The Burning Continues
The latest figures are 166 confirmed dead, and 740 homes destroyed with a more than a dozen fires still raging.
The wind is expected to increase which will spread the fires by sending embers airborne over fire lines. The fires are fueled by pines and eucalyptus which are both resinous and often “explode” in fires. Experienced campers often carry pine heartwood to start campfires because it lights readily and burns hot enough to dry out damp wood.
If you look at the pictures you will see brick structures with metal roofs gutted, as the fire was hot enough to ignite the roof trusses under the corrugated panels. Structures built that way would have been highly resistant to a fire threat in normal conditions, but the continuing drought and extremely high temperatures in the South, which is not normally the hottest area of the continent, dried out the timbers and made them vulnerable.
Authorities expect the death toll will be over 200, with hundreds of seriously injured people filling area hospitals.
Links:
ABC Main Bushfire Page with an updated map at the bottom
Wikipedia’s 2009 Victorian bushfires page that is constantly updated.
10 comments
The tragedy is that this is arson or mass murder. It takes an especially sick person to do something like this.
fallenmonk´s last blog post..Lies and Damn Lies
There are a lot of stupid people on this planet, and the US Congress isn’t big enough to contain all of them.
A few get their excitement by starting fires, and they don’t think of the consequences.
In New York, and a lot of other states, whoever this was would be facing the death penalty or life without possibility of parole.
Sadly, true. There is serious talk here of charging the arsonists if/when found with murder. And so they should.
The weather has cooled and the wind has died down for a few days, but it will get bad again this weekend. But the fighters have a few days respite and a chance to get the remaining fires under control.
The problem is that without rain, the brush is no less explosive, and it is going to take significant rain to make a difference. Down here our fires are more likely during the cooler temperatures, because the humidity is so high when it’s really hot.
Rain is the only thing that will make things safer, but it is good that they have a chance to knock down the existing fires.
It is murder, a death as the result of a criminal act.
The US is sending a contingent of senior firefighting personnel that will be very helpful. We have a lot of actual firefighters (though more will always be welcome) but are short of coordinators and planners. Our fighters are averaging 18 hour shifts. They cannot sustain that level, even if they want to (and I know they do).
I believe that the formal request has been made this morning (but not certain of that).
And, oc course, no tragedy would be complete without the souless ghouls:
Public warned of bushfire scammers
You know, with all I know and have seen the worst of human nature, I still (and I hope I never) understand these evil bastards. Death really is too good for them.
It make be time to bring back public flogging for some crimes. It would probably seriously reduce the problem.
Oh, on the US help, yes, we have a lot of coordinating experience and this is our down time, although the season has been arriving earlier and earlier. They have rested since the fires around Santa Barbara, and are definitely experienced.
The 18-hour days burn people out quickly, especially those who have been working since the heat wave.
It’s 7:30 PM, Tuesday 10-FEB-09.
The current official death toll is 173 with 922 homes lost. 31 fires are still burning.
Police have strong suspicions that the Kinglake Complex and Gippsland fires were purposely lit. Prime Minister Rudd has stated that he strongly urges Courts who find anyone guilty of arson that resulted in loss of life to treat them as mass murderers and apply the maximum penalty and send them to the SuperMax facility.
Police hunt Vic bushfire arson suspect
Official death toll was just raised to 181.
If they catch the people responsible as SuperMax is the only place they might be safe. Too many have died for those involved to ever be returned to society with any reasonable expectation of not being killed by someone affected by the disaster.