173 dead

[long stroke]

Sky News: Death toll 108, fires still raging (http://skynews.com.au/news/article.aspx?id=301240) :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(

[Phoenix]

I still find it hard to comprihend the scale of this disaster :(

[Redback]

My god, that's awful, hang in there everyone, our thoughts are with the people of Victoria.

Baz.

[Fusion]

Make you feel sick to the stomach seeing all this devastation and loss of life :( . just seen on the news that 108 have passed and expecting it to be up around the 170 mark :eek::( . I'm glad they have contained the fire 10 minutes from here .

[Jock The Rock]

:o :( Wish I could help somehow

A fella I work with is a volunteer fire fighter over here in Tassie, he said he's been shortlisted to go over soon.

Definately going to join the Volunteers when I get a chance

[George130]

Not good at all.
My sis in the UK had been hearing about all the fires around Sydney on the news. Told how bad Vic was and now it has hit the UK news.

Hope they get a break soon.

[CaverD3]

Now up to 126. :(

[dullbird]

i just heard on the news update rising 130

[Sleepy]

very very sad :(

I heard 136 just before on the radio

[Shonky]

From the inside, the figure was 128 at 1430.

I would say it has surpassed 130 by now.

[long stroke]

I feel bad, we havn't had any extreme weather for a long time where we are, i wish we could help:(

[loanrangie]

I feel bad, we havn't had any extreme weather for a long time where we are, i wish we could help:(

Everyone can help with donations of money/clothes/kids toys etc - every little bit helps.

We arent that close to any of the fire ravaged ares but when i saw smoke thru the trees out our backyard i knew it wasnt good for those in the bush :(

[catch-22]

I have just made my donation......but it just doesn't seem to be enough. I mean, it took me all of 3 minutes. That doesn't give me a pass to forget all about it but there is nothing more I feel I can do. It sucks.

arrgghhh...I am lost for words. Anger won't get me anywhere I know but this is in our country and they need our help.

I suspect there are some of you feeling like this by some of the comments throughout this site.

Our firey's are the greatest on the planet and deserve world wide recognition of their bravery, endurance and wilpower.

[loanrangie]

My wife managed to get hold of her friend in Bendigo, their street went up and amazingly their house is still standing - neigbours either side and across the rd lost theirs:(.

[DeeJay]

This photo is, of all the photo's, the one that got me.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/1043.jpg

The look on this guys face just tells it all, even his wife must be hurting just as bad.

[p38arover]

Even Rudd was overcome with emotion whilst talking of it - as was, it sounded, Julia Gillard in Parliament.

I'm not ashamed to admit that tears flowed from my eyes a few times as I watched the news.

I suspect we may need to give blood as well as money.

[dullbird]

the same here Ron......tears flowed from me a few times especially when listing to the guy that had his car set a light from trying to flee and he went one way and his wife went the other......they never got reunited until 2 days later.......could you imagine not knowing whether or not your partner made it out!!!

I'm welling up now thinking about what I watched earlier

[George130]

Just so hard to believe the devestation.
Not much more I can say.

[long stroke]

The fire fighters deserve something big.

[dullbird]

The fire fighters deserve something big.

Yes like a massive rain storm

[Treads]

Yes like a massive rain storm

x2 :BigThumb:

[long stroke]

Yes like a massive rain storm

Yep:cool:

[DiscoTDI]

They can have all of ours

[long stroke]

173 now:(:(

[JDNSW]

I am trying to track down friends who may have been involved in the fires. Their phone number gets a message saying it is not currently available and their mobile gets messagebank. They live in Dixon's Ck north of Yarra Glen. I have not been able to find anything about Dixon's Ck, but Yarra Glen is currently threatened by fire. But it could just be phone congestion in the area (which is why I am not keeping trying).

If anyone in the general area knows what is happening/has happened at Dixon's Creek I would appreciate the information, or if anyone knows of any resource showing details of areas burnt.

John

[jase]

JD
I "think" dixons ck is alright (it looks ok on this mornings CFA map) and I haven't heard of any major devistation there
the phone system is crashed, copper is damaged and mobile system overloaded
also everyone in the whole fire area is getting so many calls form everyone they know you're never off the phone
and can't answer all the calls (I can't get my wife but know she's safe)
email me if you want a copy of the CFA map jstables@holmwoodhighgate.com.au
I was at the kilmore end of the fire Sat, I saw the town of wondong burn
it was one of the worst things I've ever seen
Jase

PS the fire's not over yet, best wishes to all those still involved and pray the weather stays kind



I am trying to track down friends who may have been involved in the fires. Their phone number gets a message saying it is not currently available and their mobile gets messagebank. They live in Dixon's Ck north of Yarra Glen. I have not been able to find anything about Dixon's Ck, but Yarra Glen is currently threatened by fire. But it could just be phone congestion in the area (which is why I am not keeping trying).

If anyone in the general area knows what is happening/has happened at Dixon's Creek I would appreciate the information, or if anyone knows of any resource showing details of areas burnt.

