Australia: Victorian Bushfires

[Kandy-Sugar]

Note: Please move if you think it's in the wrong spot mods I was going to put it in the Sleeping Forest...but I didn't think it would go there. =/

On Saturday afternoon the 7th of February, more than a few residents of Kinglake, a town of 1500 people on top of a mountain near Whittlesea, made a run down the hill to get slabs of beer and boxes of Bacardi and Coke. They were looking forward to setting up on the porch to watch the show.

If the flames came through, they'd do as they've done every bushfire season for decades: they'd get out in their steel-capped boots and hop around the yard, stomping on the embers.

Some clown would drag the hose through the flames and it would melt and everybody would say: "You're as sharp as a bowling bowl, aren't you, buddy?"

Afterwards, with the smoke still in their clothes and their ash-covered boots still on, they'd crack open a few more beers and share the stories.
That was the atmosphere up at Kinglake at 5pm on Saturday, as the temperature hit 43C. Talking to people in Kinglake this week, it's clear that the Black Saturday bushfire took them by surprise. Witnesses said it had been situation normal about 5pm, and hell on earth an hour later.

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Police charge first Victoria bushfire suspect

Not too many of you would know about this but I thought I'd share the latest of disasters in Australia.

In Kinglake, about 40 people died. About half were on Bald Spur Road, which backs on to the national park. Another 10, probably, were on the roads. Victims included at least seven children.

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The famous video of the Firefighter who gave a wounded Koala a drink of water:

Koala

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The following link shows a Brisbane man who has been charged with fraud after he allegedly posed as a charity worker collecting money for the victims of Victoria's Fires.

Man charged with fraud

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Anyone have any thoughts on this terrible tragedy?

 

[SaShman]

I think the death count is almost 200 now. The arsonists are probably the most hated people in the country at the moment and it's pretty bad that someone would try to take advantage of the situation by posing as a charity worker. I'm not sure if the arsonists intended to kill so many people, but there is no denying that this is one of Australia's biggest disasters to occur over the past few years.

 

[Roy Mustang]

Yeah, the death toll is about 200.

It's been really crazy down here. Just fire's non-stop for a week. And they are getting closer and closer to were I live, but luckily I live in the city not the bush.

That Koala story was awesome, because usally Koala's are really stubborn and wont let you touch them or anything, but here's a little guy accepting water.

 

[Clockwork]

Honestly, I have not been keeping track of the fires in Australia. The death count is 200?

Yes, it does seem quite bad. With my limited knowledge of the subject, I do know that people have claimed that entire towns have been leveled from the horrific fire. Is it also true that eucalyptus smoke is more poisonous than normal smoke? I remember watching something about that on a documentary.