Comments | grandma_kate: My thoughts and prayers are in Australia

grandma_kate

My thoughts and prayers are in Australia

Feb 07, 2009 19:30

This is the latest update that I could find about the Australian brush fires
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20090208/D9673J8G0.html

crumplehornedki has just moved there so I am most concerned about her and her family. It sounds horrendous.

Comments 16

tdu000 February 8 2009, 04:13:27 UTC

CHK should still be safe. From the information I've heard on the radio, she isn't in any of the main areas where the bushfires are burning. I've checked on the fire maps and there is one vaguely in her area but it is under control and from what she said, even that one isn't too close.

It is horrendous. We are OK around Sydney and I'm hoping the wind doesn't pick up before the forcast drop in temperature tonight. The terrible thing is that most of the fires were probably deliberately lit by some idiot.

grandma_kate February 8 2009, 04:20:48 UTC

That it could be arson is very troublesome. Our home on campus had seventeen eucalyptus trees surrounding it until there was a fire in the hills behind us and the trees became torches. Stanford University replaced every one of the gum trees in the faculty housing with Chinese Pistache.

megan29 February 8 2009, 04:25:01 UTC

Thank you for the heads up, Bel. As far as I can tell, Sandy has been offline since Sat. (Australia time), and to me 30km isn't that far to the fire. Thank goodness it's one they have under control. I don't know exactly where she lives - she mentioned the nearest big town once, but I don't recall. So I can't check on the maps, and your update was very timely.

tdu000 February 8 2009, 04:46:39 UTC

She managed to post a reply to me this (Sunday) morning (about 8 hours ago). 30 km should be all right (it's about what I am from the nearest fire) depending on the wind and the land in between. Her nearest town is Seymour. If I hear anything has changed I'll post.

Thread 6

alkari February 8 2009, 04:18:10 UTC

Yes, it's horrible. Many of the people killed were trying to get out, but the fires moved so quickly that they had left it too late. I feel so sorry for the poor police and firefighters who are moving into the worst areas and finding the bodies, which must be just such a terrible task. There were six people killed in one car.

This is the link to our ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) and its section on the fires. http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/bushfires/

grandma_kate February 8 2009, 04:22:34 UTC

I'm glad you are safe and thanks for the link.

crumplehornedki February 8 2009, 06:01:13 UTC

Hey Kate.

We are ok for now. We could smell the smoke last night and we lost power for a while. We are starting to smell smoke again now as the wind has swung around again. And if we wanted to drive to Melbourne we couldn't as the highways are all closed due to three fires joining into one firefront 100km long.

The fire is still around 30km south of us. It is 11km south of a town which is about 20 minutes drive so the winds would really have to pick up again for it to pass them and come near us. But we have discussed an evacuation plan, since it should be something we know anyway.

The saddest thing is they just gave the latest confirmed death toll as 50, and they expect it to go up to around 60 at least. It is an absolute disaster right across the state.

Here's a link to the local paper http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25024407-661,00.html

megan29 February 8 2009, 06:13:31 UTC

So good to hear from you, Sandy! Please keep us updated whenever you can.

tdu000 February 8 2009, 10:16:23 UTC

We've just heard 66. This is terrible. There seem to be whole townships almost completely burnt out. I thought you mihgt be safe but without power. The smoke is awful on its own,we had it on Friday night and I kept forgetting which windows were left open so we got it in the house - yuck!

I'm glad you are safe, if worried, Our cool change has just come through but no rain, alas. I'm not sure lower temperatures but with wind is enough.

crumplehornedki February 8 2009, 10:21:57 UTC

toll is 76 now, the wind has been playing havoc all day, throwing the fires in unexpected directions.

Our air con is evaporative so it sucks the air from outside so we turned it off last night. The smell is still getting in the house though and my asthma is playing up a little. I'm glad we aren't any closer or it would be really horrible.

Those poor people have had the most horrific experience.

Thread 5

alkari February 8 2009, 08:18:09 UTC

Glad you are still OK, CHK.

The death toll has just gone up to 66, as of 7pm Sydney time. And so many people are still unaccounted for.'

mollywheezy February 9 2009, 14:31:03 UTC

*Sends thoughts and prayers to all the folks affected by the fires in Australia*