Victoria Bush Fires

[TC]

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Kirislin has reported in from her home this morning. She is shaken but OK.
I think some kind of community fire refuge in vulnerable towns would be a bloody good idea. Put it under a community hall or similar.

A change of council building code to make a fire cellar compulsory would also be great. Cellars and concrete have saved a few people so far.

Sorry I should have posted! She is home and well thank goodness. Pagan is on 'holiday' and having a great time and the whippets are all within eyesight at all times. The car's packed just in case, but she's ok at the moment. Dependant on the wind more than anything else

TCx

Peter & Peter (Byerley) live just around the corner from me in Emerald although we are almost Cockatoo. My back fence is part of the boundary. For now, we are as safe as houses (???) here while the fire rages all around us. However I'm starting to cast an anxious eye towards Gembrook, just 8 kms up the road. I'm listening to the ABC which tells me the Beenak fire is making its way along The Pack Track towards Gembrook. All the while the winds stays coming from the south we're okay but if it swings around to the north it'll be knocking on our doors in no time at all. The situation is so fluid, it can change in the blink of an eye.

The heat & winds were so bad last Sat. I've got a tree branch through my roof but the insurance assessors are so busy elsewhere it may be a few days yet before they get here. I'm actually hoping it DOESN'T rain, not over the top of my house anyway, for a few more days yet.

Gail.

I'm so sorry. It must be absolutely awful, and we really can't imagine what you are going through

Take care

TCx

 

[Seraphina]

[ I've got a tree branch through my roof but the insurance assessors are so busy elsewhere it may be a few days yet before they get here. I'm actually hoping it DOESN'T rain, not over the top of my house anyway, for a few more days yet.

. THe insurance companies are busy but it is in their interest to assist you to prevent t further damage, at least to give you the names of tradesmen who will be doing the repairs. They can come and put tarp over your roof until the repairs can be done.

Hope the fire in Gembrook will be under control soon

 

[GotWhippet?]

bah looters are going around stealing stuff from bush fire victims property. Damned parasites.

On one hand you see people volunteering time, donating money and belongings and on the other hand you see these vultures going around seeing what they can knock off. Hope they catch them.

 

[Cartman]

On tele last nigh they showed a van that was burnt out. It was so hot the some of the metal had melted & had run like lava from it. :b

 

[Seraphina]

On tele last nigh they showed a van that was burnt out. It was so hot the some of the metal had melted & had run like lava from it. :b

yes, these fires get pretty hot; couple of thousands degrees; I remember after the Ash Wednesday fires they showed a little puddle of melted and then cooled metal that used to be engine from a motorbike! That was at Mt.Macedon main street, where many people died in their cars. They evacuated there, thinking they are safe in the town.

 

[chelynnah]

This is just the stuff of nightmares!!

For anyone wanting to keep updated on how Linda's doing there's a thread running on Whippet World here http://www.whippetworld.net/board/viewtopi...?f=2&t=1058 that was started 2 or 3 days ago by her friend Trish and was recently updated by Linda herself (on page 4 I think).

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone. I just cannot begin to imagine

Wendy

 

[Tesa]

Kirislin has reported in from her home this morning. She is shaken but OK.
I think some kind of community fire refuge in vulnerable towns would be a bloody good idea. Put it under a community hall or similar.

They have them up in the hills near Woods Point, Jamieson way. I have been in one, they are pretty impressive shelters.

A change of council building code to make a fire cellar compulsory would also be great. Cellars and concrete have saved a few people so far.

There have also been reports of people perishing in them as well. An entire family were found deceased in one.

 

[aslan]

Gail ..... how's it going now...?

 

[Sarsanet]

Gail ..... how's it going now...?

It's Thu. am. & as of this minute, things have calmed down quite a bit although 31 fires are still burning. Strangely enough, today is the first day I can actually see & smell smoke. The fires were creeping towards us from both Gembrook & Yellingbo, so the north & the west. (I think, my sense of direction is not good) There was concern they would join up but the army has done sterling work right through the night with fire breaks & back burning. The wind helped because it stayed from the south but if it swings round to the north the situation will change.

I've already got one lodger - big, black Bart for those of you who know him. Bob & Iris are on holiday in Colorado & they left him here thinking he'd be safe ???!!! But, I've contacted the Animal Aid people in Coldstream & offered temporary accommodation for a couple more. Apparently they are bursting at the seams & desperate for foster homes.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts & concern, it has been very much appreciated. I've had more phone calls from friends around the world this past week than ever before.

My roof still has a section of tree sticking out of it, hopefully someone will come soon. If they don't & it rains, the repair bill will be considerably higher!

Gail.

 

[Mychaka]

Thinking of you Gail and everyone else, stay safe.

If I was closer I would gladly open up my home for fostering, feel a bit usless all the way up here in Nth Qld.

Take care

Cristina

 

[Seraphina]

Kirislin has reported in from her home this morning. She is shaken but OK.
I think some kind of community fire refuge in vulnerable towns would be a bloody good idea. Put it under a community hall or similar.

They have them up in the hills near Woods Point, Jamieson way. I have been in one, they are pretty impressive shelters.

A change of council building code to make a fire cellar compulsory would also be great. Cellars and concrete have saved a few people so far.

There have also been reports of people perishing in them as well. An entire family were found deceased in one.

In very densely treed areas in firestorm situation the fire sucks out all the oxygen, however properly built cellar with airtight doors should offer protection. The critical time is only about 10-20 minutes for the fire front to pass.

In more open situation it is the radiant heat that is the killer and many people survive as long as they can shelter themselves against it, like in a car under wet blankets and woolen rugs, even if the car in the end start burning. Quite simple shelter/garage made out of masonry and partially covered in soil, and built away from trees would greatly enhance survival chances on rural properties.

