DISASTER 14 killed, scoress of homes lost in Victorian bushfires

[Swamp Wallaby]

It's been a horror day over here. Melbourne's hottest day in recorded history, at 46.4C / 115F, with hot northwesterly winds blowing up to 90 km/h. Everyone knew it was going to be a bad bushfire day, but the reality is... well, horrendous. I just watched a press conference in which it was confirmed that at least 14 people have died in the fires, and that number is expected to rise, possibly to close to 50. Heaven only knows how many houses have gone up; the fire-fighters still can't get into some of the worst areas; they're entirely cut off. Several fire tankers have also been lost, but the firefighters - all of them volunteers, by the way - survived. We have had a cool change come through, but the gale-force winds accompanying it have only made the fires more hazardous. There's still a long list of towns under threat tonight.

For those of you who have the inclination, I'm sure there are a lot of people out there, injured, homeless, bereaved or still in danger, who would appreciate a word or two of prayer said on their behalf. Thanks.

 

[Swamp Wallaby]

Nine bushfires out of control in Victoria
February 7, 2009 - 8:17PM

Victoria is under siege as nine major fires burn out of control, destroying homes and critically injuring at least one person.

As Melbourne recorded its hottest day ever and strong winds fanned flames, the Country Fire Authority reported at least 30 homes, a golf club and a fire truck were destroyed.

Residents have been warned to brace for the worst as a cool change passes through the state until 10pm. The threat of ember attacks relates to central and south-east Victoria and Gippsland, according to a joint media statement from fire authorities.

One man is in critical condition after suffering burns to 50 per cent of his body when he tried to move stock in the Coleraine area in the state's west. The man, aged in his 40s, was airlifted to The Alfred hospital.

Thousands of firefighters and residents battled major fronts at Horsham, Coleraine, Weerite, Kilmore East, Bunyip, Churchill, Dargo, Murrindindi and Redesdale as the searing heat and high winds exceeded authorities' predictions of the worst fire
conditions in the state's history.

"It is pretty well every part of the state except the far north-west,'' CFA deputy chief fire officer John Haynes said.

A 2500-hectare fire at Horsham was the largest in the state, while another at the Bunyip State Forest reached 2400 hectares. Another at Kilmore had burned 2000 hectares.

A wind change is threatening to turn Bunyip State Forest's narrow bushfire head into a devastating fire front 20 kilometres wide, creating a major new challenge for firefighters, emergency authorities have warned.

The 152-hectare blaze jumped control lines overnight, and around lunchtime today the fire on the hill near the Tonimbuk township literally exploded to more than 10 times its earlier size.

Such was the concern after it broke control lines that ground attack firefighters were forced back, ordered to retreat by incident commanders because of the extreme danger, before the blaze mercilessly began incinerating everything in its path.

Mr Haynes said it would be about midnight, after a cool change had swept across the state, before firefighters knew whether they had got on top of the blazes.

"Our guys have been flat out trying to fight the fires and trying to pin them down a bit,'' Mr Haynes said.

"The fire weather this morning and last night, in all of the figures, was extreme and off the scale.''

Police, fire officers and VicRoads officials set up several roadblocks - including on the Princes Highway near Pakenham - and stopped all non-essential traffic and residents from going anywhere near the ever-expanding Bunyip State Forest fireground.

Resident Julie Venrooy said she had been forced to stay on the Princes Highway south of Tonimbuk by police, unable to return to her home at Shady Creek on the other side of the fire front.

"I've been able to contact my husband once," she said. "He's had ember attack, that was about an hour ago but I don't know what's happened since."

Farmer Graham Kinross, whose home and farm buildings were just a few hundred metres from the nearest flames, said the choice to stay and defend his property was easy, adding the wind direction had helped.

"It's blowing past here and if the wind keeps going that way, I should be right, but I don't know about my neighbour,'' he said, pointing to a farm less than one kilometre away.

Two hours later, Mr Kinross said he felt his property had escaped the worst, but the news was not so good for his neighbour.

"He lost all his silage, I think they saved his hay and they saved his sheds and the house, but everything else is pretty well burnt out,'' Mr Kinross added.

At least one home was believed to have been lost on the Longwarry Road, near Longwarry, after the Bunyip blaze jumped the Princes Highway and rail line, two of the main transport links into Gippsland.

"When you get a fire in this sort of situation, we focus on protecting people and assets wherever we can,'' deputy incident controller David Nugent said.

"It's difficult to make those decisions when the fire is covering such a large area.''

Incident controller Ivan Smith, who also oversaw the devastating Ash Wednesday fires of 1983, said the Bunyip blaze conditions were worse, though it was still difficult to compare.

"There is not the intensity of private housing (now) that we had at Cockatoo and Upper Beaconsfield, but I would say losses will be high - expect high losses,'' he said.

