SkinnedAussie Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Currently, the death toll stands at 131, but there is bound to be more. Thousands of properties destroyed, with an estimated 5000 people homeless. Townships no longer exists, with another currently under severe threat. On a day when the mercury topped, in some places, 47.9 degrees Celsuis (118 F), some brain dead dropkicks decide to deliberately light a fire. However, not all the fires can be blamed on firebugs, but when those who did light a fire are caught, they are expected to be charged with multiple counts of murder. Tragic bushfires 131 dead in worst bushfire disaster Arson hunt: 200 dead fear BTW, I checked the first three pages and didn't see anything relating to this, but if it has been posted, feel free to merge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toe Jam Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I heard about this on the news. It's absolutely horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toe Jam Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Btw... are those all time record temps you guys are seeing out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.A.C.O.L.B. Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Wow, that's crazy. Sorry man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FanboyOf91 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Wow, that's awful. If it's arson, I hope they find the ****s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 The 47.9 was the hottest on record for my area, but Melbourne, the state capital, got to 46, which is a record for a capital city The death toll is expected to reach 200+ as there are a lot of areas that are still too dangerous for rescue crews to get to. These fires easily are the worst we've ever had. We had serious fires in 1993 which claimed 70+ lives, and they were the worst at the time. Fires have now started in NSW, and someone has been charged with arson for lighting one of them. The sick ****s who are responsible for the fires here in Victoria have some serious problems as it was reported that someone was trying to re-ignite fires that had just been extinguished. I say catch these pricks and let them have 30 seconds each with everyone who's lives they have affected. What's left of them can then be dragged before the courts facing charges of murder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.A.C.O.L.B. Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Probably teenagers or drunk ****s. God man. ****ing people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 The death toll has now reached 173, with fears that it may go beyond 300. Some of the ravaged areas are now being opened to those who lived in the areas, but even more towns are under threat as some of the fires are still out of control. Fortunately, the weather conditions are a lot cooler today, so that helps in some way, but it's the extent of the fire fronts that is hard to overcome. Other states are sending in fire fighting crews, as is New Zealand, and the Army has been called in to help with land clearing ahead of the fire fronts. I've just watched a bit of the news, and they've reported that some of the towns destroyed on Saturday have started the clean-up process, whilst others in the line of the fires are preparing to evacuate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 You gonna be okay SA? Stay safe man, and God Bless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueinBuf Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 ****ing terrorists Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejaydana Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Global warming doesn't help this situation. Tragic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 You gonna be okay SA? Stay safe man, and God Bless We're fine, but until the 'fire season' (Summer) is over, nothing is guaranteed. Another town is currently under evacuation orders, so let's hope the residents there have learnt from the past few days. If you're told to get out, then just GTFO! No second thoughts, just go. Reports are that the police are closing in on one of the suspected arsonists, but nothing has been confirmed. As BlueInBuf alluded to, the word 'terrorist' is being bandied about, and some are pushing for anyone charged with arson should also be charged with committing a terrorist act. My thoughts are they should be charged with, at this time, 173 counts of murder, and 5000+ counts of attempted murder. There are also a number of other charges, but 173 counts of murder should ensure they never see the light of freedom again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueinBuf Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 We're fine, but until the 'fire season' (Summer) is over, nothing is guaranteed.Another town is currently under evacuation orders, so let's hope the residents there have learnt from the past few days. If you're told to get out, then just GTFO! No second thoughts, just go. Reports are that the police are closing in on one of the suspected arsonists, but nothing has been confirmed. As BlueInBuf alluded to, the word 'terrorist' is being bandied about, and some are pushing for anyone charged with arson should also be charged with committing a terrorist act. My thoughts are they should be charged with, at this time, 173 counts of murder, and 5000+ counts of attempted murder. There are also a number of other charges, but 173 counts of murder should ensure they never see the light of freedom again. I just thought it was quite a coincidence because earleir today someone started a thread about a terrorist organization calling for its members to start brush fires, this thread immediately made it pop into my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 The latest, as at 5pm Australian time. Death toll remains at 173 confirmed. Predictions are still at 300+ lives lost in total. 9 fires still burning out of control. 