SaintJimmy Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Death tolls are up to 93 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.AshRemains Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 News report said 80, about 20 minutes ago. I can't believe it's so hot people are burning to death in their cars. RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smeagol Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 (edited) and that death toll is just the bodies they've found. can't believe it wiped out a whole town EDIT: just heard that the death roll has risen to 108 Edited February 8, 2009 by smeagol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan. Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 108 now, this is f*cking sh*t. Maverick.: What Jay said. I'm sickened by the fact that people are actually taking their kids to the areas to show them the bushfires, and taking them to towns to see how the people are affected by it. I mean, is it a f*cking zoo or something? THis people are all distraught due to losing their homes and loved ones, and people are taking them to see how they're acting. f*cked up. asimov: They're just really fast. People that try and save their homes are usually good enough to put out the embers which cause the houses to burn down, etc. Those that try to leave aren't usually fast enough, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerouac. Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I extend my condolences to those who have lost family members, homes and pets. Does Australia have evacuation plans or federal monitoring for these types of disasters? I know in California they have a pretty intense system of combating forest fires, but the best they can do is fight fire with fire by creating controlled burns to cut off fuel. The weather has been bizarre all over the world lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack_Knife Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 (edited) Does Australia have evacuation plans or federal monitoring for these types of disasters? I know in California they have a pretty intense system of combating forest fires, but the best they can do is fight fire with fire by creating controlled burns to cut off fuel. The fires can move at up to 110km/h. When weather conditions are perfect for it and 2000C degree fires are travelling through the bush that fast, there's not much you can do. So many people are dying because they get so little warning, and driving through winding bush enclosed roads it's impossible to get away. These ain't no ordinary fires: It's really f*cking terrible. This thing already has the biggest death toll of a post-WWII Australian disaster, and the death toll is over 30 more than Ash Wednesday now. Edited February 8, 2009 by Jack_Knife "You can play faster than Al Di Meola and do it with only one pinky, but if you're not listening to what is going on around you, you might as well just shut up" isn't your croth suppose to be erecting when you have an orgasm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 (edited) Yeah brush fires can be very deadly, especially when the fires start spreading into residential areas. Things get pretty bad here every summer or so. Here's a look at yours: Edited February 8, 2009 by beavis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTA3Freak-2001 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 This is crazy, sorry about your farm futurama . Does anyone know why so many people keep getting killed? As in are they trying to stay at home and fight the fire's themselves, or the fires are just so fast they can't escape. Quite a lot died in their vehicles after accidents caused by trees falling and then the fires of course sweeping through them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digïtál £vîl Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 This is crazy, sorry about your farm futurama . Does anyone know why so many people keep getting killed? As in are they trying to stay at home and fight the fire's themselves, or the fires are just so fast they can't escape. Quite a lot died in their vehicles after accidents caused by trees falling and then the fires of course sweeping through them. I'm sorry but this just doesn't make sense to me. You guys are acting like these fires are massively different than the ones we have in California but they don't seem to be. We have winds here that can blow the fires at just as high speeds as what seems to be occurring over there (The Santa Ana winds can reach 100mph - 161 km/h and blow the fires all over the place). And the wildfires here can be just as large in size and scope as what I've been reading about over there. Our areas here in southern California are highly populated as well, yet we don't have hundreds of people dying from the fires. Maybe it is because in California, we have to deal with fires (of large and small size) on a yearly basis so we may be better prepared, but it is just difficult to comprehend so many people dying when emergency evacuation plans should exist for this kind of event. I don't mean to demean the lives of those lost because it is a terrible thing, but I just don't get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qumulys Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I almost brought a house in Kinglake 2 years ago, but decided to live elsewhere, luckily for me and my family. But my heartfelt sympathy goes out to all those affected by the fires, it is truely tragic. Friends of mine have lost their aunty and uncle in the fires. I'm deeply sorry about the farm ff and can't imagine how hard it is to cope, even tho having almost lost our house in the Dandenongs some years back (neighbours house burnt down). So sad was the story of a man who had packed up his house, saved all the photo albums in the car, had put his wife and kids in the car, and quickly went back inside his house to grab something and by the time he got back outside, he found his family burning inside the car which had just combusted. I believe our CFA members, should be put on full time, as a proper paid job. When there is no fires, they should be back burning and clearing forrest to reduce the speed of the fires which inevitably come every year. The horrors these men and women face on a VOLUNTEER basis is indescribable, some of whom are out their facing fires now, having lost family members and homes of their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qumulys Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 This