By 4.30pm, embers from the Bunyip fire had reached as far as Warragul, south-east of the fire's starting point, and crews were concentrating on containing any spot fires as a result of the ember attack.

Residents in as many as 15 towns, including Lardner, Rokeby, Crossover, Neerim, Warragul and Darnum, were warned to be on alert either side of the forecast change in wind and weather conditions, Mr Nugent said.

Fire crews were expecting to work into the night in the hope of getting on top of the blaze before a cool change heading into tomorrow.

At 6pm, rain began falling around Pakenham near the Bunyip fireground signalling changing conditions.

In other parts of the state, a man is in critical condition after suffering burns to 50 per cent of his body when he tried to move stock in the Coleraine area in the state's west. The man, aged in his 40s, was airlifted to The Alfred hospital.

Homes have been destroyed near Horsham and in the towns of Labertouche and Wandong as fires continues to burn out of control across parts of Victoria.

The CFA spokesman this afternoon confirmed eight fires were still burning across the state, including at Bunyip State Forest, Kilmore East, Licola, Dargo High Plains, Horsham and Colleraine. A fire at Churchill, south of Morwell, was "making a run" south-east.

The CFA had received unconfirmed reports of a fire in Ferntree Gully, in Melbourne's south-east, the spokesman said.

With record temperatures experienced across Victoria and strong winds fanning bushfires, CFA spokeswoman Adele Buhagiar said crews had started to report homes being destroyed.

"Wandong, as a result of the Kilmore fire, has been heavily impacted by fire,'' Ms Buhagiar said.

"We think there are houses destroyed in Wandong and at Labertouche. We don't have confirmed numbers yet.

"In the southwest, in Coleraine, we've got brigades doing asset protection in the township."

CFA deputy chief officer John Haynes told ABC Radio a house in Wandong had been hit by fire and its residents were unaccounted for.

Three houses, the Horsham Golf Club, the Dimboola Fire Brigade unit and several sheds have all been destroyed in a fire which has burnt 1800 hectares near Horsham, in the state's west.

In a horror day for firefighters, urgent threat messages were issued to residents in dozens of towns across the state.

Elderly residents in nursing homes near the Bunyip State Park fires have been evacuated as the nearby blazes intensify.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesman said 47 residents from a Bunyip nursing home and the same number from a Neerim South residence were being moved and were expected to be taken to the Koo-wee-rup hospital.

"They're not in immediate danger I am assured. But, they are being evacuated out so that they don't get to that situation,'' he said.

The fire outbreaks were associated with record temperatures across parts of Victoria.

Melbourne has experienced its hottest-ever recorded temperature, 46.4C at 3.04pm, while it reached 47.9C at Laverton, on the city's western outskirts.

The highest recorded temperature the Victoria has ever experienced was on January 7, 1906, when the mercury hit 50.7C in Mildura.

The east Kilmore fire has burnt more than 500 hectares of private property and is bearing down on homes in Wandong.

Another warning was also issued to residents near the towns of Camperdown and Danedite in Victoria's west where a fire crossed the Princes Highway and was heading east toward Pomborneit North.

The Age reporter Geoff Strong, just outside Labertouche, reported that the flames were fierce, with embers and spot fires driving the fire southwards.

Bunyip State Park remains closed to all vehicles except emergency services and all Gippsland rail services have been cancelled. The Hume Freeway was also closed from Wallan to Broadford.

Mr Strong said the fire was "looking really ugly".

Lines supplying electricity to Melbourne were also under threat earlier this afternoon.

SP Ausnet spokeswoman Louise Graham said the fire front had now passed through the power line easement.

"We like to keep those areas very closely monitored so they are clean of any possible fuels that might threaten the asset and threaten power supplies," she said.

"We're working very closely with the fire agencies to keep an eye on the situation."

Paul Bird, a spokesman for the electricity market regulator NEMMCO, said there would be sufficient power to Melbourne regardless of the fire outcome.

"We've still got reserve in place and we still believe we'll have it covered this afternoon, but that situation could change," he said.

For information on fires in Victoria, call the Victoria Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667. Callers who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech or communication impairment can call TTY on 1800 122 969.

More information is also available at www.dse.vic.gov.au/fires or www.cfa.vic.gov.au

AAP, with Hamish Townsend, Carmel Egan and Winston Tan

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/new...1233423543652.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2

 

[Swamp Wallaby]

14 dead in Victorian inferno
Posted 37 minutes ago
Updated 8 minutes ago

Fourteen people are dead and at least 100 homes have been destroyed as fires burn over tens of thousands of hectares in Victoria and New South Wales.

Six have been killed at Kinglake, four at Wandong, three at Strathewen and one at Clonbinane. Police fear up to 40 people may have died.

