Australian State Of Victoria Is On Fire :(

[AussieDodger]

http://skynews.com.au/news/article.aspx?id=301174

The death toll from Victoria's bushfires has risen to 84 in what has officially become Australia's deadliest bushfires disaster.

As dozens of blazes continued to rage on Sunday night, it seemed certain that the rapidly-unfolding disaster would claim many more lives.

By 8.30pm (AEDT), at least 750 homes had been destroyed, more than 330,000 hectares burnt out - 220,000ha alone in the Kinglake Complex wildfire - while authorities said some fires could take weeks to contain.

Entire towns were wiped out while communities in Dederang, Taggerty and Glenburn in the state's north were still under threat on Sunday night, almost 36 hours after the first fires were sparked by record heat and winds on Saturday.

The toll already surpasses the 47 deaths in Victoria and 28 in South Australia in the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires, while the Black Friday blaze in 1939 claimed 71 lives.

Ten people remain in a critical condition in hospital with serious burns.

The Kinglake region, about 80km north of Melbourne, was the worst hit - at least 550 homes razed and 63 deaths reported in the area as of 8.30pm (AEDT) on Sunday as the furious 220,000-hectare inferno, known as the Kinglake Complex, gave locals little chance.

One fire official said the blaze had a perimeter of 'several hundred' kilometres.

They showed a map on the news last night, and there was only a strip up the middle of the state that didn't have fires in it.


I live in western Bendigo and my side of the town was on fire...........

http://skynews.com.au/news/article.aspx?id=301169

Parts of Bendigo, in central Victoria, look like a war zone after having been ravaged by a bushfire moving at break-neck speed.

The fire engulfed 50 homes, and resulted in the death of one man confined to a motorised chair.

.......I have some photos on my camera I'll post them when I can. The fire stopped one block from my house. PHEW does not describe the relief. One of my buddies house was safe by one house section. Lucky _______d.

[Snakes Gould]

cant you guys just use water like the rest of the world when there's a fire?



in all seriousness, im glad you're all right

[CadensDad]

I mean you are surrounded by water just splash that on the fire,

[Madison]

Currently 11:30 AM Sunday here, so weird to hear about fires that haven't happened yet (article says 8:30 PM Sunday, which is tonight).

Not meaning to make light of it though, I hope they get those fires put out quick and no more lives or towns are lost.

[TheJanitor]

Are the kangaroos safe?

[ayebatter]

Hate to see huge fires, I've been evacuated twice in the last 4 yrs for huge fires in the mountains where I live.

[Mookie4ever]

cant you guys just use water like the rest of the world when there's a fire?



in all seriousness, im glad you're all right

Australia is suffering through a 7 year drought. They've stopped irregation to their main farmlands and are using water for drinking only. The situation is beyond critical and Australia may become one huge desert in our lifetime. The Aussie PM is now not so sure that global warming is not serious. This is serious stuff.

[Snakes Gould]

cant you guys just use water like the rest of the world when there's a fire?



in all seriousness, im glad you're all right

Australia is suffering through a 7 year drought. They've stopped irregation to their main farmlands and are using water for drinking only. The situation is beyond critical and Australia may become one huge desert in our lifetime. The Aussie PM is now not so sure that global warming is not serious. This is serious stuff.

cant they just import water from somewhere?

[smoovethug]

Sad news, hope it all gets under control quickly. Glad to hear you're okay also, I guess.

[Madison]

Suspicions that the worst wildfires ever to strike Australia were deliberately set led police to declare crime scenes Monday in towns incinerated by blazes

Officials believe arson may be behind at least some of the more than 400 fires that tore a destructive path across a vast swath of southern Victoria state over the weekend.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_australia_wildfires

Wow.