Rhia27

You may not be able to actually go over there but you can still help the animals by donating at one of these

http://www.rspcavic.org/campaigns_ne..._bushfires.htm

http://www.snootypaws.com.au/blog/in...-the-bushfire/

http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/givin...?appealId=1115

http://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/cms/index.php

sj oldfield

Thanks...will do that now!!!

PLANTS

Thanks for the animal charity details have just donated.

Plants

Andromada

I am feeling so sad regarding the fires and the loss of life and the longterm effects for these communities.
But what I find so odd on expats is that people are still talking of emigrating and where they are with there application and worrying about spiders etc. I suppose life still goes on for people that are not directly effected by the fires.
Andi

Pollyana

One can feel sympathy and empathy for people in trouble whilst going on with one's normal life. It just puts a few things in a new light.....

hevs

i DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ ALL OF THIS THREAD, BUT A COUPLE OF POINTS...

Opps sorry to shout!

A LOT of people had no time to get out. This wasn't a normal fire. When our neigbour hammered our door we were inside with the curtains shut and the aircon on full bore...it was 46 degrees! No sign of anything when I came home less than an hour before. The fire was literally at the end of the rd but luckily it was largely scrub so we COULD escape. At that point there were no attending and IMHO no one in their right mind would stay and defend. But plenty did! How can you fight a fire thats out of control with a garden hose? The thing I remember most was the wind and the terrible noise it was making. My lips are still peeling now and I was only outside for 5 mins getting kids, dogs etc into the car.

We weren't even in a very big fire (180 hectares, mainly scrub) BUT it was terrifying and the wind..I'll never forget the noise,,,

We were very very lucky, if Elvis hadn't have shown up and the wind change direction when it did I think it could have been very different. My washing in the line was scorched and had ember burns in it! (its attached to the side of my weather board extension)

As for cellar...my cousins X Husband and the father of her 2 children(in Healsvilles saturdays fires) had one and went down there for a few hours till the noise stopped. Came out to NOTHING No car, house or possetions. However, he still says he still has everything...his kids lives...He was also insured.

Stay safe everyone. My heart goes out to all of those in Marysville, Kinglake, Flowerdale, Yea etc etc etc....deepest sympathies to all concerned. xx

hevs

Our neighbour had them and they proved useless, the wind was just taking the water away faster than it was coming out.

Also if you don't have a genorater up AND working you're screwed when the power goes out.

Dorothy

I'm so glad you're safe, Hevs. I've been thinking of you and wondering how you all were.

fraser

Stinks of smoke here today where we are, an otherwise perfect blue sky is tinged with brown and I can taste the smoke in the house.

DunRoaminTheUK

How close are you to the fires then?

Kooky.

Good to hear from you, hevs.

Pollyana

I just can't imagine the terror Hevs, I'm so relieved you are all OK.
What those other poor people have gone through, and in many cases are still facing, is just beyond comprehension really.
From what I've heard and read none of the conventional methods of firefighting would've helped people - sprinklers, hoses etc aren't designed for a firestorm like that, are they. Please God the weather calms enough to let the firefighters make headway soon.

fraser

A long way, I'd say80- 100k from the nearest. The wife works in the CBD on the 42nd floor and she says the whole of Melbourne is covered in a smoky haze today.

DunRoaminTheUK

Glad your safe.

I'm curious about one particular picture that has been shown in the media.

It shows the Melbourne skyline in the distance (about 5kms at most) and in the foreground there is a completely burnt tree-line on a hill and the article claims that the burn trees are situated in Kinglake West. I thought Kinglake West was much further than 5Km from the CBD?

Would this picture be an accurate picture? Did the fires come this close to the CBD?

Wol

That's a really sobering story. There's no way that you could defend a house against that sort of inferno with the wind behind it unless you had industrial-type drenching systems and buried metal pipework. TG you're still with us!