Monday, February 09, 2009

A serious post.

Saturday has now officially become the worst day in Victoria's history, the worst natural disaster that Australia has ever seen. The death toll currently stands at 108, with 750+ homes lost and almost 7000 people homeless. I expect this to keep rising. There are still more than 10 fires burning around Victoria, at least two of which are threatening towns and people.
I am still techinically an evacuee - there is a fire front about 5 kilmetres from my town, to the south, in a National Park. It is expected to be under control today though. I am one of the lucky ones.
As is often the case with these things, there is a high likelihood that these fires were deliberately lit. I'm sure you can imagine what I would like to do to the person/people who lit them. Our PM Kevin Rudd (aka K.Rudd) described it as mass murder. I'm with you K.Rudd!
Below are a selection of photos from a Melbourne newspaper, just to give you an idea.
The fire at Bunyip State Forest.
The sign for Marysville, which has been almost completely razed. I think there are only 3 or 4 buildings left in the whole town. You can see the turn off to Warburton (my town) in the background.
A car accident outside Kinglake. This is a horrible, horrible story: at least four bodies in these cars. They have not yet been able to determine if they died from the impact or from the fireball they were fleeing from. Makes me want to vomit.
The remains of the main street of Marysville.
Marysville from the air.
The randomness of fire: an untouched mailbox, complete with unscorched mail, infront of what used to be the Narbethong sawmill.
A vineyard at Yarra Glen.
An aerial view of the remains of Kinglake.
Kinglake again.
These matchsticks used to be bushland.
The fire was hot enough to melt the rims on these tires.
I think this is a slippery when wet sign.
The Australian flag, hanging by a thread.
The road between Melbourne and Healesville, during the worst of the fires.
More matchsticks.
A storm of dust and smoke from the outside. I simply cannot imagine what people inside something like that went through.

I cannot imagine what it will be like going home to a wasteland.

All photos from the Herald-Sun.

3 comments:

AmyOops said...

glad you are ok, we had massive wild fires in Florida in 1999, and it was scary.

Anonymous said...

continuously in our thoughts and prayers

Seventy Plus said...

Had my share many years ago of fighting these: UGH,but highly satisfying even saving one property