John

[CapeLandy]

We saw the footage on our news for the first time last night - horrific scenes:o
Hope you guys are surviving for the most part.
God bless.

James

[Quiggers]

as many of you know, i work in and with 'the news'...
the dead toll will be double or more of 173
it's being 'sat on'

and so many are children.......

[Jock The Rock]

Mum donated this morning and the old man is doing his bit. He just came back from a holiday in Canada and doesnt have a job so he's loading up his 130 with all his tools (ex-builder/handyman), 2 generators, the compressor and a pop top camper trailer to go over and help where he can for a while.

Im trying to convince him to take tow over a tandem trailer to help with carting anything over there

I wish I could go with him :(

[DiscoStew]

The fire fighters deserve something big.

Not just the fire fighters either. MY brother-in-law is with the SES down there and he has a job of checking abandoned cars. He is quite used to putting people in body bags from car accidents but the total extent of the damage is just so overwhelming. During a break someone asked him how he was going and he just totally broke down. He is normally such a stoic Lancashire man but it is just too much to handle.

[lardy]

SAD

[BMKal]

It has been very hard to watch the news over the last couple of days - and each day the news seems to get worse. What we are feeling is beyond words.

Cannot even begin to imagine what many of you in the affected areas are going through - only hope it gets better for you quickly, and hope that none of you receive any more bad news.

Our thoughts are with you all.

[JDNSW]

I am trying to track down friends who may have been involved in the fires. Their phone number gets a message saying it is not currently available and their mobile gets messagebank. They live in Dixon's Ck north of Yarra Glen. I have not been able to find anything about Dixon's Ck, but Yarra Glen is currently threatened by fire. But it could just be phone congestion in the area (which is why I am not keeping trying).

If anyone in the general area knows what is happening/has happened at Dixon's Creek I would appreciate the information, or if anyone knows of any resource showing details of areas burnt.

John

Thanks to all those who have helped with this. Last night I got a phone call from a mutual friend who has talked to them. Although most of their property has been burnt, their guesthouse has survived and they are uninjured although very distressed. They have no phone or power and are relying on a mobile charged from the car, which is why I could not contact them.

John

[amtravic1]

I heard on the news last night that they had found around 170 more bodies yesterday but there is nothing about it today.

Ian

[Bushie]

Thanks to all those who have helped with this. Last night I got a phone call from a mutual friend who has talked to them. Although most of their property has been burnt, their guesthouse has survived and they are uninjured although very distressed. They have no phone or power and are relying on a mobile charged from the car, which is why I could not contact them.

John

Good to hear John


Martyn

[Shonky]

181 deceased now.

More to come also. :(


I rang mum twice yesterday just to talk. After hearing so many stories about elderly mothers and fathers living in rural Victoria losing their lives, I was just happy that I still have my mum in the current relative safety of NSW.

I told her sternly to mow the house paddock back to bare earth and trim back the hedges... :angel:

[rovercare]

181 deceased now.

More to come also. :(


I rang mum twice yesterday just to talk. After hearing so many stories about elderly mothers and fathers living in rural Victoria losing their lives, I was just happy that I still have my mum in the current relative safety of NSW.

I told her sternly to mow the house paddock back to bare earth and trim back the hedges... :angel:


One of the deaths nearby was an elderly lady who had a heart attack:(

[Shonky]

I'd better tell her to pop and aspirin as well then. :o

[feral]

I heard on the news last night that they had found around 170 more bodies yesterday but there is nothing about it today.

Ian

I heard that too.

But I found it absolutely abhorrent that the TV reported it WITHOUT knowing the factual status :twisted:


This is one of the various reasons why I detest the 'media' and their petty excuses that they have to keep people informed.

To me that was just pure sensationalism :angrylock:

[Chucaro]

The 10.16 am update in ABC is HERE (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25037917-661,00.html)
QUOTE: Fire authorities fear that up to 100 of its 519 residents may have perished in the blaze that left only a dozen homes standing in the town, northeast of Melbourne. end of QUOTE
This is absolutely terrible.
The terrorist should be hang or burn :mad:

[George130]

The 10.16 am update in ABC is HERE (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25037917-661,00.html)
QUOTE: Fire authorities fear that up to 100 of its 519 residents may have perished in the blaze that left only a dozen homes standing in the town, northeast of Melbourne. end of QUOTE
This is absolutely terrible.
The terrorist should be hang or burn :mad:

Wife thinks they should be made to help recover the bodies.

[DeeJay]

The 10.16 am update in ABC is HERE (http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25037917-661,00.html)
QUOTE: Fire authorities fear that up to 100 of its 519 residents may have perished in the blaze that left only a dozen homes standing in the town, northeast of Melbourne. end of QUOTE
This is absolutely terrible.
The terrorist should be hang or burn :mad:

Lets not brand them terrorists.
Most Insurance companies don't cover acts of terrorism. If rural arson was legislated as terrorism it would be a reason for them to deny cover.:(

There are plenty of things we can call them instead.:bat: