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Just a quick message of support for all our Aussie comrades dealing with mother nature down under at the moment, and spare a thought to all the fire crews risking their lives for them too.

News Story:

The Victorian government has pledged an extra $27 million towards firefighting efforts, amid warnings blazes in the state's east and north-east could burn for weeks.



Premier Steve Bracks announced the funding boost while visiting firefighters and volunteers in Wangaratta and the King Valley in the state's north-east today.

It takes the Department of Sustainability (DSE) and Environment's total fire budget for 2006-07 to $150 million.

Most of the extra funding will pay for 100 summer-period firefighters and up to 150personnel expected to arrive from New Zealand. As well, 50 management and air support specialists are expected to be recruited from North America.

"Fires burning out of control in the high country and Gippsland will continue to pose a direct threat to people and property in an area of more than half a million hectares," Mr Bracks said in a statement.

More than 3,000 DSE and Country Fire Authority personnel are involved in fighting bushfires across Victoria.

Ember warning:

Meanwhile, residents in north-eastern Victorian towns threatened by bushfires are being warned to watch for ember attacks as strong winds fan the blazes.

The DSE has issued an urgent-threat message for the Ovens area, in particular residents of Harrietville, Germantown, Freeburgh and the Snowy Creek area.

They are under threat from a fire that started in the area yesterday afternoon and is burning in a south-easterly direction about three kilometres from Germantown.

People living in Simmonds Creek and Mt Beauty area are also being warned they may be under threat.

Residents in the area are being advised to activate their fire plans immediately.

A fire burning in the Tolmie area has also jumped containment lines and may threaten nearby residents, including those living between Merrijig and Mirimbah.

The fire burning in the Wangaratta area has also travelled up the western side of Mount Buffalo and is causing spot fires over the Buckland Valley.

A threat message has been issued for Cheshunt, Cheshunt South and Paradise Falls in the King Valley area due to increased fire activity.

People living in Gaffneys Creek and A1 Mine Settlement are also being warned to watch for ember attacks.

Winds are also causing concern in the Gippsland area, with fears ember attacks from a 41,000-hectare fire could lead to a series of spot fires.

The DSE is warning people in Waterford, Castleburn, Crooked River, Wonnangatta Road and Eaglevale areas to remain vigilant.

My heart goes out to all those folks who have lost homes and property and deepest respect to the fire fighters and all those involved in tackling the blaze.

I've been worried about you, too! (Doing a rain dance......)

Oh, dear! I'm so sorry! Best of luck to everyone.....

The only "good" news in this area for those way out in the country, is with such a long drought, there's nothing much growing any more to burn, or it's burnt last season. (This doesn't apply to existing forests, though in one way they are going to burn less fiercely, less sap). Sigh.

Oh my, what horrible fires! I hope they are out soon!

I can smell the smoke in Canberra from the fires up in the High Country round Tumut. Great pics, Magenta!

When do your rains begin?

You are joking, aren't you, Lulu?! Grin. We don't have "rains" any more. Or certainly not round here. The coast still gets a bit. But even in Sydney the dams are almost empty. Water restrictions (third level) are constant. Canberra had half a dozen drops of rain about a week ago. Literally. People went out in the street to feel it, and smell the scent of the water. I am trying to keeep a couple of birdbaths full so the birds can drink.

DAMN! I was afraid of that! Sorry. Believe me, we know about wildfires here...it's so difficult!

Grin. Actually, a shower is forecast round here sometime in the next few days. Mostly it will be dust, but any water is welcome. The water in the birdbaths evaporates each day, but it's something. Wildlife is suffering particularly because their usual watersources are mostly dry. And the drought's been going so long there is no groundwater, which means even big strong gum trees are dying.

You get all this over your way too. LA, for instance, I understand, would have trouble existing without water being brought to it from afar.

dang aussie, i am sorry to hear all that. hope you all get a good long rain soon........:-6

This was in today’s London Metro:

Hundreds of thousands of koalas, kangaroos and other animals have been killed in massive bushfires in the past two weeks. The blazes are still burning in Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales and have been so big that experts fear some species may become extinct. “Animals just do not have a chance to get out of the way “the President of the Wildlife Protection Association said. Koalas and possums which instinctively climb to tree tops for safety would have had no chance; the fires have burnt more then 850,000 hectares (2 million acres). The worst blazes are in Victoria where more than 4000 fire-fighters are battling four large blazes.

