Perspective

[bop_radar]

Putting my fannish woes in perspective, my state has just suffered/is suffering the most devastating bushfires in its history. There are at least 65 dead, and the toll will rise. 700 homes are lost and the number will increase. Among the lost townships, are:
- Marysville, a beautiful, idyllic mountain village I used to holiday in as a child--95% of the town is burnt to the ground
- Kinglake/Wandong, an area I drove through two weeks ago to go berry picking--burnt out cars litter the Kinglake road, including a four-car collision
- the Yarra Valley, where acres of vineyards have been lost
- the outer suburbs of Melbourne also got hit with some fires sweeping so fast that people had no time to get out.

There are some horrific stories coming out of these places, and the fires are still raging. What triggered this? A day of hell with the temperature rising to 46 degrees, the hottest in our history, with winds gusting at 70km an hour, no humidity to speak of. With air that dry and winds that fast, and then the winds changing rapidly, these were always going to be tinderbox conditions.

There is little left to say except that I hope we do not see a day like this again in my lifetime. But with global warming, the chances are we will.

Comments

[chickadilly.livejournal.com]

Wildfires are horrible - we've almost lost our home twice now because of them - I'm so sorry your area has suffered so much destruction. *hugs*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

That's awful! I'm so sorry. I have never had a house threatened, though I have had to flee in a car once when I was younger. I feel so terribly for all the people who have lost their whole lives--and worse, relatives, children.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

*Sending good thoughts in the direction of Australia*

I've been refreshing google news in disbelief about this. I thought our fire season in California was bad last summer, but we had nothing like this loss of life.

Are you ok where you are?

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Yes, thank you, sweetie. We are fine. Actually it's eerie because there's no sign of the fires here. Normally we'd see smoke, but the way the wind's blowing we don't. And yet only an hour from where I am, there are acres of land and houses destroyed. As I say, I was sipping wine and picking berries there just two weeks' ago... We knew it would be bad. But I'm still in shock at just how bad. I don't really think anyone can take it in yet.

[yamakasi.livejournal.com]

♥

this is one reason why i dislike living here. if it's not drought, it's bushfires. hopefully this will be over soon, and we'll get a cool change and some relief. :/

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Hopefully. And a change that brings real rain, not just more wind to blow the fires elsewhere.

[cherierose.livejournal.com]

I can't beleive someone deliberatly lit these fires. I watched the special they had on it about an hour or so ago.

So many lives have been lost, I heard about the kids that didn't get out in time, how most of their family survived and they didn't.
And some a*****e did it knowingly. It just makes me so sad to know this.
One of my friends was fighting the fire yesterday. She got out safe. I was glad for the rain this morning, I truely was.

Worse than Ash Wensday. For a moment of selfishness here, I hope it doesn't come any closer to us in here in Melbourne...

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've been watching the news in shock. So terrible. The children being lost is really upsetting.

There's nearly invariably an arsonist involved... it's a phenomenon that is very hard to understand. But I believe they will face murder charges if caught.

Are you on the outskirts of Melbourne? I'd certainly have a fire plan in place if you are. Well, you've seen how the suburbs were hit. I'm very sorry your family were in the area--I hope they are all safe.

[cherierose.livejournal.com]

My 'baby' brothers live out that way too...

[darenothope.livejournal.com]

I've just been watching the news and it's awful. 65 is a really large number, isn't it?

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

It's 76 now. There will be more, I suspect. It's hard to comprehend.

[lunar47.livejournal.com]

oh my god. That's terrible. Our California wildfires didn't claim anywhere near as many lives but it's always scary going to bed one night thinking the wildfire is safetly away from your house (40 miles) and then waking up the next morning being asked to evacuate because the fire is now 5 miles away.

Fires like yours and ours are just horrible.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thank you. You were evacuated? That's dreadful. Californians and Australians sure do have this in common!

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

Wow, I remember that day! We were just chatting . . . wow. I hope that your family and friends are safe. This really does put things in perspective.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Family and friends all safe, to my knowledge. Just shocked for my state as a community. We were warned about the conditions, but even with all the warnings, it was worse than we expected in terms of lives lost. Tragic. They're saying 76 now.

[elzed.livejournal.com]

Oh, honey, I have just been reading through the horror that is taking place in Victoria - and it sounds absolutely appalling, and terrifying.

Much love and hope that the heat and dry conditions will abate soon.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

It's actually quite surreal because we're fine here but only an hour away, there is this hell-like inferno, or the after effects of it. It's eerie. Usually there would be smoke so we'd at least see that, but there's nothing. I'm just watching the news in disbelief.

