kahnjar1

To those of our Members living in Australia, our thoughts are with you at this terrible time. Hopefully you are all OK and safe.

A. G. Maisey

Thanks mate. --- alan.

fernando

Such dramatic situation that is taking so extremely long to end. We are with you and your beloved ones.

Rich

A shame such loss of life and property; human and a huge number of unique animals

A. G. Maisey

Thank you for your thoughts gentlemen.

Jens Nordlunde

What is happening to humans an animals is beyond what most of us can believe - it is awful, and I do feel with anyone involved.

Rick

I understand that some of these were started on purpose; there's no punishment too extreme for this kind of behavior.

A. G. Maisey

Thanks for your thoughts Jens.

These fires are the worst I've ever seen, maybe the worst since white settlement. They are savage, and they are very extensive. But for those who understand these things, the causes are very, very obvious, and because I am a cautious person I will not comment on those causes here.

Bush fires are a fact of life in Australia. I've lived with them all my life, and a small, insignificant bush fire can destroy your property and kill you just easily as a big one. You do tend to get used to the idea that summer means fires.

All bush fires are fought by volunteers. When the fires become too much for local volunteers, fire fighters from other countries such as New Zealand, Canada, USA and other Pacific Countries have offered assistance.

But the maintenance of Australian bushland requires a year round effort, we should not need to wait for Nature to step in and do the job for us.

Indigenous people farmed Australia with fire for more than 40,000 years before European settlers arrived and tried to farm Australia using European philosophies and methods. Only now are we seeing what a failure this has been. The current fires are just one piece of evidence of the unfolding disaster, the rest is yet to be revealed.

Rick, yes, some might have been started of purpose, if that does prove to be the case, the guilty persons need to feel the full weight of the law, which I believe is 25 years to life.

However, most bushfires start because of natural causes, such as dry lightning strikes. Others start by accident, such as dragging chain on a motor vehicle

Ian

These fires are the worst and most extensive since Europeans arrived in Australia (i.e., since late 18th C).

I have relatives in N.E. Victoria who have been hit. Last week they lost their homes and sheds on their dairy farm. Fortunately the livestock were safe and they rescued their fodder. They are walking their cows to a neighbor's farm to milk them. They were a victim of "ember attack" from bushfires 10 km away that were fanned by 100 km/h winds on a day when temperatures in the state exceeded 46ºC. About three-fourths of the farms in their district were totally destroyed. Other areas of the state were worse off. So far, only 27 deaths have been reported state-wide--far fewer than expected for fires of this intensity and coverage. The emergency services have done a remarkable job, helped by firefighters flying in from New Zealand and the U.S.

Thanks go out to all those who are helping. Thanks too for those of you who commented here. It is possible that some of these fires were lit deliberately. A dozen people have been arrested in NSW alone for suspected arson. As Alan notes, the penalties are severe but can never make up for the loss of life and property such people cause.

Ian

jagabuwana

They're so horrible.

Alan I see that fire might be edging scarily close. You're in my thoughts and please keep us updated.

A. G. Maisey

Thanks Jaga.

Actually pretty OK today, they promised highly dangerous conditions, but these have not eventuated.

Last Saturday was real bad news though. Didn't touch me, but too close for comfort.

Green

Alan, Gavin and the rest of the Australian forummers, you're all in my thought and prayers too . Hope all of you are safe and the fire will be completely put out and over soon.

I stayed in Tasmania from 1974-1980 and even back then bush fires occurred every summer. In fact in our botany studies in the university bush fires were considered a part (an essential part in fact) of the ecology of Australian forest lifecycle. But bush fires of even a tenth of the current magnitude was unheard off back then.