And so it continues..........

Oh, GOD! I am so pained by this....:-1

A couple of years ago a bad one came through my area here in Canberra. I was in Tennessee at the time, and nearly went beserk. Spoke to two of my kids who were on the roof of my house at the time, trying to wet it down They promised me to get in the car and just LEAVE. Not to be noble. Just to get the heck out of there. We didn't get burned, but part of the uni where I worked did. If I ever come upon any of the nice folk who like to start fires so they can watch things blaze away, I might just feel the need to watch them blaze away. GRRRRRRRRR

I'm almost afraid to ask.....any progress at all?

Wow I could never imagine going so long without any rain. How awful it must be to have blazes run across Australia without any rain to help prevent all the damage and destruction that it is causing. I hope the fires are put out soon!!

Good luck, friends!

Thanks Lulu. Great on the rain your way, Diuretic.

I don't think I'll ever forget that morning Magenta. I was, as I said, in Tennesse. Turned on the morning news when I woke up, something about baseball or football scores then just a flat voice saying pretty much: the capital of Australia has just burnt down with many dead. I freaked out. Got on the phone although it was some unearthly hour in Australia - finally got my husband's cell phone and they were all on the roof. I was scared shytless, knew that even if I got on a plane instantly, I couldnt be there in time to help. What I was almost most afraid of, knowing my kids, was that they would do something "noble" - like racing into a burning house if they thought a dog might be in there. Believe me, I care about the welfare of dogs !!!! But it ain't nothing to how I care about the welfare of my kids.

On the subject of animals. My then boss lost his house - as did all his neighbours. Behind that street was a paddock with half a dozen horses in it. Because of the bushfire haze that had been round all that summer, the horses got used to the smell of smoke.. and just didn't run. None survived.

-------

A few years earlier, my sister, who lived at that time in the north of Sydney came home from shopping to find her street cordoned off by police. It backed onto bushland which was ablaze. One of her sons was in her house. The police refused to let her through. My sister got out of her car, knocked the policeman down, ran to her house and got her son out. They never charged her. Grin.

:-1 I can't imagine the horror of it, AP! I was in Africa one time when there was a sizeable earthquake here. It was before the days of cell phones, so all we knew was that it'd happened. Very unnerving, to say the least! Sometimes, I'd like to CHOKE the media!

I get the chills just thinking about that...

I actually passed on the thought of being an electrician, that's how much I hate electricity.

Magenta, there was a dreadful accident a few years ago, involving a news crew whose van encountered power lines. A lovely commentator was terribly burned, lost parts of her limbs and had to endure many reconstructive surgeries.

She's back working again! ADRIENNE ALPERT is one of my personal heros!

My brother is an electrician coincidentally...he makes good money.

How're things now? (Thinking of all those firefighters on the line, missing their family events....)

Snow in summertime?

Did the weather help with the fires?

Why is it whenever i see this thead i think of the time i dropped my cig down the loo between my legs

and missed? :-2

Magenta flame;495525 wrote: this is what happens when fire trucks argue with power lines:wah:



the men sitting in the truck are all OK!



http://www.upholdtheright.com/gallery/cfa



It's not just the fires that'll getcha


i thought this was just another ashes thread



i hope you guys are ok



we are growing gills ....you are crying out for water crazy

Magenta flame;519460 wrote: Just an update for all who have an interest.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/indept ... 63,00.html



-6


Apparently Eucalyptus can create a special hazard... is it so where you live?

jimbo;519467 wrote: i thought this was just another ashes thread


I thought it might be a reference of sorts to curry.



jimbo;519467 wrote: i hope you guys are ok




Ditto.

Bill Sikes;519489 wrote: I thought it might be a reference of sorts to curry.









Ditto.




genius:wah: :wah: :wah: