Fire and floods in Australia

[tatts18]

The thoughts and prayers of all Queenslanders are with you guys.

Watching the heartache and devastation on the news at night while it just keeps on raining up here is absolutely beyond comprehension. If only we could send some rain down south....

 

[Keren]

Death toll now 173.

tatts, hope you arent getting washed out up there

if only we could gather up all your water and bring it down here

 

[tatts18]

Keren, I have nothing to complain about. We have had plenty of rain here and there's still more to come but nothing like what the guys up further north have had to endure. No flooding for us so far. Not like last year - 600mm in 24 hours on 15 Feb last year so I have some idea what they are going through.

 

[Australian]

The horrible toll continues. Now up to 181. The out pouring of grief by Australians and all across the world has been over whelming. Up till late last night the public of Australia had donated $30 million. The overall total is in excess of $60 million.Bearing in mind our population is only 21 million. Goods and food is being freighted free from all over Australia. No truck is going empty back to Victoria. Hay has started to roll into the area for the livestock. A lot of this hay would have been donated from farmers that could ill afford to give up any of their supplies,because a lot of the souther parts are still in drought. Nearly every town and village has a fund raiser organized over the next week. Our little town of 4,000 will probably raise more than $100,000. I heard that a B Double of hay is going from the hay growing area 50 miles to our west to Victoria. Its about 1600 ks (1,000 miles) from here to there.Offers of agistment are pouring in as well.
All the Australians on the board will keep you posted.
Colin :tiphat:

 

[3waycross]

The horrible toll continues. Now up to 181. The out pouring of grief by Australians and all across the world has been over whelming. Up till late last night the public of Australia had donated $30 million. The overall total is in excess of $60 million.Bearing in mind our population is only 21 million. Goods and food is being freighted free from all over Australia. No truck is going empty back to Victoria. Hay has started to roll into the area for the livestock. A lot of this hay would have been donated from farmers that could ill afford to give up any of their supplies,because a lot of the souther parts are still in drought. Nearly every town and village has a fund raiser organized over the next week. Our little town of 4,000 will probably raise more than $100,000. I heard that a B Double of hay is going from the hay growing area 50 miles to our west to Victoria. Its about 1600 ks (1,000 miles) from here to there.Offers of agistment are pouring in as well.
All the Australians on the board will keep you posted.
Colin :tiphat:

I for one admire your tencity and spirit of giving. God Bless you all,

 

[Loch Valley Fold]

Yes the support has been fantastic its amazing the show of support that has been given.
I see that another 2 fires were delibrately lit http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/531 ... vastation/ hopefully the police will arrest & charge them. I also saw on the sunrise show this morning some one has taken a video/photo of a potential suspect & given to police. I don't know how everyone else feels but I think those who started the fires should be charged with murder or manslaughter for the deaths of those 181 people.

 

[john250]

People who start fires are mentally ill. I'd still try them for murder.

 

[chrisy]

I wholeheartedly agree it is murder, I don't care how ill you are you know fire will kill, and if it was set deliberately they need to be hung, as in my book that is premeditated. Sorry if I sound bad about this as I have just heard that my elderly Great Uncle has lost his life in this fire and my cousin survived by the luck of God, they have lost their farm and all the livestock about 250 cattle. Her husband was not at home at the time, he was away on business. He rang to tell me My Uncle died of smoke damage to his lungs he was 97 years old, we all thought he would make the 100. My cousins children are Ok! thankfully.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all out there at this sad time.

 

[Loch Valley Fold]

I'm so sorry Chrisy

 

[Australian]

My sympathies to you Chrisy. Over 1,000 homes lost now. The fire people are worried that two fires may well merge into one monstrous blaze. These fires are 8 kilometres apart at the moment. Hope they get a big downpour of rain. The floods up north are settling down but more heavy rain is forecast for tomorrow.
Chrisy how's England going with their floods and snow?

 

[Aaron]

I am curious, are the fire departments doing any back burns ahead of these fires? Sounds like they just try to shut it down completely without cutting it off at the pass. :cowboy:

 

[jilleroo]

Yes, Aaron, they're doing everything possible but, in the extreme conditions that exist, backburning isn't always an option. I know they're burning strips now trying to stop several fires amalgamating into one huge blaze which would put several more towns at threat. The worst thing is more fires were lit today by arsonists! Arsonists and looters should face very dire consequences

 

[Loch Valley Fold]

Yes everything possible is being done to contain the fires, from what I've heard the weather conditions are now hampering back burning. I'm thinking that the town of Mansfield has been put on high alert tonight as a fire front is heading their way.
Just saw on the news tonight that a "person" on a black road bike with a jerry can strapped on the back has been pictured starting a fire, while the photo is a bit blurry the photographer did get the registration number, hopefully it won't be too long before police get this one.

 

[Australian]

Yes they do a lot of back burning. More in our state than in Victoria. part the problem could be that the greenies are stopping the grazing of a lot of national parks. Coditions were so extreme last Saturday that no amount of control could have stopped the fire. The general public have raised 45 million dollars so far. The great thing is that both sides of our government seem to be getting along at the moment. Pity they didn't do this all the time.

 

[chrisy]

My sympathies to you Chrisy. Over 1,000 homes lost now. The fire people are worried that two fires may well merge into one monstrous blaze. These fires are 8 kilometres apart at the moment. Hope they get a big downpour of rain. The floods up north are settling down but more heavy rain is forecast for tomorrow.
Chrisy how's England going with their floods and snow?

Thank you for your condolences, I hope they get rain soon. and as I have said these people going around setting light to things, are murderers and need a lot of help, and then they should bring back the death penalty for such hanus crimes, and hang the b's.

Weather...Not to good in some parts. The rain melted the snow and made twice as much water and the drains couldn't cope, in the next county on from us they had two months rain in one day, the rivers swelled and over flowed, so sad to see people loose their homes.
The snow by us has all gone at the moment, we had heavy rain for two days but we are on a hill so thankfully no flooding. We are told the snow may be back by the weekend, and that the Country is nearly out of grit, so the roads will be awful, at the moment the sky has fluffy clouds and it is windy with a cold wind factor. Most of the Country is on flood and snow warnings, where my youngest daughter lives they have about 18 inches of snow and everything stays moving, as they have this kind of weather every year, us in London I think it has become a big joke. Coming to a stand still in 2009.

 

[Loch Valley Fold]

If you shop at Coles or need to shop this week, please hold off until Friday as Coles will be donating all profits for the day to the Bush Fire Appeal.

http://www.coles.com.au/about/news/docu ... nation.pdf

 

[Australian]

There are still fires causing concern in Victoria. The town of Healesville is under ember attack this morning. Fires were a problen right to the edge of the northern suburbs of Melbourne yesterday evening.
Channel Nine held a telethon yesterday which brought the total fundraising to 75 million dollars. The Holden car company has donated 300 cars for the bushfire victims to use for one year. Blundstone boots ahev donated 2500 pairs of boots for the vistims as well. They'll need them in the cleanup. Keith Urban and Nicolle donated $500,000. One mobile telephone comapny has been supplying phones to the firefighters and recharging them over the past week.
These are the things that make Australia great. :tiphat:

 

[chrisy]

We heard on the NEWS today that the Queen has donated money to the appeal it is not said how much, but still. Are the fires out yet as that has not been said,only that they think they are on top of them now. Wish I could send you this snow we have got tonight, thankfully it is not settling. As the ground was to wet from the rain earlier. Ice on the pavements and roads no doubt tomorrow.

 

[Australian]

by the forecast for the next few days,a big bit of southern Queensland and northern NSW will get significant rain. Here's hopeing.

 

[Australian]

Over 1800 homes destroyed. 81 million dollars raised now. 7,000 persons homeless. Arrested a 39 year old today he supposedly started the fire that killed 21 people.They've moved him to Melbourne for his own safety,pity, he didn't worry about the 21 lives he took. They say he is in a delicate mental state. He should have topped himself before he lit the fire.