Serious fires in my state

**Platypus** · February 7th, 2009, 10:23 PM

Yesterday was a dreadfully hot day, and we were warned conditions would be the worst for fires since the infamous Ash Wednesday of 1983. It reached 45°C (113°F) here and the state maximum was 47.9 (118).

The worst fires are well to the south of me, but there is a fire about 45km away. Yesterday and today we were blanketed with smoke, made worse yesterday by dust blown up by strong winds.

The death toll is rising, many houses and other properties have been destroyed, and it's only made worse by knowing some of the fires are being started by arsonists.

The army has been mobilised to assist:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...013404,00.html

**xpuser357** · February 7th, 2009, 11:02 PM

That is screwed up. All arsonist should burn at the stake

. I know what you mean and see. Southern California was also burned by arsonist
and loose campers. old buildings that were land marks, gone, nice beautiful
mountain homes toasted. It is a fricken waste.

**NooNoo** · February 8th, 2009, 04:51 AM

Not only the loss of life from fire, but every asthma sufferer is also at risk.

I hope you stay safe Platypus.

**Platypus** · February 8th, 2009, 05:11 AM

Nasty for asthma sufferers, yes, and the very young and elderly already under pressure from severe heat...

Last report has deaths at 60, nearly 100 hospitalized (several critical, maybe 3 not expected to live), 640 homes destroyed.

**NooNoo** · February 8th, 2009, 06:38 AM

Does Australia have the equivalent of FEMA or emergency help of some kind? Those are a nasty set of numbers. Are people staying too close to the fire and then can't get out?

**Platypus** · February 8th, 2009, 07:37 AM

Yes, various agencies are involved, and Centrelink (federal government support agency) has emergency provisions. Many people were caught out by the great speed of the fires. There are images of multiple burned-out cars along roads, at least one person who died in their house used a motorized wheelchair - neighbours who found the house locked and no response thought they had been evacuated already.

**NooNoo** · February 8th, 2009, 07:39 AM

Oh that is so sad...

**houseisland** · February 8th, 2009, 11:20 AM

We had similar fires in British Columbia's Okanogan valley.

I have friends who live in Kelowna. The wife in this couple started nagging her husband about getting the ladders out and putting the lawn sprinklers up on the roof as it became increasingly apparent that an evacuation order would be issued for their subdivision. Very begrudgingly, he did what she asked. Within hours they had to evacuate. When they were allowed back, theirs was the only house of several hundred that was left standing everything else was burnt to the ground.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Ok...tain_Park_Fire

The big thing is stay safe. There is only one Platypus. Stuff can be replaced. Look after yourself.

Best of luck.

____________________________________________

It is my pure and virtuous heart that
gives me the strength of ten!

**slgrieb** · February 8th, 2009, 11:55 AM

You truly have my sympathy, Platypus. In the Texas Panhandle, we've had some terrible grass fires recently. In 2006 we had around 1.2 million acres (about 1900 square miles) burned. The worst mistake people make is underestimating how fast these fires can move. Our fires in 2006 were driven by winds that were as high as 50 miles an hour, and averaged around 30-40 mph. You need to be prepared to move quickly at the first notice of fires in your area and get out of the way.

**Zonie** · February 8th, 2009, 04:44 PM

My best wishes to you Platypus and dtay safe. We had our disaster here in Arizona last year on the Rodeo-Chediski fire . Such a waste and loss also due to arsonists.

**Ferrit** · February 8th, 2009, 05:35 PM

Sad to hear that people will light fires without truly realizing the full consequences of their actions.
Good luck Platypus hope all is well around you and contiunues that way.
Stay Safe

**NooNoo** · February 9th, 2009, 03:32 AM

The fires made the National News here this morning... very sad about the two children - their father put them in the car, then got one more thing from the house and when he came back, the car was engulfed. I wonder what it is that he wanted to get from the house... I wonder if he will ever forgive himself for going.

**houseisland** · February 10th, 2009, 09:19 PM

Anybody heard anything from our favorite punster?

____________________________________________

It is my pure and virtuous heart that
gives me the strength of ten!

**Platypus** · February 11th, 2009, 03:30 AM

Reporting in!

It's smoky around here, but some cooler weather and calm conditions mean the fire threat is not high from the adjacent fire at this time. It's large (covering about 30000 hectares) and probably reaching about 30km away from Wodonga, but fires much further south are the ones causing the most concern.

The death toll has stood officially at 181 for a day or so, but authorities are embarking on the long process of gaining access to over 750 destroyed properties as they become safe to access, so it's expected the figure could rise considerably.