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Severe fires in Australia...towns destroyed, death toll rising...

Discussion in 'News & Current Events' started by Pete, Feb 8, 2009.

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  1. Pete

    Pete New Member

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    SOURCE
    The death toll from Victoria's bushfires has risen to 84, police say, in what has officially become Australia's deadliest bushfires disaster.

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    As dozens of blazes continued to rage on Sunday night, it seemed certain that the rapidly-unfolding disaster would claim many more lives.​

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    By 8.30pm (AEDT), at least 750 homes had been destroyed, more than 330,000 hectares burnt out - 220,000ha alone in the Kinglake Complex wildfire - while authorities said some fires could take weeks to contain.​

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    Entire towns were wiped out while communities in Dederang, Taggerty and Glenburn in the state's north were still under threat on Sunday night, almost 36 hours after the first fires were sparked by record heat and winds on Saturday........






    :tear:
    ​
     
    #1 Pete, Feb 8, 2009
  2. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Pete
    How far is that from you.

    Thank you for the info.

    salty

    ps tell ps about it
     
    #2 Salty, Feb 8, 2009
  3. Melanie

    Melanie Active Member
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    This is now the worst fire on record particularly in the terms of human suffering..my poor country....Blazing fires in the south. Pete may live in Newcastle but the area is probably tinder dry too..

    Meanwhile, 62% of Queensland is flooded due to torrential rains....water flows inland mostly in Australia rather than out to sea. My relations live in North Queensland and are curently cut off due to flooding. It is something you live with....


    I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains
    I love her beauty and her terror
     
    #3 Melanie, Feb 10, 2009
  4. Bob Farnaby

    Bob Farnaby Active Member
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    At the time of writing this (9:50pm Thursday 12 Feb local time) the state of Victoria has a total of 22 bush fires still burning, some not under control. The death toll is currently 181, with the near certainty of it rising, possibly up to 300 on the estimate of some senior emergency services people. Most deaths so far have been in the Kinglake area, just to the north of Melbourne. Over 1000 homes have been completely destroyed by various fires, a lot of farms are in serious trouble. Near where I live there is a fire that is horribly close to one of the open cut coal mines, should the fire get into it and take hold it may not be ever put out.

    At the moment there is a little rain which is helping cool the state, letting the firefighters get some degree of control over some of the fires.

    The hearts of may have been opened as people face a common tragedy, we see in the emergency camps and accommodation many acts of kindness and expressions of support, millions of dollars have been donated for relief, substantial amounts of goods given. Real evidence of community rather than consumers.

    Much work still needs to take place to make the ush safe, the fires will take weeks to completely control, there will e years of rebuilding homes, communities and lives.

    Regards
    Bob
     
    #4 Bob Farnaby, Feb 12, 2009
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