Of-course, unless you build real proper bomb shelter there is no 100% guarantee, but trying to outrun a bush fire or even grass fire is very risky. We had number of grass fires when I lived on acreage in NSW and they can be pretty scary too. I was living in Dandenong Ranges through Ash Wednesday, thankfully the wind changed when the front was only few minutes from our house. We were up in the township, there was no space for one more car, the red glow was almost full circle around us and the only road out of town was through some very heavily treed areas. In such a situations you do not have a choice between the right decision and the wrong one, you have a choice between 2 very risky options.

 

[Margaret Mc Stay]

My son and his girlfriend arrived from Ireland 2 weeks ago in Melbourne. they are there for a year to work there way around Australia on a temporary visa, but are finding it very hard to get work, and the heat is killing them.They are moving into an apartment to day in St Kilda. and hope to stay there to end of April, when they intend to move up to Cairns. Is work scarce in Australia at the moment.

We have 4 pedigree whippets and show them at all the shows here in Northern Ireland. We love our dogs dearly, but I know we could not show our dogs in 46 degrees. It must be very difficult.

Margaret & John Mc Stay

Portadown

Northern Ireland

 

[aslan]

Is work scarce in Australia at the moment.
Margaret & John Mc Stay

Portadown

Northern Ireland

Depends where you are and what kind of work you want/are able to do.....

Does anyone know more about the Healesville situation at present - The Byerly boys and Linda and anyone else around there? They're saying on the news that no communities are under immediate threat and that weather conditions should be kind to the firefighters hopefully until next Tuesday....

It is pouring down with rain here again - our creek down the back has flooded within a matter of an hour and a half of the heavy rain starting (don't worry we're not in danger - this is a regular occurrence in heavy rain) - but it usually takes quite a bit longer to go over. It just seems so unfair ... so much water just running away.....

 

[GotWhippet?]

I dread next week, It's going to be a scorcher again aparently

 

[~Annie~]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but can any one in Australia tell me if there is a help line we could ring for info re. people in the Kinglake area? A very good friend of my son's flew back to her parents there last Thursday and he hasn't been able to reach her or them for days and is now really worried. We have family in Vic who are safe but who had to evacuate so I don't want to bother them. I was told that there was a Red Cross number but can't seem to find it.

Thanks, Annie

 

[Isilwane]

Hi Annie,

I just checked one of the Victorian Newspaper websites and came up with this information.

International callers seeking information about family and friends should call 0011 61 3 5332 5015 or 0011 61 3 8327 7814

Hope it helps - and hope all is ok with them.

Lisa

Isilwane

 

[Isilwane]

As I wrote earlier, my friend Vicki Moritz of Ujamaa Rhodesian Ridgebacks was in Marysville when the fire struck - as we all now know Marysville pretty much no longer exists.

If you would like to hear her story you can go to http://abc.net.au/local/stories/2009/02/09...mp;rotator=true (you may need to cut and paste this) - she was brave enough to tell her story to ABC Radio in Canberra on Monday morning and it's pretty compelling listening - Look for Vicki Moritz on the lower left hand side menu bar. More now than even earlier in the week, they are trying to come to terms with how they survived when so many didn't.

Lisa

Isilwane

 

[sigzephyr]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but can any one in Australia tell me if there is a help line we could ring for info re. people in the Kinglake area? A very good friend of my son's flew back to her parents there last Thursday and he hasn't been able to reach her or them for days and is now really worried. We have family in Vic who are safe but who had to evacuate so I don't want to bother them. I was told that there was a Red Cross number but can't seem to find it.
Thanks, Annie

Red Cross contact number is 1800 727 077 Sorry I'm not sure if you can call this number outside Asutralia.

Also try here:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/indepth/s...5018720,00.html

Here is the unofficial survivor list. It keeps getting added to.

http://www.daftdoggy.com/bushfire/Summarysmry.php

 

[Sarsanet]

As I wrote earlier, my friend Vicki Moritz of Ujamaa Rhodesian Ridgebacks was in Marysville when the fire struck - as we all now know Marysville pretty much no longer exists.
If you would like to hear her story you can go to http://abc.net.au/local/stories/2009/02/09...mp;rotator=true (you may need to cut and paste this) - she was brave enough to tell her story to ABC Radio in Canberra on Monday morning and it's pretty compelling listening - Look for Vicki Moritz on the lower left hand side menu bar. More now than even earlier in the week, they are trying to come to terms with how they survived when so many didn't.

Lisa

Isilwane

I heard from Linda (Krislin) yesterday: she was home again & all was well but overnight there has been considerable fire activitey, it's only 1km from Healesville & much of the town is under threat but it's not her side of town so I can only hope she's still okay. I was supposed to go to work there today but the office has been closed until Monday at least. Neil & Kylie Rowe (Rowenbrae) have their shop in one of the roads under threat but when I rang them earlier today they said the radio was panicking people & things aren't as bad as it says but I dunno, it's issueing warnings & ember threats every few minutes so I'm very glad I don't have to go there & leave my dogs & house unguarded here.

The Byerley boys would have been in serious trouble if they still lived in Healesville but they don't. They are now around the corner from me on the Cockatoo/Emerald borders. The enviroment is every bit as dangerous but, thank God, we don't have any fire threats here at present. I can speak only on, literally, a moment by moment basis.

If anyone wants updates on Sam the koala please go to www.heraldsun.com.au. Great photos of her there with the man who gave her the water & Bob, the male koala who has befriended her.

Gail.

 

[~Annie~]

Thank you so much for the info re. contact numbers etc. for worried friends and relatives ... I'll pass it on to my son asap.

What you are experiencing in the areas hit by fire is just beyond comprehension, stay safe all.

Annie