Victorian Deputy Police Commissioner Kieran Walshe says he expects the toll to rise.

"Based on the fact we're only just getting into areas, these have been very significant fires, our concern is that it can get worse," he said.

Police say they will strive to confirm the identity of the people killed by the morning.

Victoria is bearing the brunt of the inferno with ten major fire fronts.

NSW Police have released without charge a 31-year-old man arrested on the Pacific Highway this afternoon on suspicion of lighting a fire on the central coast.

Kinglake and Healesville, north of Melbourne, are the areas of most concern for authorities, and they say there are between 100 and 150 people sheltering in the Country Fire Authority (CFA) station in Kinglake.

A man is in a critical condition after being burnt over half of his body when he attempted to move a friend's stock away from the fire in the Coleraine area, in Victoria's east, while he was wearing only shorts and thongs.

Another man was taken to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital with burns to the face, and there are unconfirmed reports of another man who was burnt.

Ambulance authorities say there is a power problem at a hospital in Beechworth in the state's north, which may need to be evacuated.

There are emergency medical centres in Coldstream and Whittlesea showgrounds.

It is unclear how many animals have been killed by the fires, but ABC Local Radio in Victoria has fielded a number of calls from people who say their stock and pets have been lost.

CFA chief officer Russell Rees says Victorians need to prepared for the fire threat to increase through the night.

"We have to make a plea to people to realise that just because the southerly wind change has come and the temperature drops, the risk is not gone," he said.

"We've got three or four hours of very significant push in this wind change at least, and we all know from past history that fire at night is even more scary than than fire in the day."

Victorian Premier John Brumby says he has been putting his own bushfire preparations into place at his farm, and he has thanked fire fighters for their efforts.

"Today Victoria has experienced the worst fire conditions in history, even worse than Ash Wednesday of 1983," Mr Brumby said in a statement.


Stretched to breaking point

Fire authorities say new blazes are putting "enormous pressure" on their resources, with all available trucks and more than 3,000 fire fighters already committed to fighting bushfires that have been burning through the day.

Temperatures have dropped across Victoria, but there will be little relief with high winds expected to change direction and force fires onto new fronts.

A fire burning from Kilmore to Yarra Glen, north of Melbourne has turned into a massive blaze of around 10,000 hectares that officials say is almost impossible to control. About 50 homes in Bendigo's west have burnt down and properties in Narre Warren, Narbethong, Coleraine and Labertouch have been lost.

It is believed a primary school in Wandong has also been destroyed.

There are 101 firefighters battling the fire, which has destroyed dozens of homes and buildings and is threatening others at Wandong, Heathcote and Upper Plenty north of Melbourne.

The fire, which has burnt through 4,000 hectares, started east of Kilmore and is moving in a southerly direction between Kilmore East and Whittlesea.

A relief centre has been established at the multi-purpose centre in Bentinck Street in Wallan.

ABC Local Radio received a phone call from Peter Mitchell in Kinglake north of Melbourne, who said the entire town was engulfed in flames.

His situation showed how stretched the CFA's resources were, with no fire trucks present after they had been called to the dozens of fires elsewhere in the state. Mr Mitchell said there was one water tanker in the town.


Gippsland fires

The fires have also destroyed several properties across Gippsland in eastern Victoria.

Thick smoke and ash is blowing across west and central Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley, from fires burning near Drouin, Walhalla, and the Strzelecki Ranges.

The fire on the eastern fringe of the Strzelecki Ranges is currently heading towards Willung South, Carrajung South and Carrajung Lower, and the CFA is warning residents may be directly impacted by the fire.

Earlier, the fire passed through Callignee. Other areas including Traralgon South, Gormandale and Yarram are on alert for falling embers.

That blaze is still threatening a number of townships, including Nilma North, Darnum, Neerim South and Noojee, and spot fires have broken out in Warragul.

And a fire burning north of Traralgon is burning in a south-easterly direction, and residents in Toongabbie, Glengarry and Cowwar are also on alert. Earlier it ripped through 600 hectares of pine forests in one hour.

Ricky, from Calignee, south of Traralgon, says her neighbours' houses were destroyed.

She says her husband has been burnt in the blaze, which destroyed the family's cars and a shed, but spared the house.

"The roar from over the hill, I just got too scared, and we went back down towards the house, and ended up getting in the house and the windows cracked," she said.

The Princes Highway has been closed either side of Warragul, in West Gippsland and the South Gippsland Highway is now closed, south of Longford.

There are concerns the fire might damage the coal-fired power station at Loy Yang, but at this stage the fire is threatening neither the station nor the nearby coal mines.

The fire has damaged the ABC's FM transmitter in the region, but ABC Gippsland is still broadcasting emergency information on 828 AM.

It has also been confirmed houses have been lost in a fire around the Bunyip State Park, east of Melbourne, but it is unclear how many.

The fire broke containment lines overnight and if the wind changes this evening the fire front may grow in size to 20 kilometres, authorities warned.


Electricity supplies

Electricity operators say they are no longer concerned about bushfires affecting supplies in Victoria tonight.

Earlier, supply to 100,000 Victorians was threatened by fires burning near stations in the Latrobe Valley.

But NEMMCO, the company that operates Australia's electricity grid, says the system in that area is now secure and no outages are expected.


Enormous scale

Fires are becoming so big that they are creating their own weather.

Senior weather forecaster, Terry Ryan, says thunderstorms are forming over fire-affected parts of west Gippsland.

"We call it pyrocumulus, where all the ash coming out of the fire causes lifting and convection, and can cause a thunderstorm-looking top," he said.

"You can get thunderstorms and lightning coming out of the top of the fire basically, and that can add to the fire's effect, a bit of a nasty feedback effect that can occasionally happen."

Easing temperatures and winds have reduced the threat posed by a fire at Horsham, in western Victoria, that destroyed five homes, a fire truck and the Horsham Golf Club.

The blaze has burned about 3,000 hectares around the city's outskirts.

The golf club's manager, Jason Maybery, says the damage to the course is extensive.

"Total devastation. The clubhouse and the pro-shop have been gutted," he said.

"The sheds in the middle of the course, it's all been burnt as well and a lot of the trees around our lovely course have also been totally burnt down."

Residents of the Yarra Valley have been told to immediately activate their bush fire plans.

In the north-east, a fire is burning south of Beechworth and is moving in a south-easterly direction.

A blaze is burning in west Bendigo where several homes are believed to have been lost and the Redesdale fire to the south-east of Bendigo has burnt about 6,000 hectares.

For information on the Victorian fires call the Country Fire Authority's information line on 1800 240 667.


New South Wales

Firefighters in New South Wales are working to establish containment lines around a fire that is threatening homes at Peats Ridge on the state's central coast.

The Rural Fire Service has applauded residents in the area, saying they have worked hard to protect their homes from the threat of embers.

It is one of about 40 fires burning across the state tonight.

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service information hotline is 1800 679 737.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/07/2485255.htm?section=justin

 

[Amazed]

That's horrible, SW! My prayers for your community. Stay safe.

 

[amarilla]

Prayers said but maybe you could alter the title. When I first clicked on it, I was expecting a history lesson, from England and the Victorian age. It might get more people to pray.

A

 

[Moggy]

I pray for all those who have lost their lives, their families, those now in danger, and for your safety, as well.

Moggy

 

[Swamp Wallaby]

Thanks for your kind thoughts, guys. Don't worry about me, though - we're well away from it. It was one of those days when you watch the smoke rolling up the horizon and think, 'one spark and that will be us', but, thankfully for us, the spark didn't come. We've been lucky enough to be in the path of some of the showers that are following the cool change, too. Most of those in the danger areas haven't been that fortunate, though, and there are a lot of areas still under threat.


25 confirmed dead in Victorian fires

Twenty-five people are confirmed dead in Victoria's bushfires and the toll is expected to rise as into the 40s today as firefighters continue to battle the devastating blazes which have ripped through the state's country areas.

Six people are known to have lost their lives at Kinglake, four at Wandong, three at Strathewen and one at Clonbinane, all north of Melbourne. The locations of the other fatalities are not known at this stage.

This morning Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the fires had caused "an appalling loss of life and property" and said the Defence Force was available to help if requested. Mr Rudd will head to Melbourne today to assess the situation.

Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said the death toll from the bushfires was "shocking".

The SES number is 132 500.

A number of the injured from Victoria's fires were taken to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital overnight.

Eighteen people have been admitted so far; seven with burns to more than 30 per cent of their body. Hospital authorities say three patients are critically injured and they are expecting many more burns victims to be brought in today.

Victoria's deputy commissioner of Police Kieran Walshe fears more people have been killed at Kinglake.

"I have concerns there may be more located there, we know there's been a very serious fire at Kilmore, around Kilmore and Wandong, I have concerns there.

"This has been an absolute tragedy for the state and we believe this figure may only get worse," he added. "We're concerned this figure could even reach up into the 40s."

Unconfirmed reports say a number of people have died in the Gippsland fires trying to drive from their homes.

Gippsland police are pleading with people not to drive in the areas affected by the fires.

Changing weather conditions are making fire direction and behaviour unpredictable and many local roads are cut. Visibility is poor and some roads have been blocked by fallen trees.

More than 100 homes have been lost, including 50 in Bendigo and 30 at Wandong.

Fire crews and police will try to reach the worst hit areas this morning to work out the true extent of the damage. Major livestock losses are also expected.

About 14,000 homes are without power in parts of Victoria affected by the fires.

Eight teams of New South Wales firefighters are on their way to Victoria to help fight the fires. Fire authorities say water bombing aircraft will be used to tackle the fires today.

Residents with information on the fires can contact ABC Local Radio in Melbourne by SMS on 19 774 774.


Eye-witness accounts

Residents of some of the worst-hit towns have described scenes of complete devastation as huge walls of flame ripped through their homes.

Raylene Kincaide from Narbethong north-east of Melbourne says her home has been destroyed and there is little left of the town.

"Everyone we know has lost everything they had - it's not nice," she said. "I've been in Ash Wednesday but this is probably worse."

ABC Local Radio caller Georgina, whose husband battled to save the town of Strathewen with CFA volunteers, says the town has been devastated by the devastating fires.

She fears many of the town's residents may have lost their lives.

"It's just absolute devastation and people have seen things today that have been absolutely horrific," she said.

"There's a lot of families in Strathewen that we haven't been able to account for.

"The school's gone, the hall's gone... some people left it too late. We've lost friends, and we're just waiting for more - children, loved ones."

She says the town is largely inaccessible as fallen logs and debris block the main roads, but has urged trapped residents to remain optimistic.

"They're just so cut off out there and we just wait for daylight now and hope that there's nothing out there left to burn," she said.

"They're calling out to houses and they can't hear people answering. Hang in there anybody that's listening and still cut off because they're coming."


'One building standing'

The Country Fire Authority says there is "possibly one building left standing" in Marysville, after relentless bushfires engulfed the town, north of Melbourne.

Greg Esnouf, the CFA's deputy chief fire officer, told ABC Local Radio that Marysville had been all but destroyed by the blazes.

"We're starting to get some reports in now that are very saddening," he told ABC Local 774 in Melbourne.

"This latest report says Marysville possibly one building left standing - that's just shocking.

"Anyone who knows Marysville, it's a beautiful town and that's really sad. "It's very disturbing for the township itself."

The CFA later issued a statement saying Marysvalle residents were safe and had assembled at the local Gallipoli Park.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/08/2485317.htm?section=australia

 

[MaryLu]

Paryers said.

 

[sherbar92]

Swamp Wallaby, as a Southern California resident, I can empathize with all that the Victorians are going through right now. This is horrific.

I am certainly praying. Please keep us updated; and stay alert.

 

[Flippper]

Prayers for you, your friends and family and also that the fires die out soon.

 

[Swamp Wallaby]

35 killed, towns feared wiped off the map
Posted 54 minutes ago
Updated 33 minutes ago

The death toll from the Victorian bushfires is now 35, and at least one town has "virtually ceased to exist".

Marysville north of Melbourne has been all but wiped off the map and ambulance authorities say there are not enough vehicles to reach all the injured in nearby Kinglake, a town which is also feared to have been destroyed.

It is unclear how many homes have been destroyed in the fires, but tens of thousands of hectares have been razed and the army has been called in to assist exhausted firefighters.

The number of destroyed homes will be in the hundreds.

This morning there were also unconfirmed reports of bodies being found in cars overtaken by the fires in Gippsland in the state's east.

Six of the confirmed dead have been found at Kinglake, six at Kinglake West and four each at St Andrews and Wandong, all north of Melbourne.

Five people are dead in Callignee, three in Hazelwood and one in Jeeralang. More bodies have been found at Humevale, Bendigo, and Arthurs Creek.

Victoria's deputy police commissioner Kieran Walshe says the death toll will rise and it is expected to include children.

"We expect that the number will climb considerably as they day passes on," he said.

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) says they suspect arsonists have been relighting fires, hampering the efforts of thousands of fire fighters from Victoria and New South Wales.

Paul Holman from Ambulance Victoria says they are getting a lot of requests for urgent ambulance attendence in the Kinglake area.

"We're still unable to get many resources through there because of roads and a whole range of issues," he said.

"We're asking if anyone is injured and they can possibly make their own way to Kinglake Central CFA.

"We've got a casualty collection post and paramedics and medical supplies in that particular location. We're still attempting to get to all the calls that we're getting."

Authorities are unable to get into Kinglake to confirm the level of destruction but an ABC Local Radio listener, Peter Mitchell, yesterday said the entire town was on fire.

"The whole of Kinglake is ablaze mate," he said.

"I live a couple of kilometres out of town and when I heard explosions I went to the end of my road to see what was going on and by the time I got there I saw fires everywhere."


'Like a bomb'

ABC reporter Jane Cowan, who visitied Marysville by helicopter this morning, said the township had "virtually ceased to exist".

