It's hell here

BMK · #1 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 02:14 PM

Mulv,

Steve,

I tried to ring to give you feedback on the fires here in Australia after we spoke yesterday.

What appeared early as a few fire fronts changed dramatically a few hours later.

Small fires turned into raging infernos within hours.

I cannot remember or seen fires with such havoc and damage.

Fortunately, our Cobra community have been lucky. My good friend Andrew - gold GT40 - phoned yesterday to say that his sister was safe although house both sides had been totally destroyed. She lost out buildings.

However, this morning a cooler day has started with the horrific news. Over 138 people have lost their life. More are feared missing and are believed to have perished in their homes or fighting fire fronts.

Small towns such as Kinglake and Marysville have been wiped out totally, as has the residents.

A moment ago an on the spot news reporter indicated that the loss of life may exceed 200 people. Over 750 houses have been destroyed plus many businesses

The visuals on television leave you fighting back tears as you see the both the destruction and hear survivors stories. To add it is believed that most of these fires were deliberately started.

Survivors are now housed in sports halls and Red Cross relief is supporting them.

It not good guys, but fortunately we have missed the fire fronts in our town and only getting a little smoke from fires in the west.

These fires have been deliberately started. Police have this evening declared that all sites are now declared crime Scenes. This is indicative that they believe all or most have been deliberately started.

I guess you guys there will see the news and possibly get the full story.

Importantly, I do not know of any of our auto Cobra or GT40 friends that have been involved.

Bernie

ERA Chas · #2 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 02:31 PM

Bernie,
Thoughts for the safety of you and yours and all the innocent victims of this calamity.
Your authorities must find and kill the bastards that would cause this deliberately.

BMK · #3 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 03:19 PM

ERA Chas

Chas,

Yes not good. The Police have declared each and every scene a crime scene. This is indicative that some low life has started this. Thoughts of 'Joan of Arc' come to mind - with a burning publicly at the stake.

I just do not know what is in these people minds.

Are they sitting at home watching this on television?. Proud of their work?

Are they seeing the young worker who has just been stopped from going into his street to look for his young wife and three children?

Only a moment ago, news reporters struggled with emotions and tears to say that he had just heard that his wife and three young kids had returned to their home.

It is now just dust.

It's not something that I can understand or cope with and I'm only an observer.

Importantly we have not lost any family or friends. Our thoughts are with all those there.

Bernie

Y-NOT · #4 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 05:38 PM

Bernie,
My kids live near Coatesville, Pa. There have been 23 cases of arson of homes in the last year. Seems some gang has an initiation ritual... Are you allowed to "carry" down under? Might be the only way to stop the problem.
Bill

Mac VABCH · #5 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 05:45 PM

Are these fires only out west? I have friends that live near the Australia Zoo.

Mulv · #6 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 06:13 PM

Yeah Bernie, I had heard that it was quite bad. Arson on top of it makes it worse. The fires in California were started by arsonists as well and they caught them although I don't know how the case was deposed. You wonder about the mentality of someone who would do that, I never understood vandalism of any kind , much less starting such a massive fire with such a large loss of life. How sad for you and your countrymen, Australia does not seem the sort of place where this could happen, it seems more civilised than over here. I guess there are crazies everywhere..

I have a feeling that the authorities will not kill the perpetrators, they don't do that here either, but having to face the families of the dead along with a forever jail sentence will probably have to do..

What a shame, such a beautiful place full of pleasant people for the most part.. Sorry Bernie

Bill, how do you put out a fire with a gun

you lost me there...

Bernie, I did a map search - this is really close tro the North East side of Melbourne. Are there any fears of it coming into the city?
Geez , what a disaster..

Y-NOT · #7 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 07:50 PM

You put out the fire starter!

Aussie Mike · #8 (**permalink**) 02-08-2009, 09:38 PM

Here's a Satellite view from Saturday 7th Feb.

This Satellite image only shows the fires in the south. There are more fires in Northern Victoria.

Here's a link to an updated map.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=...=en-us&style=h

This is very depressing to watch unfold. Bush fires are just part of life in Australia. We are used to seeing them every year and families and communities have fire plans and preparations for fire. The CFA (Country Fire Authority) often have burn offs to limit the amount of fuel available and create breaks. Farmers mow a strip around their paddocks to stop a grass fire from spreading if it starts. Many people with country properties have tanks and pumps and even roof mounted sprinklers

Yet despite all the preparations is sad to see that the fire can get the better of us. It shows us just how intense the firestorm is. Well prepared people are still caught by it trying to escape or defend their properties.

The closest fire to me is about 30 Miles but we are upwind so fairly safe.

BMK · #9 (**permalink**) 02-09-2009, 03:18 AM

Mulv

Steve

It certainly changed in the two or so hours after we spoke.

It appears that a number of people were just trapped up on hills or in streets that were blocked by fallen trees.

Reports tonight have shown that the fire front was so quick it traveled through the town in minutes. It was so hot and intense the heat just melted magnesium wheels into pools on the ground. Water tanks heated up and exploded.