is crazy, sorry about your farm futurama . Does anyone know why so many people keep getting killed? As in are they trying to stay at home and fight the fire's themselves, or the fires are just so fast they can't escape. Quite a lot died in their vehicles after accidents caused by trees falling and then the fires of course sweeping through them. I'm sorry but this just doesn't make sense to me. You guys are acting like these fires are massively different than the ones we have in California but they don't seem to be. We have winds here that can blow the fires at just as high speeds as what seems to be occurring over there (The Santa Ana winds can reach 100mph - 161 km/h and blow the fires all over the place). And the wildfires here can be just as large in size and scope as what I've been reading about over there. Our areas here in southern California are highly populated as well, yet we don't have hundreds of people dying from the fires. Maybe it is because in California, we have to deal with fires (of large and small size) on a yearly basis so we may be better prepared, but it is just difficult to comprehend so many people dying when emergency evacuation plans should exist for this kind of event. I don't mean to demean the lives of those lost because it is a terrible thing, but I just don't get it. I think much of the problem is we are in the worst drought on record, our water catchments have almost all disapeered, and for the last 10 years it just has barely rained a drop. Our once green state is now just brown. It seems as tho our climate has completely changed and that in 50 or so years, I think much of it will become a dessert. The landscape is also a large factor, these areas are treed mountains and valleys, most of which only have one or two roads in and out. We had temperatures of 47degrees (116f), and wind at up to 100km's, it was like a furnace from hell. People described fire, just raining down from the sky, spot fires bursting out everywhere, so towns became trapped in a matter of minutes. Yes, there should be much more done to create a proper evacuation system, and the government should spend money on reducing fuel in the forrests, but most of our fire brigade is on a volunteer basis only, so the firefighters have to work other jobs to put food on the table. Instead the stupid government wastes millions on grand prix which no one gives a f*ck about anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cran. Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Its quite scary living in Adelaide Yeah Freakeh, how intense was the sunset tonight? It was like the sky was bleeding Yeah, I saw that too last night. It was just the reddest, oddest dusk I've seen. I have to say, this is the first time I've ever watched the news and felt a bit teary. I feel extremely sorry to everyone who has been affected by this. That picture down below with the fire truck driving away from the massive smoke and fire is surreal.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digïtál £vîl Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 This is crazy, sorry about your farm futurama . Does anyone know why so many people keep getting killed? As in are they trying to stay at home and fight the fire's themselves, or the fires are just so fast they can't escape. Quite a lot died in their vehicles after accidents caused by trees falling and then the fires of course sweeping through them. I'm sorry but this just doesn't make sense to me. You guys are acting like these fires are massively different than the ones we have in California but they don't seem to be. We have winds here that can blow the fires at just as high speeds as what seems to be occurring over there (The Santa Ana winds can reach 100mph - 161 km/h and blow the fires all over the place). And the wildfires here can be just as large in size and scope as what I've been reading about over there. Our areas here in southern California are highly populated as well, yet we don't have hundreds of people dying from the fires. Maybe it is because in California, we have to deal with fires (of large and small size) on a yearly basis so we may be better prepared, but it is just difficult to comprehend so many people dying when emergency evacuation plans should exist for this kind of event. I don't mean to demean the lives of those lost because it is a terrible thing, but I just don't get it. I think much of the problem is we are in the worst drought on record, our water catchments have almost all disapeered, and for the last 10 years it just has barely rained a drop. Our once green state is now just brown. It seems as tho our climate has completely changed and that in 50 or so years, I think much of it will become a dessert. The landscape is also a large factor, these areas are treed mountains and valleys, most of which only have one or two roads in and out. We had temperatures of 47degrees (116f), and wind at up to 100km's, it was like a furnace from hell. People described fire, just raining down from the sky, spot fires bursting out everywhere, so towns became trapped in a matter of minutes. Yes, there should be much more done to create a proper evacuation system, and the government should spend money on reducing fuel in the forrests, but most of our fire brigade is on a volunteer basis only, so the firefighters have to work other jobs to put food on the table. Instead the stupid government wastes millions on grand prix which no one gives a f*ck about anymore. Sounds like Southern California again. We get much of our water through a canal system from up north. Meaning much of our water supply is not local. On top of that, we have heavy brush and trees in an already dry, desert like region. Sounds like some areas of Australia are becoming more and more environmentally like the area I live in. We have fire seasons probably 8 to 9 months out of the year if not more. We have been in an "emergency drought" level for over a year here in Southern California. While we still get water from up north, they have slowly been putting more and more limits on people's excessive use. On top of that, they warn that if something isn't done, all of the LA area could end up without water. But I don't know how much of it is bullsh*t sensationalism. It is disappointing to see that the government over in these areas of Australia didn't better prepare for emergencies like this. As of right now it just seems the main difference between our two areas is the funding and preparedness of emergency procedures for these kinds of fires. That