Australia burns

Sankari · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:17

Australia is suffering - and as an Aussie, I'm suffering with her. Bushfires are raging across three states: Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales.

In South Australia, the fires have turned towards the northern suburbs. I have friends who live near some of the affected areas, and I have an investment property that could be under threat if the SA fires move any further south.

In Victoria, an entire community has been completely destroyed. Kinglake was a once pretty little country town with traditional stone houses and corrugated iron roofs.

Kinglake used to look like this:

Today, it looks like this:

16 people dead, and more than 500 buildings incinerated. The people of Kinglake have lost everything; their town simply does not exist anymore. Please spare a thought for them.

Elsewhere in Victoria and NSW:

More photos available here. I wish I was back home right now.

Westie · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:19

that last picture is omg!

hate to go thru something like that!

J1234 · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:19

That is terrible

Ben M · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:20

dreadful.

Cosimo · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:20

Is this caused by arsonists?

sigma · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:21

Dark.

R.I.P

simulatorman said:
Is this caused by arsonists?

Think it's all natural causes.

Edit : I stand corrected. Makes the situation even wrose :mad:

CocoPops · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:22

simulatorman said:
Is this caused by arsonists?

The media says that some are

FrostedNipple · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:22

And they say cars cause the most pollution. Are fires like that not a natural cycle for the trees? I'm sure i read/heard somewhere that some of the wildlife needs fires every so often to continue to grow or something. It's a shame people died though.

Kemik · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:22

simulatorman said:
Is this caused by arsonists?

50/50

Mr-White · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:26

thats awful

wonder how long before they drop a diver they scooped up from the sea

MW

Sankari · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:26

simulatorman said:
Is this caused by arsonists?

The original fires are believed to have occurred naturally. Two men have been arrested on suspicion of arson, but they are believed to have been reigniting old fires rather than starting new ones.

Greenlizard0 · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:27

Crikey. I was aware that a heatwave is going on atm but it really looks like it's taking its toll

Cosimo · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:27

Kemik said:
50/50

I don’t know what makes a person want to start something like this, it’s just
despicable. :mad:

Sankari · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:29

FrostedNipple said:
And they say cars cause the most pollution. Are fires like that not a natural cycle for the trees? I'm sure i read/heard somewhere that some of the wildlife needs fires every so often to continue to grow or something. It's a shame people died though.

Yes, Australia's native flora is well equipped to cope with bushfires, and recovers tremendously well.

Wolf11 · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:32

Very sad

Some friends of mine own a farm up in the mountains of victoria- thats bordered on three sides by state forest,but I know at the first sign of a fire they normally leave as its very easy for them to be cut off ,due to only being one road to there property.

Hunders · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:34

Damn.. I knew that it was bad but you don't fully realise things like this until you see pictures like the ones in the OP.

Delvis · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:36

Well I'm glad that post was removed....Wondered why I couldn't quote it.

It's very bad indeed, I know they can cope with pretty big fires anyway as it's a way of life over there....But this is ridiculous at the moment.

If people have been 'aiding' the fires, they should be accountable for some of the lives lost.

yer_averagejoe · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:37

Evangelion said:
Yes, Australia's native flora is well equipped to cope with bushfires, and recovers tremendously well.

They dont just "cope", they need it. some trees disperse their seeds in fires, they shed their bark and wait for it to catch fire at the base of the tree. fires as big as this are often a result of areas being deprived of fires. This is why australia carries out controlled fires - to stop the build up of flamable material.

Neoni · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:37

Delvis said:
Well I'm glad that post was removed....Wondered why I couldn't quote it.

It's very bad indeed, I know they can cope with pretty big fires anyway as it's a way of life over there....But this is ridiculous at the moment.

If people have been 'aiding' the fires, they should be accountable for some of the lives lost.

gonna say who posted that heartless comment, name and shame to be honest.

Soviet · 8 Feb 2009 at 14:40

Most of the people who died came from a cluster of small towns to the north of Melbourne. The BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney said many charred bodies had been found in cars. It is thought they were trying to escape the fires but were overtaken by their "sheer speed and ferocity".

That's terrible.