House and contents were just turned to a pile of dust.

Tomorrow no doubt will bring more details once news reporters start to filter information back.

Bernie

BMK · #10 (**permalink**) 02-09-2009, 03:20 AM

I am not aware of any fires near the Australian Zoo.

In fact I think parts of Queensland are under water after heavy seasonal rain.

Just updating the post - there is no danger known to the zoo area.

Bernie

trularin · #11 (**permalink**) 02-09-2009, 04:40 AM

Bernie!

I certainly hope you are not going to be roasting marshmellows.

Be safe!

Ron61 · #12 (**permalink**) 02-09-2009, 05:17 AM

Mulv,

The fires in California were started by arsonists as well and they caught them:
Most of the fires here last year were started by lightening and the five around this area that were started by idiots they only caught one of them and he started the fire by threatening some of the fire officials who went to tell him to stop mowing dead grass in a field. The fire started while he was threatening them and it only burned a few hundred acres. If you walk over into some of the canyons where the big fires were you can see rock that melted. This little town that I live in has been ringed by fire two times in the past 5 years and it got in to the edge of town both times and burned some of the buildings. But we have never had a loss of life that compares with what our friends down under are going through and it will take a long time after it is over for the real impact to sink in. So far all they have did to that guy who started the one fire they tried to stop has been charge him with assault on the fire officials and threaten to bill him for the cost of the fire. As if he could pay the millions it cost.
I will be watching the news for more updates on the Australian fire today and hoping to see that they are getting control of it.

Ron

BMK · #13 (**permalink**) 02-11-2009, 01:39 PM

Good morning all.

The magnitude of this fire is just starting to hit with recovery plans starting.

The toll this morning at 0830 is

181 dead

88 missing

I spent time yesterday running clothes up to victims and meeting with some friends who have lost family.

Steve I may have mentioned my previous links with Street Rods..

One of the young members of the Northern Suburbs Street Rods has lost his partner and three children. I was with the club members yesterday and our Channel 7 covered their meeting.

This Sunday the program on channel 7 will feature Sam's story.

Very sad to hear the story.

Mulv · #14 (**permalink**) 02-11-2009, 04:40 PM

Gosh Bernie, that is unbelievable - the scope of this disaster is gigantic. Be sure that the rest of the world is receiving news broadcasts about this heinous crime. The news presenters here on the Phoenix channel were really emotional about it this morning, it is really a massive crime against humanity in the long term. It is beyond comprehension that anyone could have done this and yet there it is. I saw the bit about the boat racer being killed in the flames and then some ****head looters tried to break into the sheds on his property to steal whatever material items might have survived the firestorm. The authorities need to put that right, the same thing happened here in New Orleans , but the army acted as a deterrent to that action by having shoot on sight orders for looters.

What a f&cking mess mate, good on you for helping out as best...

BMK · #15 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 02:02 PM

Mulv,

Hi mate.

Yes it still terrible here. I had the opportunity to talk with some people who were in the middle. Really in the middle of it.

The question is often asked why did they stay at their homes..

The story I heard was that many of these homes are in the hill area of Marysville and Kinglake and residents could see the fire way off and there was no real concern.

Most people were in fire mode with the plans actioned. This was basically homes closed down. Buckets and hoses out to put out any embers. Clothes appropriate for the area and to fight spot fires etc.

Then suddenly winds changed and the fire ball grew in size and came at them at 60mph - 100kph+. The speed of a car on the freeway the fire ball widen and just jumped valleys, road etc. In hit them in minutes. It just jumped from town to town.

My best description is to say if you were at Baseline there and traveled at over 60mph - 100kph - imagine how quick it would take to cross the City of Phoenix - minutes . This is just what took place here.

Another example I can think of is, the fire traveled from West Dobbins Rd area to the Phoenix airport in minutes by comparison and the fire ball was at the height of ten level buildings. The noise level louder than a AA fuel dragster - the words used by one of the guys there.

Police are closing in on people who have been lighting fires.

Just an update Steve......

Bernie

BMK · #16 (**permalink**) 02-12-2009, 02:20 PM

I just watched an interview of a man that escaped the fire.

He said the fire was kilometres away and he was keeping an eye on it. He had packed his car with a few personal belongings and loaded animals into his car.

He watched the wind change and the fire grow in size in the distance and decided to run.

As he ran he watched trees blow across the road behind him. He said today he realised that other families neighbours were now trapped and the fire would have been all over his neighbours in minutes.

Bernie

pfalk · #17 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 08:49 AM

Just unbelievable. Thanks for sharing your experiences and information. Recovery from these sorts of things is always extremely slow and long after the national news has moved on, families and homes will have to be rebuilt.

Just another reminder why a B.O.B is a good idea. (Bug out Bag) I keep an old surplus ruck filled with the sorts of things my family would need to sustain us for a few weeks were we displaced from our homes. Cash, credit cards, flashlight, radio, a bunch of MREs, water, small tools, etc. It's not much, but enough that in 30 seconds we can be on our way to somewhere safe without scrambling to find what we must have.