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**Rsmacker** · 02-08-2009, 05:44 PM

And we're here whinging about a few flakes of snow. We haven't got a clue what it means to have extremes of weather here in the UK, it's hard to comprehend what it must be like.

I seriously hope it pisses down with rain there very soon.

**VitaminG** · 02-08-2009, 06:41 PM

I have family in Melbourne (all safe, thank goodness) who are rightfully fearful for the safety of their friends in country Victoria. My mother is working in China at the moment and is in a frenzy about her friends back home & the fact she can't get in touch with them. It's some seriously scary shit. How the hell do you outrun the fire when the winds are blowing 90km/h & you're shrouded in smoke??

**AussieTerry84** · 02-09-2009, 12:09 AM

death toll is now upto 130 :o

homicide is out looking for the firebugs too!

**slowmotion** · 02-09-2009, 12:36 AM

Totally fucked up man. You know some of it's deliberately lit when the houses have burned but the trees all around them are fine. Fucked UP.

I dunno man I can't imagine what it'd be like finding a car-full of people who tried to escape the fire... and didn't.

**AussieTerry84** · 02-09-2009, 02:31 AM

nah dude its how our fauna is the tree's can withstand the fire, our land needs fire to reproduce

you'll see in a month or 2 all those fire affected areas will be starting to go green.

**AussieTerry84** · 02-09-2009, 10:19 AM

when i posted this thread teh death toll was 108, it is now 171

**Cleveland Metal** · 02-09-2009, 01:18 PM

Man, that is terribly tragic stuff. From the footage I've watched, it's like hell there. Sadly, I can see the death toll going much higher when it's all said and done

You guys are all in my thoughts. I so much hope that you guys, all your friends and families stay safe.

Keep us posted on how things are going there.

**horns666** · 02-09-2009, 01:44 PM

Jeez, I just saw some vids for the first time.

The PM Stating that this is "Mass Murder", and that it was deliberately set.

..

**emperor_black** · 02-09-2009, 02:02 PM

Utter tragedy! Being burnt to death is one of the worst ways to die! It seems people trying to flee were cooked in their own cars. Scary!

**VitaminG** · 02-09-2009, 11:25 PM

a friend of one my work colleagues has sent this email to her friends & family after a very close call:

"I am sure you have all seen the news.

Poncho and I are both safe. It was the scariest day of my life and we are very VERY lucky.

The fires started in Kilmore at midday and I could see them from my house. The ABC news reported there were no urgent threats. I watched the smoke get bigger and began to worry.
My friend rang me to say she was on her way to my place to help get the horses out and we were going to leave.
She arrived at 3, by the time she got out of the car the wind turned to gale force. Trees started to fall around us and leaves were flying up into the air. It was at this point we heard the fire and as we did so felt the heat of the flames on our faces.
We couldn’t see the flames but the noise of the fire was haunting, we realised it was too late to try and leave. I live along a long dirt road surrounded by trees, the risk of getting lost in smoke and caught in the fire was too great. Luckily my friends brother and father had arrived to help at this point and told us there was no way out, the fire had crossed the road behind them.

We turned on the fire sprinkler system on the roof and realised our only hope was to battle the flames as they came close to the house…. It was a matter of minutes before the power cut… and as my water supply is pump driven the hoses stopped. We were left to rely on the sprinklers on the roof.
We tried to call the emergency services and let them know we were there but we couldn’t get through.
We were extremely fortunate that a helicopter monitoring the fire front flew over the house and saw us. It circled low over the house and acknowledged us before leaving. 5 minutes later another helicopter arrived. It hovered over the house and a policeman was lowered to the ground on the winch. He put the winch strap around my waist and with poncho in my arms they started to lift me up… the helicopter was 2 storeys above the ground. But poncho wiggled and I dropped her…. I undid the winch (I was only a foot off the ground at this point) and ran after her. I know you guys would never have forgiven me if I left her to die.
As quickly as the winch had been lowered it was pulled away from us. The policeman on the ground informed us the fire front was too high for the chopper and it was getting closer. They had to abort the resuce. Our only hope was to get in the cars. With the policeman with us.

With the helicopter hovering directly above us, their radio contact was going to guide us through the fire front.
Priscilla wouldn’t leave her horse…. So we got in the car with the window open and held the horses bridle as out of the window. With the horse galloping next to the car (and poncho safely on the back seat) we drove into the fire. The helicopter keeping us informed of which directions to take in the thick smoke. We drove through the flames and just prayed the horses rug wouldn’t ignite Around us the animals where panicking. Deer were running through fences and up the road. Koalas were running up the road and falling out of trees. Lizards were darting in and out of view and the sound of the chopper over head was the eeriest soundtrack.

When we got to the bottom of the hill we found a clearing near the golf course and we stopped. We could see my house up the mountain surrounded by flames, and although we could see the fire sprinklers on the roof still working it was like throwing a tea spoon of water onto a bonfire. The flames were 200 feet high.
As it went dark I watched the flames pass over my house, I retreated to the safety of town thinking everything I owned was gone. When I managed to fall asleep I dreamt of flames.

When it went light we ventured out again to try and get back to the house. The roads were closed and the fire still burning… I ignored the road blacks, took the back road and drove through a fence (not in the Peugeot) to try and get back to golf course and see if there was anything left of my house.
It is nothing short of a miracle, but my house is still standing, the fire seemingly tracing a path around it. I can only assume it was the fire sprinklers that saved it I can’t get up there yet, but hopefully tomorrow will be safer.

Every house in my street has been burned to the ground and a number of my neighbours never made it out alive (including Brian Naylor and his wife) trapped by the flames the appeared so suddenly in all directions Burnt horses lie on the sides of roads and the street of Whittlesea are filled with people wandering aimlessly clutching the only possessions they managed to save.

I am still not sure how process this experience, but will hopefully wake up tomorrow with a clearer mind and decide what to do to help this small community that has been almost wiped out within 3 hours."

**lerxstcat** · 02-10-2009, 01:06 AM

I'm horrified to see this catastrophe! My prayers are with all of you, onlookers, survivors and victims. My condolences as well, I know this is painful even if you didn't actually know the victims.

**Super_shredder** · 02-10-2009, 02:33 AM

this is awful , +1 on what everyone else has said. these guys are in my prayers

**Cleveland Metal** · 02-10-2009, 10:35 AM

Thank you Gary for posting the letter...

Wow... Horrific account of that... Hard to imagine what they went through being trapped like that, but that really drives it home well. Man, this is so tragic...

**guitarsjb** · 02-10-2009, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by Cleveland Metal View Post

Thank you Gary for posting the letter...

Wow... Horrific account of that... Hard to imagine what they went through being trapped like that, but that really drives it home well. Man, this is so tragic...

That is absolutely terrifying. Words just can't describe it. My thoughts are with everyone affected by this in any way.

Announcement

Bushfires in my state 108 dead and counting!!!!

Bushfires in my state 108 dead and counting!!!!

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