"We were in the main street and it's like a warzone, like a bomb has been dropped on the entire township," she said.

"People there are in an absolute state of shock. Most people had already left, but the people, I'd say about 30 people that are still left and had spent the night sheltering on the Football Oval there, are just completely dazed.

"[They are] walking around the streets with rugs around their shoulders because it's actually getting cold here now if you can believe it.

"And they tell stories of how fast everything turned bad there yesterday, about five or six o'clock in the evening.

"They say they actually thought the fire was going to go around the town of Marysville and then in a matter of minutes the sky went black and they knew they were in big trouble.

"People are talking about sheltering in their homes seeing every single house in their street go up in flames in a row, one by one ... of narrow escapes ... houses that managed to survive.

"There's a handful of houses that miraculously are still standing in Marysville.

"One lady whose house actually made it said she thought she was going to lose hers as well as she watched all the others go up around her.

"There are stories of households that sheltered three families in one house. Of gas bottles from nearby houses exploding and then piercing their houses and then those houses catching fire as well. It's an absolute warzone.

"People are saying that there are bodies in the town, terrible stories of for instance a woman who was found in her car this morning, obviously, was trying to escape. She didn't make it. She had her crockery on the seat beside her in the car.

"That's where their heads are at the moment. It's way too early to start thinking about rebuilding.


Rudd on the ground

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is in Victoria to assess the fire damage.

He is currently at Kangaroo Ground, in Melbourne's north-east.

He says a formal request to activate the Commonwealth Disaster plan was immediately activated.

"Immediately what's been requested is the supply of temporary bedding for emergency relief centres in the Baw Baw shire," he said.

The army will be drafted in to assist with the emergency effort, adding to firefighters who have already travelled south from New South Wales.

At least 40 Tasmanian fire fighters will be sent to help with the Victorian bushfire emergency.

Management from the Tasmania Fire Service, Forestry Tasmania and Parks and Wildlife met this morning and the three agencies will all contribute personnel.

Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment has requested help fighting fires in steep and heavily forested terrain in Melbourne's water catchment, north and east of the city.

Specialist fire fighters with chainsaw and bulldozer skills will fly to Victoria early tomorrow but no Tasmanian equipment will be sent at this stage.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/08/2485467.htm

 

[Siskiyoumom]

Will be praying for all the families affected, those who lost kin and property.
As well as the emergency responders/fire fighters.
May God's healing mercy rain on your land and lead and guide all who are batteling the blazes.
Our home was spared in the fires of last summer here in California.
Met many brave men and women who came to fight the fires.
Had a Kiwi crew and some high ranking fire fighters from Oz as well.
May you find comfort in this most terrible time. Sis

 

[adgal]

Prayers sent.

 

[China Connection]

The death toll from Victoria's bushfires has risen to at least 66,

Video on link


http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/744864/worst-day-in-history-vic-fires-kill-14


The death toll from Victoria's bushfires has risen to at least 66, with another victim being confirmed in Marysville, police say.

The state's toll from the latest bushfire disaster has thus exceeded the number of Victorians killed in the Ash Wednesday fires in February 1983, when 47 died.

A person from Yea died in hospital.

Deaths have now been reported in Marysville and Whittlesea.

Six more people were confirmed dead in St Andrews, taking the town's bushfire fatalities to 11, while four more deaths were recorded in Kinglake West, sending the count to 10.

The death toll in Humevale rose to five, with two more fatalities confirmed.

One person is now confirmed dead at Marysville and three at Whittlesea.

Police continue to advise people to avoid fire-affected areas.

They say it is still too dangerous for many residents to return home.

Police also say some people may be unable to return home while disaster victims are being identified.

Ten people remain in a critical condition in hospital after being burnt in the Victorian bushfires.

A spokesman from Melbourne's The Alfred hospital said 10 patients were in a critical condition in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit.

A further 10 were in a stable condition.

The spokesman said the hospital had received two new patients from the Austin Hospital on Sunday.

He said no one at The Alfred had died from the fire.

Touring the firegrounds with Premier John Brumby and Victoria's police chief commissioner Christine Nixon, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a joint federal-state $10 million emergency relief fund for the victims.

He said emergency Centrelink payments are available to those needing immediate financial assistance.

"Hell and all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria in the last 24 hours," Mr Rudd said.

"Many good people now lie dead. Many others lie injured.

"This is an appalling tragedy for Victoria but, because of that, it's an appalling tragedy for the nation."

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) said there had been "significant structure losses" in the town, but everyone had been safely evacuated to the local sports ground, Gallipoli Park.

Emergency response crews were having difficulty accessing the town due to fallen trees blocking roads, but ABC Radio is reporting that people have now been evacuated in a convoy from Gallipoli Park to staging areas.

