Fires of hell

[ozchick]

Don't know about other Aussies but I have this weird sense of guilt being over here in cool comfortable Sg while my fellow Aussies are in such dire straights...it's just so awful....it 's like the end of the world has come. Can't believe Marysville's gone...such a beautiful peaceful little town....

[Bafana]

Very tragic and very quick. That said all the envronmental conditions matched that of Ash Wednesday so they should have been better prepared. Apparently the main killer fire was lit by an arsonist for whom burning is too good. True and utter bastard.

[Hope_oz]

I completely understand what you mean. Each night I have been following up the news and papers for updates. I feel completely helpless over here - the best thing that we can do now is to donate money. The Salvation Army and the Australian Red Cross websites are accepting donations specifically for the bushfires. I think they have raised about $30 million - I feel very much proud that Australians can really band together during such awful tragedies.

Did you see the picture taken from the hills of Doncaster - you could see the fire from that close to metropolitan Melbourne! A colleague lives in outer metro melbourne and his whole family would have been goners if not for the last minute wind change. Very scary - global warming has a whole heap of immediate consequences which will only get worse - will start by bringing my own bags to supermarket instead of bringing home 'double-bagged ' groceries.

We can only send our thoughts and prayers from here....