Bushfires in Victoria

[CountArach]

25 people killed

AT least 25 people have been killed in Victoria's worst bushfires since Ash Wednesday, with the death toll expected to rise.

"I can confirm that we now have 25 people dead at this point in time," Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said.

"Our concern is still ... that we believe numbers will rise as we get further into the fire zones this morning," Mr Walshe told the Channel 9.

Most of the bodies were discovered in towns northeast of Melbourne - six at Kinglake, six at Kinglake West, four at Wandong and St Andrews, three at Humevale, and one each in Arthurs Creek and Bendigo.

At least six bodies were found in the one car at Kinglake, with reports that others may have been trying to escape the fire in cars.

Children are believed to be among the dead. But police have so far been unable to confirm the gender or ages of the victims.

Mr Walshe said he feared the death toll would be much higher.

Any Orgahs out there? Commiserations to anyone touched by this fire.

Pictures here.

[pevergreen]

I don't know of any Vic .Orgahs, only WA, QLD and NSW.

But I have lots of family down there. Its always bad. Fires in Vic, massive flooding in QLD. Something like 53% of the state is flooded, and 42% is in drought.

[Ice]

I don't know of any Vic .Orgahs, only WA, QLD and NSW.

But I have lots of family down there. Its always bad. Fires in Vic, massive flooding in QLD. Something like 53% of the state is flooded, and 42% is in drought.

Not to mention almost everything that lives in Australia is somehow poisonous or can kill you. You guys are the true badasses.

[pevergreen]

Thanks Kush, we ju-ah, back in a sec, gotta go hit me a birdie with this bloody cane toad.

[Hooahguy]

wow. those fired look fiece.

[CountArach]

Death toll now at 35.

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.

Also, entire towns have been destroyed. It just astounds me that a town can be there one week and nothing but a burning pile of debris the next.

More pictures here. If you look at most of the pictures the sky is either full of smoke or it is bright orange from the flames. Utterly astonishing.

Also, I hope your family is fine pever.

[KukriKhan]

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.

Murderers, those guys.

We get those here too.

I'm stunned by the high casualties. My sympathies, having survived the '07 brushfires here. I guess the burn area there is extremely remote, so people can't evacuate?

[Fragony]

35 dead that is crazy. Good luck.

[shlin28]

The death toll has reached 96 according to the BBC.

My condolences to everyone affected.

[CountArach]

Death toll at 108 and rising

It is now the deadliest bushfire in Australian history and there are still 31 fires burning... At least two towns have been wiped off the map.

I guess the burn area there is extremely remote, so people can't evacuate?

Pretty much - it was also moving very quickly so there wasn't a lot of warning in many cases.

[seireikhaan]

Wow. Unbelievable. I can't possibly imagine what the folks there must be going through. Not even the floods we had in spring can compare to this. Over a hundred dead?

[desert]

Reminds me of those California wildfires last year.

[Hooahguy]

my prayers go out to the families of the deceased.

[||Lz3||]

Condolences... what else can I say?


that's why it's not a good a idea to build houses of flammable materials...

[Beefy187]

Condolences... what else can I say?


that's why it's not a good a idea to build houses of flammable materials...

What most buildings in Kyoto are made of wood? Yikes!

My condolences to those who are affected. May they keep their chins up and live strong

[Fragony]

Death toll at 108 and rising

It is now the deadliest bushfire in Australian history and there are still 31 fires burning... At least two towns have been wiped off the map.

Pretty much - it was also moving very quickly so there wasn't a lot of warning in many cases.

Unbelievable. What can I say what a tragedy.

[Decker]

Reminds me of those California wildfires last year.

I tend to think those were over exaggerated imho. At least from what I remembered when they finally used the heat sensors or whatever they were called.

And from what I've read and heard of the eye witness accounts. The fires are reminding me of the descriptions of the fire bombing of Hamburg during WWII. This is really sad, and to think some ******* arsonist started them. I've also heard the toll has surpassed 130

Death Tolls Rises

[pevergreen]

It seems to have died down now, but Victoria is still on Very High Fire Danger alert.

Its bad. Real bad. Worse than Ash Wednesday fires. And those were horrific.

Go a few thousand km's north, towns are flooded. Mackay is about to get hit, could be flooded on the same weekend it was flooded last year. The floods are causing hundreds of millions of damages. And then fires. 5 year old boy jumped into the floodwater after his dog, croc got him. Bugger.

[Raz]

Last I heard the death toll hit 130, it's a real shame, since many of them are children.
Apparently it's been labeled as Australia's worst natural* disaster.

*It'd be made a whole lot worse if it were an act of arson.

[CountArach]

*It'd be made a whole lot worse if it were an act of arson.

It is. Fires are constantly being re-lit.

[pevergreen]

They've caught one havent they? I heard that in an update.

[CountArach]

They've caught one havent they? I heard that in an update.

Not that I've heard. Maybe you were thinking about the 60 minutesinterview with an Arsonist (not involved here though).

[KukriKhan]

We've been wondering "why?". This TimesOnline article explores.

A common thread in some of the most devastated towns and hamlets was that not one had time to react between seeing fire on the horizon, or hearing that it was on the way, and their house exploding.

In some cases only minutes would separate the urgent official warnings, which would be passed on through the local ABC radio network, and flames sweeping through the main street.

So, violently shifting winds moved fires from 5 miles away to your doorstep in minutes, not hours.

Too late now, but for the future, they should look into a Reverse 911 system. We had that here in the last brushfires, and it saved lives. California recently upgraded their's to include cell-phones and email. Not a total solution, it has helped.

God bless and keep those poor people.

To help: Australia Red Cross site and donation links.

[Fragony]

It is. Fires are constantly being re-lit.

You have to be kidding me.

edit, 172 dead and thousands of lives ruined. Hope they are proud of theirselves. Red cross is going to get a fat donation from here at least.

[Strike For The South]

It seems to have died down now, but Victoria is still on Very High Fire Danger alert.

Its bad. Real bad. Worse than Ash Wednesday fires. And those were horrific.

Go a few thousand km's north, towns are flooded. Mackay is about to get hit, could be flooded on the same weekend it was flooded last year. The floods are causing hundreds of millions of damages. And then fires. 5 year old boy jumped into the floodwater after his dog, croc got him. Bugger.

Are you ******* kidding me? Things like that happen?

This is a horrible time for oz. My heart to all those in need

[Fragony]

Are you ******* kidding me? Things like that happen?

Distant cousin was eaten by a shark in Australia, water was up to his knees, tigersharks are nasty.

[CountArach]

To help: Australia Red Cross site and donation links.

Australians can also donate at any Commonwealth Bank branch.

List of current fires burning.

[pevergreen]

Are you ******* kidding me? Things like that happen?

More often than you would think.

http://ten.com.au/video-player.htm?c...s-fire1-090209

News report from about 2 hours ago.

[Ice]

Oh wow...just wow...

My sorrow goes out to all those affected (directly and indirectly).

[Decker]

Yeah they caught one and the PM was calling it "mass murder" on the arsonist's part. They figured it out due to them relighting areas where the fires had already burned through... the ********.

BBC Report