Mr Brumby said volunteer firefighters and aircraft were coming in from NSW and South Australia, while the Australian army will also be brought in to help.

Mr Rudd said the nation's prayers are with those affected by the fires.

"Our first response as human beings is one of the deepest empathy for people whose lives have now been devastated," Mr Rudd said.

"This loss of life, the numbers of injured, the horrific injuries, our thoughts and our prayers go out to each and every one of them as they now try and deal with this tragedy and recover from the damage which has occurred."

 

[Swamp Wallaby]

At a glance: where bushfires are burning
Posted 1 hour 5 minutes ago
Updated 36 minutes ago

There are 12 bushfires burning out of control across Victoria and 26 blazes in total. Sixty-five people are confirmed dead.

Here is a summary of the major fires of concern.

The biggest fire covers 210,000 hectares and is north of Melbourne. This is the fire responsible for most of the death and destruction; 29 people have died and more than 500 homes have been destroyed in the Kinglake area alone.

Four people each have died at St Andrews and Wandong, all north of Melbourne.

Five people are dead in Callignee, three in Hazelwood and one in Jeeralang. More bodies have been found at Humevale, Bendigo, Upper Callignee, Long Gully, Strathewan and Arthurs Creek.

In total, 640 homes have been confirmed destroyed.


Kilmore blazes

The bushfires north of Melbourne are continuing to burn out of control near Murrindindi and Kilmore.

The blazes have grown to more than 210,000 hectares and are burning towards Taggerty, Crystal Creek, Connollys Creek, Glenburn, and Rubicon.

They have already burnt through Kinglake, Marysville, Buxton and Narbethong.


Beechworth

Fire authorities will soon have a better picture of a 22,000 hectare fire burning near Beechworth in north-eastern Victoria.

Smoke and cloud cover have prevented crews from doing aerial mapping.

The fire began just south of Beechworth last night and is now pushing in a north-easterly direction.

It has razed property in Mudgeegonga and there have been ember attacks in several towns south east of Beechworth.


Brittania Creek

Three fires have combined in this zone, and CFA officials say there may be a threat to property.


Bunyip Park

Fire activity in the area has subsided, and residents are being advised that they no longer have to be on alert for property damage.

People have returned to towns in the area.


Bendigo

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is downscaling its operations at the bushfire west of Bendigo because the-500 hectare blaze is well contained within its perimetres.

One man was killed and 57 homes were destroyed by the blaze, which swept through Long Gully and Sparrowhawk yesterday afternoon.

Police say some roadblocks remain in the area because it is not yet safe for residents to return.

Officers are continuing to investigate the fire's cause.


Walhalla

While there is no direct threat to property in this area, the CFA warns residents that there is a high degree of fire activity.


Gippsland

Fire crews are beginning to assess the damage from the fires in Gippsland, east of Melbourne.

The fires, near Warragul and Traralgon, are no longer posing a direct threat, but communities have been urged to stay vigilant.

Other fires are burning near Walhalla and Dargo, but are not posing a threat.

It has been confirmed nine people have died near the Latrobe Valley, but it is feared the death toll will rise.


Horsham

A bushfire in Horsham that destroyed three homes has been brought under control.

It burnt through 3,000 hectares, and also claimed the city's golf club, a business workshop and several sheds.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/08/2485609.htm?section=justin

 

[NC Susan]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25026762-5001021,00.html

February 09, 2009 03:25pm

VICTORIA remains under a shroud of smoke and grief today with thousands homeless and at least 108 people dead after the worst bushfires in the nation's history.
Entire towns were wiped out in the weekend's fires, which the Prime Minister described as hell's fury unleashed.
In-depth bushfire coverage: All reports, multimedia and more
TV man dies: Famed news anchorman among casualties
How can this be? Close-knit community numbed by the horrors
At least 800 homes have been destroyed, more than 330,000ha burnt out and some fires may take weeks to contain.
The communities in Dederang, Taggerty and Glenburn in the state's north were still under threat last night, almost 36 hours after the first fires were fuelled by record heat and winds on Saturday.
"Hell and all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria in the past 24 hours," Mr Rudd said during a visit to the fire-ravaged Yarra Valley.Many good people now lie dead. Many others lie injured. "This is an appalling tragedy for Victoria but, because of that, it's an appalling tragedy for the nation."
"The nation grieves with Victoria tonight."
In an address to the state, Premier John Brumby said "out there it's been hell on earth".
But he defiantly declared Victoria would put its "communities back together" and "recover".
Authorities believe some of the blazes were deliberately lit and police said arsonists could face murder charges and 25 years in prison.

