WILDFIRES

[TARHEEL]

My thoughts and prayers go out to all our fellow Aussies in dealing with the wild fires. Hang in there guys.

[Oldsparkey]

My thoughts and prayers go out to all our fellow Aussies in dealing with the wild fires. Hang in there guys.

We are with you on that thought ...... http://www.neilbank.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6085

Chuck.

[hairymick]

Thank you guys,

Toll so far is 176 confirmed dead and rising, several country towns completely destroyed. There is a pervading sense of dis-belief here at the moment.

Victoria's bushfires have so far claimed the lives of at least 173 people, although the death toll is expect to rise. Here is a list of the confirmed deaths.

Arthurs Creek - 3

Callignee - 11

Callignee Upper - 1

Clonbinane - 1

Eaglehawk - 1

Flowerdale - 4

Hazeldene - 2

Hazelwood - 4

Heathcote Junction - 1

Humevale - 6

Jeeralang - 1

Kinglake - 35

Kinglake West - 4

Koornalla - 4

Marysville - 15

Mudgegonga - 2

Narbethong - 9

St Andrews - 22

Steeles Creek - 7

Strathewen - 30

Taggerty - 3

Unknown - 2

Wandong - 4

Yarra Glen - 1




List provided by Victoria Police

Please pray for us.

[LIGHT KEEPER'S KID]

Prayers sent

Mike

[Tor]

Thanks guys,

We have fires about 40 minutes away to the north and to the south east with a wind change to that direction on Thursday, there's a lookout on the way home from work where the smoke can be clearly seen (Hamer Arboretum).

We have our "sentimentals" packed and will pack a few creature comforts tonight in the trailer. We're going to friends if it heads our way, I don't intend to become one of those statistics above. I was a volunteer firefighter until about 18 months ago so hopefully I'm a bit better prepared than some of the poor souls that have lost their lives.

If it's OK with you guys, I won't start building the next project just yet?

Mick, if you could send down some of that rain it might be useful...

I dunno quite what we've done but we have floods and fire.

Tor

[Ossie Bruce]

Thor,
If I could send the rain you would have had plenty, before the start of all this, I have rellys down that way, take care

Bruce

[hairymick]

G'day Tor,

Stay safe mate. Do what you have to do.

Bruce's rain just arrived here about 3 hours ago, We have had about 2 inches since, but I think it will head out to sea before it gets that far south.

We too have rellies down that way and haven't heard from them yet. I think they were not in the fire-zone.

[jem]

Best thoughts to all Ausies in this time. Scary, scary stuff. Take no chances and be safe.

[olsnappa]

A very good friend of mine.....who I also work with, has a property of about 25 acres at Buxton which is a few miles north west of Marysville (one of the small townships obliterated by this fire). He and his wife are both in their sixties and go there every weekend.
They've built a beautiful house and will eventually retire there. They were both born and raised in the country and know very well how to prepare their property to minimize the risk of being destroyed in a bushfire.
As I listened to the reports about the fire on Saturday, I knew it was getting closer and closer to where they were. I sent a txt message to Geoff's mobile phone, wishing him luck and told him to take care. I didn't really expect a reply because I knew he most likely didn't have his phone on and would have been busy making preparations for the fire. I knew he would be one that would make the decision to stay and fight the fire if it approached his house......and so would his wife.
Later in the afternoon, I was hearing Buxton being mentioned a few times in the reports and knew the fires were on them. I sat up most of Saturday night listening to the radio and watching the incident updates on the Country Fire Authority website for any mention of Buxton. Much of Sunday was spent doing the same thing.
On the evening news there was aerial footage of Marysville and to my horror some footage of Buxton which, while more spread out than Marysville looked similarly devastated.
I couldn't wait any longer and tried ringing Geoff's mobile phone. It went straight to his message service so no relief there.......
But I left a message saying I hoped he was ok and wishing there was something I could do to help…….and to please call me back if he got chance.
I knew if he was ok he’d still be very busy either trying to save his house or out helping someone else. The fire front had passed Buxton but the winds were fickle and no where was safe.
On Monday morning my phone rang. The display showed a number I didn't recognise but when I answered it there was Geoff…….
“G’day lad”, he said.
“Geeeezzz Geoff!!!! How are you mate?
“Yes. We’re alright. I tried calling earlier and texting but nothing was getting out and now my battery is dead so I’m using Jill’s phone. Didn’t know if it’d get through but it has this time”.
“….And the house”? I asked.
“Yes it's ok…….we lost everything except the house, the car and the veggie patch. The sheds are gone. The tractor, the caravan, the fences, the trees…..all gone. But we’re ok.”

We talked for a bit longer. Geoff said he’d never seen a fire move as quickly as this one did. They’d seen the glow and smoke behind the ridge between them and Marysville…
Then when the flames appeared at the top of the ridge he’d said to Jill they’d better start the pump…..
They had a feed from their dam to sprinklers around the house. The dam was very low because of the drought so they didn’t know if there’d be enough water….but it was all they had.
Geoff said he’d hardly got the pump started when the fire had swept down the side of the ridge…..a ball of fire 20 or 30 meters high. It covered a distance of about half a mile from the foot of the ridge to the far corner of their land in a minute.
The sprinklers had just started and they had got into the house and sealed the door gaps with wet towels as it consumed their sheds and trees and swept across the dry stubble of pasture and up the small rise to their house.
In seconds the house was surrounded by flame and they moved from room to room checking the windows and doors for a breach. The smoke alarms inside the house began shrieking as smoke found its way into the house. The noise just penetrating through the deafening roar of the fire.
They’d already lost power to the house so in the semi gloom caused by the dark smoke outside competing with the glow of the fire, their two panicking dogs were barking and whining and cowering in any corner they could find.
The water from the sprinkler was vaporising as soon as it left the jets and the aluminium housings for the, now sealed, vents into the house melted.
After the front had passed they went out and began dousing the remaining fire and clearing debris from around the house.
They worked all night moving progressively further out from the house and restoring a buffer between it and anything that could flair up and threaten the house again.
Their work continued all of Sunday, including putting out smoldering fence post which continually re-ignited because of the intense core temperature they held after the fire.
By Monday the work wasn’t finished but they couldn’t have left anyway because the roads out in both directions were blocked by trees and debris from the fire.
I said to Geoff to take it easy….they had to rest. The main danger had passed for them by then. He said he would and they’d get out as soon as the roads were clear….. They wanted to get home and have a shower and a sleep.
The battery on Jill’s phone was nearly gone too so he said he’d be back in touch when he could.

I got another phone call from him tonight
“G’day lad”
“G’day Geoff. How are you?
“Oh…….not bad”
“You sure”?
“Yeah…..well actually, I’m in hospital”.
“Ok…..what’ve you done to yourself”?
“Oh, I was clearing some rubbish down at the front of the block and started getting some pretty severe chest pains……….Jill bundled me into the car and got me to hospital…..fortunately the roads are open again”.
“They’ve checked me out and reckon I’m alright” They’ve got me wired for sound now and I’ve got to stay here ‘till tomorrow".
I said. “Well mate, I reckon the stress, fear and exhaustion have just caught up with you...and the adrenalin you were running on has run out”.
He said I was probably right and not to worry about him….he’ll be ok.
He said, anyway he had to be…….there was “still a lot of work to do next weekend”!!!
…….I like Geoff.

[garyp]

Hello there,

Gotta tell you that some sicko was out lighting fires along the Shepparton-Benella road yesterday!!!! Hope they catch the bastard and he (though it may be a her, a 65 year old granny was caught not long ago) rots in hell.

Cheers

Gary