Fires And Heat In Australia

[VEGAS LADY]

#1198

I was wondering how all you people down under are coping with the extreem heat you have been having….do let us know that you are all safe and well.

Margaret

[Petals]

#25058

I have just seen the news! It is dreadful….no words to say here….

Sandra, Karen and all of you over there…….do hope you are safe!!!!!!!

[Petals]

#25059

Margaret I have just watched the late news and they are talking about arson!
How could anyone do this! I do hope Sandra makes a post for us.

[Don and Margaret]

#25060

We want to add our concerns for our Aussie friends and hope none of you have been affected personally. It looked terrible on the news. Sandra we are thinking of you especially.

[VEGAS LADY]

#25061

QUOTE(Jacqueline @ Feb 8 2009, 06:26 PM)

Margaret I have just watched the late news and they are talking about arson!   
How could anyone do this!      I do hope Sandra makes a post for us.

[snapback]24486[/snapback]

Hi Jacky…..I saw that as well. I do hope that they catch the people that have done it, there sure are some crazy people around.

[katita]

#25062

Just want to add my concerns and hope all is well by our friends over there.

BEST WISHES,

Katita

[Gigi]

#25063

I too add my thoughts to what everyone else has said. Hope all our Aussie friends are OK.

Gigi

[Aussie Girl]

#25064

Hi all & thank you so much for your concern. We are back in Melbourne now having spent the week-end at our country property which is right in the very centre of Victoria. Fortunately the fires are not too near us but had we gone ahead with our plans which we cancelled when we learnt the temperature was going to be 48C (120F) we would have been in the middle of one of the fires. I cannot tell you how totally devasting it is. These bushfires are fireballs propelled by extreme heat & winds destroying everything & everyone in its path – there is no warning, particularly when the wind can change direction in seconds. We have not seen anything like it before & it is the worst disaster Australia has experienced. I personally have good friends who have lost everything – their houses, stables, horses, dogs, stock & property but fortunately not their lives (as yet).

Although I don't know Sandra or can really speak on her behalf I know she lives in Sydney and there is no danger there. N.S.W. has a bushfire in the Hunter Valley – a wine growing area some couple of hours out of Sydney but I believe it is under control. Unless Sandra has travelled into country Victoria over the week-end I'm sure she would be quite O.K.

Country Victoria is in total drought & last week we had 5 days straight of 45C (about 110F) degree temperatures so with the high winds, no rain and dry, dry acres of land you can just imagine how quickly it burns. But this is just horrendous. The stock & wildlife have nowhere to go either.

Sorry I can't be more positive but it's just sole destroying.

Karen

[Petals]

#25065

Hello Karen, It really is good to hear from you! Thank you for taking the trouble to make a post and relieved that you and your family etc., are coping. Am so sorry to hear the news re your friends. No words really are adequate at a time like this…..

The news here in the U.K. has shown us so much but obviously we are not experiencing all the trauma at close hand. It is all so very upsetting and worrying.

Thank you once again for your post.

xx

[Sandra]

#25066

<img src='style_emoticons//sad.gif’ border=’0′ style=’vertical-align:middle’ alt=’sad.gif’ /> Hi all. Thank you for all your concern, but I am well away from the fires – the concern should rightly be with Karen in Victoria.

Sorry about the late post – Karen says it how it is – very devastating for the people of Victoria – too much heat and wind and uncontrollable fires moving too fast for people to 'outrun' it. All caught unaware. And yes Jacky, this is not a natural fire – this is the work of arsonists !!

Karen, and all Victorians caught up in this tragedy, the WHOLE of Australia is with you in thoughts – these fires are unbelieveable and we can't believe how fast it's gone and totally wiped out whole communities all over the place. What we have seen in the news constantly is smoked out ghost towns and the death toll rising and rising.

We are glad for the quick financial pledges of major companies and banks, but still, this doesn't make up for lost lives, lost propery, lost animals and lost incomes that you have spent your whole life building.

To those in other parts of the world – it's something that you can only imagine it in your worst nightmares ! Suddenly and quickly in the night for some, a raging fire building in strength and travelling so fast you can't escape it in your car surrounding you and melting everything in sight. So fierce it leaves only embers – everything burnt right to the ground. No one on foot would have a chance. One day you're talking to your neighbours, feeding your pets and livestock, going shopping . . . the next day there are no neighbours, no animals, no buildings, no people.

It takes only half an hour or so to completely destroy you and everything you have and moves on to the next place.

Karen, I'm glad you don't know persons who have died in this – though I know many are 'missing', maybe never to be identified. I hope you and yours will be able to recreate your lives again soon after this is over (yes, the fires are still going in places). I pray for lots of rain down there – we got some this week and it's a lot cooler in Sydney now – so we are hoping Mother Nature sends it down to Victoria and gives everyone relief. It's totally shocking and of course, if you need a break to come to Sydney, I'm here. <img src='style_emoticons//cool.gif’ border=’0′ style=’vertical-align:middle’ alt=’cool.gif’ />

Sandra x

[Petals]

#25067

Thanks Sandra. Your post really gives more of an insight into a dreadful and unbelievable course of events.

I know there are more collectors in Australia and it is really good to hear that you and Karen are well……

Lots of love……x

[VEGAS LADY]

#25068

Hello Karen and Sandra.

Thanks for letting us know that you are both ok.

I do hope that they catch the people who have started some of these fires, lock them up and throw away the key….when all said and done they are responsible for taking the lives of a lot of people.

Take care both of you.

Margaret

[Aussie Girl]

#25069

Hi All,

Again many thanks for all your kind wishes & thoughts & to you Sandra for explaining the disaster in more detail. I know it must be difficult for those in other parts of the world to understand the total devastation and loss of life and property although I believe it has been well covered by the press & television world wide. I was too close to it & am familar with & know all the beautiful areas that no longer exist. Although I did not personally loose anything there is a deep sense of loss from so many wonderful recent & childhood memories of those areas and of course the soul destroying stories of both the lives lost & those that survived.

Re the arson Margaret – they have caught one person responsible for lighting one of the large fires where about 12 people were killed and the authorities are investigating a further 2 suspicious fires. There were however 30-40 fires across the state some of which are still burning but under control. A number of these fires were caused by power lines coming down in the 120kph winds onto the drought ravaged bush which then just ignited.

Now Queensland which is the northern most part of Australia is experiencing terrible flooding – what a strange thing Mother Nature is.

Karen

[Sandra]

#25070

<img src='style_emoticons//sad.gif’ border=’0′ style=’vertical-align:middle’ alt=’sad.gif’ /> Yeah – two extremes at the North and South of our vast land.

Stuck in the middle here, we got 2 weeks of extreme heat followed by 2 weeks of very wet weather . . . we were relieved that there was nothing more disastrous, but still watch the south burn and the north flood at the same time.

It's all very odd to have this happen in the same country at the same time.

Anyway, it reminds me not to be complacent and to be very thankful for what I have.

Karen – good to see you are still well down there.

[Sandra]

#25071

<img src='style_emoticons//sad.gif’ border=’0′ style=’vertical-align:middle’ alt=’sad.gif’ /> Hello friends on the other side of the world . . . !

Would you believe there are some fires still burning in Victoria?

We are all hoping for milder weather and even a lovely storm to soak the countryside down there. So many native wildlife perished as well. Many animals found were so badly burned they had to be put down. Very sad.

I've heard that quite a few koalas and other tree living animals are stuck up in trees too scared to come down.

Many native species are now endangered as they have lost their habitat and may not be able to reproduce the numbers they once had.

So still a sad, sad time for people down here.

[Author]

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