The toll already surpasses the 71 deaths in the Black Friday blaze of 1939 and the overall national death toll of 75 from Ash Wednesday in 1983.
Twenty-two people remain in Melbourne's Alfred Hospital with dreadful burns, 10 of them in a critical condition.
Authorities will be searching the worst-hit areas for days looking for bodies.
The Kinglake region, about 80km north of Melbourne, has been the worst hit - 550 homes have been razed and 55 deaths had been reported in the area as of last night as the 120,000ha inferno, known as the Kinglake Complex, gave locals little chance.
According to residents, much of the town of Kinglake, which suffered 10 deaths, has been destroyed and nearby Marysville was wiped off the map as the fireball showed no mercy on a fearful Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
"It was a most horrible day. It's going to look like Hiroshima, I tell you, it's going to look like a nuclear bomb. There are animals dead all over the road," Kinglake resident Dr Chris Harvey said.
Six of the victims were in one car trying to outrun the inferno in Kinglake. Dr Harvey said the town was littered with burnt-out cars and he believed many contained bodies.
Dr Harvey's daughters Victoria and Ali, in their 20s, told of a local man, Ross, who lost both his daughters and possibly a brother.
"He apparently went to put his kids in the car, put them in, turned around to go grab something from the house, then his car was on fire with his kids in it and they burned," Victoria said.
Almost the entire town of nearby Marysville in the picturesque Upper Yarra Valley was razed, with houses, shops, petrol stations and schools destroyed after the East Kilmore and Murrindindi Mill fires merged to create the massive Kinglake Complex, which was last night still causing major headaches for firefighters.
Ten people were killed in Kinglake West and 12 in nearby St Andrews.
The heartbreaking Kinglake fatalities included four children found in one home. A young brother and sister were also burnt in another Kinglake property, resident Mary-Anne Mercuri said.
"The kids perished, their mother got out but she couldn't get the kids out,'' she said.
Nine deaths were reported in Gippsland in the state's east as the 90,000ha Churchill fire burned almost to the coast.
The Bunyip Ridge fire burned 24,500ha and torched the township of Labertouche on Saturday.
Four people are confirmed dead at Callignee, one at Upper Callignee, three at Hazelwood and one at Jeeralang in Gippsland, the areas hit hardest by the Churchill blaze.
Fire authorities say the threat to townships from the Bunyip Ridge and Churchill fires has subsided but residents need to remain alert. Crews were still patrolling the area overnight.

Two deaths were reported in Bendigo and nearby Long Gully.
The ages and gender of the deceased are not known in all cases.
Teams of disaster victim identification experts are flying in from around the nation.
Mr Rudd announced a joint federal-state $10 million emergency relief fund for the victims.
Mr Brumby said volunteer firefighters and aircraft were coming in from NSW and South Australia, while the Australian Defence Force would also be brought in to help.
Victoria fires – latest news and updates

 

[Navydad]

I just heard on Fox that the death toll has now exceeded 135. It didn't break it down by states just said the fires in Australia.

'

 

[NC Susan]

Arsonists could be charged with murder, says Attorney-General


Article from: AAP
February 09, 2009 04:09pm
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25028752-5001028,00.html




FIREBUGS who set deadly fires in Victoria on the weekend could be charged with murder, the Federal Attorney-General says.
Robert McClelland has told parliament Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was right to call arsonists "mass murderers" in the circumstances.
"Anyone who lights fires deliberately, with reckless disregard for the safety of their fellow Australians, in our view establishes the requisite criminal intent that would sustain a charge of murder," Mr McClelland said.
To successfully prosecute a murder charge, police must prove that someone committed the physical act that killed another and that they intended for the person to die.
Anyone who withheld information about firebugs' activities in the bushfire disaster could be charged with being an accessory to murder, Mr McClelland said.
"We would point out that the same criminal principles in respect to accomplices applies, and we would strongly recommend anyone who has information about the deliberate lighting of fires to approach the authorities to provide that information."
Earlier today, Mr Rudd said that if the Victorian fires had been deliberately lit it would amount to "mass murder".
"What do you say about anyone like that - there are no words to describe it other than mass murder," Mr Rudd said.
Victorian police commissioner Christine Nixon says all bushfire-devastated areas will be treated as crime scenes to determine if arson was involved.
That hardline approach was the correct response, Mr McClelland said.
"I commend the Victorian police commissioner, who is clearly treating each individual loss of life with dignity, respect and resolve."

 

[dirtdigger]

Australia on fire

Lord, please help these people. Hold them close to you and keep them from harm.

 

[Norma]

OH MAN. Swamp Wallaby praying for your safety and for the safety of all affected by these fires. Praying for the families that have lost loved ones. This is a sad day. Prayers for all concerned.

Norma

 

[CTFIREBATTCHIEF]

Prayers going your way Swamp, along with condolences for all of those who have been lost in the fires. I hope they catch the sons of bitches that are starting these things!