blame game. The intelligence that comes out of the commission will place everyone hopefully in a much stronger position to deal with another similar event. It will happen again, its the nature of this great land. The land of drought, fire and flooding rains. All three are alive and well at this time.

The Telegraphist.

gundownunder · Post by **gundownunder** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:30 am

Have a look on the internet at some of the pics coming out of Victoria.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/bushfires/

Then heap your praise on the firefighters, because it takes a man with a really big pair to stomp into Hades and challenge Satan to a fight with nothing but a water hose.

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:23 am

Thanks for posting that link, those pictures certainly give us a good sense of what is going on.

rangerider7 · Post by **rangerider7** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:25 am

I have a cousin living there. It's bad. God Bless.

Hagler · Post by **Hagler** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:36 pm

the telegraphist wrote: The Aussie spirit I just love, cant remember the name of the song, but the words go like I GET KNOCKED DOWN BUT I GET UP AGAIN.
The Telegraphist.

You are thinking of "Tubthumping", by Chumbawamba:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubthumping

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm4iU0yx9GY

That song will get stuck in your head for days!

Shawn

waz · Post by **waz** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:26 pm

This morning I heard of an interview with a lady who was thankful that she hadn't done the ironing before everything was burned.

Got to love that sense of humour.

I don't understand why there is a trend away from burning off in the cooler months. I grew up with fuel reduction fires over winter. Have I missed something or is this now bad practice?

W

Bruce Scott · Post by **Bruce Scott** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 4:28 am

waz wrote:
I don't understand why there is a trend away from burning off in the cooler months. I grew up with fuel reduction fires over winter. Have I missed something or is this now bad practice?

W

The practice has been discontinued in Victoria for some years - all part of politicians adopting a green stance. In WA controlled burns are still carried out despite the wailing minority.

Jacko · Post by **Jacko** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:27 am

Just letting out a little greif here folks , thinking aloud - I have little experience with bushfires , just helped put a few fires out on properties I hunt on - I have no knowledge of fire to draw on other than my own observations . I have never been so upset about anything other than friends or family dying in my life , I cant imagine what the bushfire victims have / are going through , I don't mean to be cynical .

Australian authorities / government especially the rabid greenies have all forgotten that much of Australian bush evolved to burn so it can replenish and nourish itself . Aboriginal people helped this process along with controlled burns for tens of thousands of years and no doubt altered the range of certain vegetation and game animals in the process . White fella's come along and foul up the established balance . These burocrats put hurdles in front of the local fire authorities as a matter of course such as enviromental impact save the left handed marching frog studies .

What I keep hearing about these fires is that with the 46 degree celcius temperatures , 6 % humidity and wind the fire danger was so extreme that nothing could have been done to stop it , as it burned it created more wind and a viscious cycle once it entered the capopy of the tree's as the oils in the leaves ignited ahead of the flames . If I remember correctly today I heard that the fire danger rating on a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being extreme , there is a further scale whose name escapes me and the conditions rated over 160 ! Seems that they knew something could happen but where not able to give precise warnings until it was to late .

I fear the poli's will turn it into a blame game and points scoring exercise , perhaps a bit of dancing about the edges but history has shown little will be learned . I heard today that well over 600 people have lost their lives in bushfires in Australia over the last 100 years , more than 400 of that horrible tally in Victoria including the tragic toll with is still to be finalised .

Authorities have the statistics and past experience to draw on yet people are left on there own to establish escape plans with advice from local fire authorities . No building codes for personnel or community underground shelters , far more importantly no effective early warning systems , often only one road into remote dwellings .

We are all saddened right now - I'll bet the authorities and general city bound population , particully those who have not suffered this cruel fire in 12 months time will be making the same mistakes .

We have to live with this land not try to bend it to suit us , guess who will lose - again

regards Jacko