1 fire has caused 12 townships to be issued with evacuation orders. All fires are in the eastern half of the state. I live an hour south west of Melbourne, so am relatively safe for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HogNose Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 The latest, as at 5pm Australian time. Death toll remains at 173 confirmed. Predictions are still at 300+ lives lost in total. 9 fires still burning out of control. 1 fire has caused 12 townships to be issued with evacuation orders. All fires are in the eastern half of the state. I live an hour south west of Melbourne, so am relatively safe for now. Yeah stay safe man...what a tragic situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Death toll now at 181. Reports are that looters have moved in already. Looters move in to rob the dead Here's an amazing survival story. Head-on crash saves life It's worse than Bali So many stories, so little space. If anyone wants to read more, both good and bad, go to Bushfire coverage or Fires still blazing To top it all off, there's this: Fire 'divine retribution' says minister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 That's amazing that fire can cause that much destruction in one of the wealthiest nations on earth. Just unbelievably sad that so many people are now dead because there are idiots in this world who like to play with matches Stay safe SA and keep letting us know you're okay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 With so many news reports to read, I am now picking and choosing. However, here is a comment that made me truly understand how traumatic the situation really is. CFA firefighter John Munday, who was in one of the fire trucks that entered Marysville about 10 minutes before the firefront swept through the town just before 6pm on Saturday, described in horrific detail how little hope so many residents had of escaping, let alone surviving."The toll is going to be massive," Mr Munday said. He described how he and his crew had to make the heartbreaking decision to save themselves knowing they were leaving people to die. "We had people banging on the sides of our tanker begging us to go back to houses where they knew there were people trapped, but we couldn't because if we had, we'd all be dead too," Mr Munday told The Australian. "There were children running down the streets with flames behind them. It was hell. I never want to go back to that place, never. "As we drove down to the Gallipoli Park, where people were assembling, we knew there were people in homes that were on fire and they had no hope. "The whole town died around us as we bunkered down on the outside of the oval ringed by funeral pyres while all around us we had the screaming noise of gas cylinders exploding in homes. "The only way we could have saved them was to put ourselves on the altar and put a sword to our own hearts." There has been no addition to the official death toll, but there are still hundreds of properties still to be searched. There are even some towns that are still inaccessible. Further reports of arsonists lighting fires down wind of major fire fronts that are threatening towns. It's not just the human element that is being affected: Victorian bushfire survivor, Sam the koala, a global star Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 Still no update on the official death toll, but it has been released that there are more than 50 unnamed, and yet to be identified, bodies laying in the morgue. As distressing as that is, I have been a long time friend of the forensic dentist who will have the daunting, and distressing, task of trying to identify most of these victims. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 **THURSDAY UPDATE** 21 fires still burning out of control. Still no official update to the death toll, but rescuers are currently in a town called Marysville, where it's been predicted that up to 25% of it's approx 650 residents have perished. Several fires have been determined to have been deliberately lit. A police task force has been set up to track down the arsonists. The weather is helping at the moment, with rain falling overnight, but conditions will get worse, weather wise, next week, and there are concerns that unless the fires are bought under control, more carnage could occur. Reports of looting are still coming in. Scam artists have already entered the fray, with fund raising scams operating in all states. That's about all for now. Will keep updating in this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinnedAussie Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Sorry for not keeping this up-to-date, but I've been volunteering at a collection depot. We received mountains of stuff, but it eventually dawned on us that the people it was intended for have nowhere to put it! Anyway, the official death toll was changed to 189 as of yesterday, but today's news shows the official toll now at 200. One person has been charged for deliberately lighting one of the first fires to take hold. He was a local to the area that was destroyed. He has also been charged with possession of child porn. Several other people have been charged with the theft of collection buckets. A firefighter was killed early this afternoon when the vehicle he was a passenger in took the full force of a fallen tree. They were returning from a clean-up operation in a nearby town. There are 10 fires still burning, but most of the residents of the destroyed towns have been allowed to return. To what? Most only have the clothes they escaped in. All have been briefed on what they could possibly come across (human remains), and if they do, to report it immediately. All up, more than 1800 structures were destroyed, and there are almost 9000 people homeless. 3 towns were basically wiped from the map, and those towns still standing could take decades (if ever) to return to normal. All up, this has been the greatest disaster ever recorded in Australia's history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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