[latteaddict.livejournal.com]

It's a complete nightmare. Late yesterday afternoon the sky was thick with smoke but the high winds blew it clear fairly quickly. All those poor poor people :(

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Yes, wasn't it dreadful yesterday? When the smoke was hanging over the city and the winds so strong. And the dry, dry heat. *shudders*

I am glad you are safe. I just feel so terribly for those communities, all those people, the children...

[bofoddity.livejournal.com]

That is beyond horrible. I hope there won't ever be a repeat of this day. That is just.. I hope things will improve fast.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

It's getting worse in terms of the news rolling in, the real toll being counted. 84 now. Suspect it will top 100 overnight. People are only now getting into these areas to count bodies.

[svgurl.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear that your state is going through all that! I hope that the weather cools down and you're all able to get some relief.

Is everything okay where you are? *hugs*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

We are all safe here. Just shocked like the rest of the state. Thank you for the kind thoughts.

[mskatej.livejournal.com]

Jesus. I'm so sorry to hear that. Sending positive thoughts your way. *hugs*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I think all Melburnians are in a bit of shock.

[shopfront.livejournal.com]

Oh my god. The last toll I heard was 35 when I was checking the state of our far more minor NSW fires before beginning the trip from my mother's back to Sydney this afternoon. I'll be wishing and praying for you all along with the rest of Australia that things can be brought under control quickly, and you won't suffer anymore loss.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thank you. You guys have had it before too. You know what it's like. I just can't believe the toll! 108 and they say it will go higher.

I hope they get the fires in NSW under control fast.

[ez-as-pi.livejournal.com]

Boppy, that's terrible. I'm glad you are okay.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It gets sadder and sadder: 108 now. I just hope the cool change we got last night will help them put out the fires over the next few days.

[m-a-r-i-k-s.livejournal.com]

OMG! This is horrible Boppy. :( I'm so sorry your area has taken much destruction. I hope you and your family are ok. *hugs*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

We're all absolutely fine, thank you. I'm just so sad for the communities and totally in shock. The prime minister is saying there will be more deaths in the fires--I've never seen fires like this. 108! It's just... usually homes get lost but not so many people get caught.

[carolandtom.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry! It's horrible that so many lives have been lost. I hope your state gets some relief soon.
I'm glad you are okay!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thank you. The cool change should allow the crews to get the fires under control but the death toll is still climbing. Such a shock.

[fiercynn.livejournal.com]

Augh, I can't express how terrible this all is. I hope all of your friends and family are safe? Sending hopeful thoughts to all of Australia, gah.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. You are right: there is no expressing it. I just keep staring at the news footage in disbelief.

[tigergal05.livejournal.com]

I can't even begin to relate to being in such a situation but in spite of that, you and yours are most definitely in my thoughts and prayers. I hope those that caused the fire will receive their comeuppance's for such a tragedy.
*hugs*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I think it's very unlikely they'll catch anyone. But everyone I know is safe--we're just shocked for our fellow Victorians and looking for ways to help.

[allzugern.livejournal.com]

It's absolutely devastating. I can't imagine how people are coping with having their entire existence wiped out. I hope relief comes very soon :-(

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I am watching the news in complete disbelief. One guy just on was saying he found his father's car in a four car pile up on the way out of town (crashed in the smoke), his father completely incinerated. He also found his wife's car crashed at the side of the road but she and their kids had been rescued. These are apocalypse type stories. There are so many people with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

[carpenyx.livejournal.com]

Are you ok where you are? i can't imagine. i'd be scared out of my mind if that happened near me. *hugs*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

We're totally ok--I live in the inner city so we are very sheltered. It's just horrible to know what has happened so close to us. I am sure Melburnians will dig deep to help out those who have lost so much.

[thrace-adama.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's awful, and I'm so sorry to hear that, bop. I don't even know what to say. Definitely puts a lot of things in perspective.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It's much worse now than when I posted this, I'm afraid. The bad news had only just started to come in.

It reminds me a little of BSG... apparently there is a board in the community centre in Alexandra covered with post its and photos of loved ones, messages from those seeking people they've lost or who are missing. :((

[ender24]

*kicks and stabs whoever is responsible for causing that fire. (I heard someone made them deliberately??*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Yes, at least some of them were deliberately lit (and relit).

[siljamus]

Oh, honey, I just watched the evening news and immediately thought of you. This is horrible, it truly is, and I'm hoping you and your family are all okay and out of harms way.

I can't believe that someone would set fires under those conditions... Some people are just beyond words.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It is such a shock, but yes everyone I know is safe. It's just terrible to know this attrocity has happened so close to here. And we will of course do a lot of fundraising to help the victims in the next few months.

[lexalicious70.livejournal.com]

*HUGS*

All of this really is awful . . . I've been seeing it on the news.

Stay safe and be well!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thank you! We're safe where I live--just upset for my fellow Victorians. The news reports just keep getting worse.