any victorians...

[Leighton]

Trust FauxNews to skew the story into an agenda...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,490306,00.html

Get everyone talking about BS so no-one talks about real causes like climate change.

[Fadingtoblack]

And real causes like the greenies making it impossible for you to have a practical firebreak without acting illegally. (ie clearing brush and trees)

Also you have people living in bush areas as if they were in the suburbs, so they have no idea.


All that aside though this has been a massive tradgedy. These fires have been like none we've ever seen. Burning so hot, moving so fast, people pretty much had no chance. And then we hear that it could've been a firebug that set at least one of them off

I'm about an hour plus from Healesville, which was in a lot of danger for a while, and it was incredible. The sky was like something out of an apocalypse movie. Yellow, and sooo hazy, smoky, even from that far away. Of course this was on our hottest day yet 46.5C or so. So you had these freaky conditions coupled with gusting, burning hot winds. Scary stuff.


I just hope that the rebuilding and healing can start soon. And that this horrible event isn't perverted by people trying to further their own agendas. Whether it be for climate change, fire safety, politics, whatever. Just shut up and help out.

[Leighton]

I've put in my $50 and bought some blankets so I'm doing my bit, but I just want the pollies to fucken mean it when they all say "lessons have to be learned".

I've got firie friends in Newcastle so I'll be on their side forever. It seems techniques to fight or communicate during fires are the only things improving. No real preventative measures. I don't think blaming greenies helps cause regrowth has to happen through natural process and losing 4 billion trees in Victoria is probably the cause of why it gets so bad when fires do start now.

EDIT: And I mean land clearing as in knocking down trees willy nilly. Not burn-offs. I'm all for burning off shit in winter.

[slayerdiabolus]

Aren't they looking for someone who started the fires? Whoever gets caught should be put away for life

[Leighton]

They got two here in NSW, and one in Victoria so far. "Fragile loner" he's being described as.

"Fruitloop", I'd say.

Sadly, the Kinglake fire appears to have been started by an overheated powerpole that caught fire.

[minus clover]

official death toll now stands at 189. it will go higher though, but the accurate toll may never be known as there are bodies turned to ash, in a sea of ash...

[Fadingtoblack]

209 I believe the toll is now. And we're pretty screwed with the fires still I must say. Luckily it's fairly cold and damp so far today, we need all the help we can get before the end of the week.

Friday's looking to be 38 with gusting winds, probably worst conditions since 'Black Saturday' (couldn't they think of another descriptor? )


The firies are working around the clock trying to get the fires under control before then, building containment lines and backburning (a bit late, but hey at least it's happening now )


So this could be another bad weekend, we will see.

[minus clover]

they could always call it "red" saturday or "smokey" saturday. "ash" was used for ash wednesday.

the one thing thats really annoying me right now is how the newsreaders/weather people tell the world that "friday will bring similar weather conditions to those of black saturday." nothing wrong with that, but it lets the moronic arsonists know that if they want to do maximum damage, then friday (or whatever day) is the day to do it...

[Leighton]

Someone called it Hell Weekend on the Sunday after it happened. I thought that was a good descripter. Anyway, good luck to all tomorrow.

[Fadingtoblack]

We're gonna need it!


Luckily I'm still about 30mins from the closest of the fires - Upwey, Belgrave etc. But there's no guarantees with the way the weather will be. Also I have friends up there, especially having swum in Monbulk (next to belgrave) for many years growing up.