is terribly sad that something as simple as money and planning could have saved many of those who have died already. Here is a story from someone I know who told me about a large southern California fire he was in a while ago. He was up on a hill on his bike talking to some of the firemen who were watching a large wildfire, making sure it wasn't heading their way. They were hanging out but as the winds picked up (winds that are strong enough to knock over large 16 wheeler trucks), the firemen noticed the fire was approaching them fast and promptly packed up their stuff and raced to the bottom of the hill to try to protect a bunch of homes at the bottom. The guy I know hopped on his bike and chased after the firetrucks that were rushing down the hill. He said he was easily going 30 mph or faster down the hill, picking up more speed as it got steeper, and the fire was overtaking him. The huge flames literally raced over the top of the hill where he just was and were passing him as he raced down the single paved road he was biking down. He said he almost crashed because the smoke was blinding him as the flames passed him on either side. Luckily he was able to be picked up by a firetruck, but the homes at the bottom of the hill were not saved. The firemen had to leave them for the flames (luckily they had been evacuated in anticipation). Just goes to show how dangerously fast these wildfires can be. But also shows that proper preparedness can save lives. If those houses hadn't been evacuated willingly, there could have been a lot of people who would have perished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blind Joe Death Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 This is horrible. I never thought the death toll would get this high. I honestly never knew fire could move so fast. From what I've read it's been moving over 100km/h and there was an interview with a guy who said it flew past him like a train. It sounds like a lot of victims weren't aware of how fast the fire could move either as a lot of families have been caught by the fire in their car's while trying to escape with their belonging's. RIP to all those who have died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 @Digi: the death toll it taking Australians by surprise as much as you guys. You're right, South Australia and Victoria have basically the same climate zones as SoCal, and the fires are the same. Thing is, the two weeks before these fires broke out saw record temperatures and successive days over 104*F, which completely dried out most of the state into a volatile tinderbox. We do get bushfires yearly, with deaths yearly, but they're mostly localised and just a fraction of this. Also; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Southeas...ralia_heat_wave + no significant rainfall in these areas since at least 2002 + arson + accidental fires = massive death Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blind Joe Death Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Death toll could rise to over 230. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/744864...orian-bushfires Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintJimmy Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 It really disgusts me at the fact that after the fires were almost under control, the f*ckers came and re-lit them. It was weird, reading the Sunday Telegraph, and seeing 'Only 8(or so) dead, police expect it to rise as high as 40' And now it's over 100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lochie_old Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 It really digusts me how all the fire was actually lit by someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blind Joe Death Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 (edited) It really digusts me how all the fire was actually lit by someone. It was? I never knew that. That's just sickening. I hope they burn. Edited February 9, 2009 by Ya Mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lochie_old Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Okay, I mis-read that headline wrong... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw!tch Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 It really digusts me how all the fire was actually lit by someone. yeah thats the worst thing, that some bastard did this just for kicks. so many dead, and so much damage caused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smeagol Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 It really digusts me how all the fire was actually lit by someone. yeah thats the worst thing, that some bastard did this just for kicks. so many dead, and so much damage caused. its getting away with murder. i was watching a morning tv show and they were speaking to a man whos whole family was missing. (really, the people who lit those fires deserved to be burnt alive.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_bungle Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Suspected arson attack? The winds are blowing the smoke over our way, so no doubt we will be seeing some red skies. This is really tragic, although the only time we really hear about it is on the News. But they also regualry give updates on the News. The deathtoll sounds to be rising pretty rapidly, sad to hear about all those lost their lives. If this is an arson attack, slaughter the little f*cking sh*t who did it. RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makeshyft Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 If this is an arson attack, slaughter the little f*cking sh*t who did it. Or big sh*t. A guy was arrested over a fire that was started in NSW. The dude was 30. I'd like to think that most people grow out of their firebug stage, but some people are just twisted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asimov Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I just saw today's paper and it confirmed what i was thinking, the fires caught people off guard and spread to fast to escape. There was a large image of several burned out cars containing bodies of people who had tried to flee and become trapped. What a horrible way to die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Yeah I saw that too, they crashed into each other trying to escape causing a 4 car pileup, then the fire came through and killed them all. Um, some of you are treating this like there is one fire caused by one arsonist. There's dozens of fires right across the state burning, some caused naturally, some by arson and some accidentally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flat Face Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Last time we had bushfires this intense i had burning leaves landing in my back yard... and im in sydney... i hope it doesn't get that bad again, though they've said these are the worst the countries seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan. Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 We managed to raise about a few hundred bucks at school today through a barbeque for the bushfire appeal. 135 confirmed dead now. This is f*cking horrible. As for the c*nt that did this, I seriously hope he burns in hell. Ironic considering that today was 21 degrees and partially raining, yet the fires are still out of control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unopescio Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Yeah I saw that too, they crashed into each other trying to escape causing a 4 car pileup, then the fire came through and killed them all. I flew over the fires yesterday morning coming home from Tasmania, nothing but black grass and smoke for the whole trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.atrium Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 This is crazy, sorry about your farm futurama . Does anyone know why so many people keep getting killed? As in are they trying to stay at home and fight the fire's themselves, or the fires are just so fast they can't escape. Quite a lot died in their vehicles after accidents caused by trees falling and then the fires of course sweeping through them. I'm sorry but this just doesn't make sense to me. You guys are acting like these fires are massively different than the ones we have in California but they don't seem to be. We have winds here that can blow the fires at just as high speeds as what seems to be occurring over there (The Santa Ana winds can reach 100mph - 161 km/h and blow the fires all over the place). And the wildfires here can be just as large in size and scope as what I've been reading about over there. Our areas here in southern California are highly populated as well, yet we don't have hundreds of people dying from the fires. Maybe it is because in California, we have to deal with fires (of large and small size) on a yearly basis so we may be better prepared, but it is just difficult to comprehend so many people dying when emergency evacuation plans should exist for this kind of event. I don't mean to demean the lives of those lost because it is a terrible thing, but I just don't get it. I think much of the problem is we are in the worst drought on record, our water catchments have almost all disapeered, and for the last 10 years it just has barely rained a drop. Our once green state is now just brown. It seems as tho our climate has completely changed and that in 50 or so years, I think much of it will become a dessert. The landscape is also a large factor, these areas are treed mountains and valleys, most of which only have one or two roads in and out. We had temperatures of 47degrees (116f), and wind at up to 100km's, it was like a furnace from hell. People described fire, just raining down from the sky, spot fires bursting out everywhere, so towns became trapped in a matter of minutes. Yes, there should be much more done to create a proper evacuation system, and the government should spend money on reducing fuel in the forrests, but most of our fire brigade is on a volunteer basis only, so the firefighters have to work other jobs to put food on the table. Instead the stupid government wastes millions on grand prix which no one gives a f*ck about anymore. Sounds like Southern California again. We get much of our water through a canal system from up north. Meaning much of our water supply is not local. On top of that, we have heavy brush and trees in an already dry, desert like region. Sounds like some areas of Australia are becoming more and more environmentally like the area I live in. We have fire seasons probably 8 to 9 months out of the year if not more. We have been in an "emergency drought" level for over a year here in Southern California. While we still get water from up north, they have slowly been putting more and more limits on people's excessive use. On top of that, they warn that if something isn't done, all of the LA area could end up without water. But I don't know how much of it is bullsh*t sensationalism. It is disappointing to see that the government over in these areas of Australia didn't better prepare for emergencies like this. As of right now it just seems the main difference between our two areas is the funding and preparedness of emergency procedures for these kinds of fires. That is terribly sad that something as simple as money and planning could have saved many of those who have died already. Here is a story from someone I know who told me about a large southern California fire he was in a while ago. He was up on a hill on his bike talking to some of the firemen who were watching a large wildfire, making sure it wasn't heading their way. They were hanging out but as the winds picked up (winds that are strong enough to knock over large 16 wheeler trucks), the firemen noticed the fire was approaching them fast and promptly packed up their stuff and raced to the bottom of the hill to try to protect a bunch of homes at the bottom. The guy I know hopped on his bike and chased after the firetrucks that were rushing down the hill. He said he was easily going 30 mph or faster down the hill, picking up more speed as it got steeper, and the fire was overtaking him. The huge flames literally raced over the top of the hill where he just was and were passing him as he raced down the single paved road he was biking down. He said he almost crashed because the smoke was blinding him as the flames passed him on either side. Luckily he was able to be picked up by a firetruck, but the homes at the bottom of the hill were not saved. The firemen had to leave them for the flames (luckily they had been evacuated in anticipation). Just goes to show how dangerously fast these wildfires can be. But also shows that proper preparedness can save lives. If those houses hadn't been evacuated willingly, there could have been a lot of people who would have perished. The reason for the high amount of deaths may as well be as people here stay to save their house - something that probably cost many lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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