Bushfires Devastate Australian Towns

[Richard James13]

Other things to consider about escaping the fire.

You don't know where the fire is, what direction it may be headed or when it will get to you. Many people die trying to save their homes and or livestock. They think they have enough time but they misjudge it. Fire might go right past your property or you might be able to fight it off, or it might kill you.

The roads are not in straight lines away from the fire. Some go towards the fire and some are windy, many roads are dirt or have poor surfaces.

Smoke can make it very hard to see, especially when the fire is close.

 

[Lord Krunk]

Just curious but how do that many die? Not trying to be mean but surely you can get in car and run? IDK I just can't imagine if a fire is heading to my house at 50 MPH that I wouldn't get away.
But this really does truly suck, my prayers are with them.

In some cases the roads out of town were blocked by fires or the only bridge out of town was destroyed leaving people stranded.

It doesn't help that the places devastated are surrounded by bushland, making the fire incredibly hard to see as well as fast burning.

Anyone caught in the flames wouldn't have seen it coming until too late.

It also doesn't help that the day the fire was started was 47[sup]o[/sup] C, which is the hottest weather ever recorded in Australia (or so I think, it's still the hottest weather you can get anyway).

 

[MelziGurl]

Just curious but how do that many die? Not trying to be mean but surely you can get in car and run? IDK I just can't imagine if a fire is heading to my house at 50 MPH that I wouldn't get away.
But this really does truly suck, my prayers are with them.

In some cases the roads out of town were blocked by fires or the only bridge out of town was destroyed leaving people stranded.

It doesn't help that the places devastated are surrounded by bushland, making the fire incredibly hard to see as well as fast burning.

Anyone caught in the flames wouldn't have seen it coming until too late.

It also doesn't help that the day the fire was started was 47[sup]o[/sup] C, which is the hottest weather ever recorded in Australia (or so I think, it's still the hottest weather you can get anyway).

The wind was terrible on Saturday as well. The sky over Langwarrin was smokey and the wind was incredibly hot. It's hard to outrun a vicious and fast spreading fire with winds like Saturdays.

 

[Lord Krunk]

Just curious but how do that many die? Not trying to be mean but surely you can get in car and run? IDK I just can't imagine if a fire is heading to my house at 50 MPH that I wouldn't get away.
But this really does truly suck, my prayers are with them.

In some cases the roads out of town were blocked by fires or the only bridge out of town was destroyed leaving people stranded.

It doesn't help that the places devastated are surrounded by bushland, making the fire incredibly hard to see as well as fast burning.

Anyone caught in the flames wouldn't have seen it coming until too late.

It also doesn't help that the day the fire was started was 47[sup]o[/sup] C, which is the hottest weather ever recorded in Australia (or so I think, it's still the hottest weather you can get anyway).

The wind was terrible on Saturday as well. The sky over Langwarrin was smokey and the wind was incredibly hot. It's hard to outrun a vicious and fast spreading fire with winds like Saturdays.

Precisely.

It makes me glad that I'm safe in Sydney; wet, dreary and humid Sydney...

 

[Rhyno012]

I live in a small country town that the fires were supposed to hit. The winds were up to 90km/h (that's 52m/h) and let me tell you, it was pretty scary. This was easily the worst fire ever to hit Australia (it was the worst when the death count was less than 100). I was packed up and ready to leave, but the wind changed. My heart goes out to those who weren't so lucky.

 

[Graustein]

At the risk of sounding cliche, I am truly at a loss for words when the subject comes up, as it has rather often.
I simply can't articulate it. I feel like to actually use any adjectives - terrible, catastrophic - would be either insufficient or simply hollow.
It's a blessing that nobody I know has been affected - at least to my knowledge.

 

[TLMG]

This is a terrible event, but it is good to see Australians helping out their fellow countrymen/women. Last i heard the red cross had raised over $12m.

 

[Beefcakes]

Seeing the smoke fly over your own town, being part of the massive amount of heat suffered on the day
Knowing friends who have actually gone to fight the fires, some as old as my age
Knowing that some friends family's are still up there, unaccounted for...
Being less that a few kilometers away from four story tall walls of spectacular inferno
Bricks exploding, cars melting, and fire traveling up to as fast as a car can attempt to flee...
I'm from Victoria, Australia, and have lucky not been physically affected by these fires
I'm from Victoria, Australia, and have unluckily been emotionally affected by these fires

I'm just happy to have my life
I just wish people I knew had the same luxury...

R.I.P., you brave souls who so fought so hard to defend whats rightfully yours, and lost
R.I.P., those who tried to get away, flee death and save loved ones, but didn't try valiantly enough
R.I.P., the probable thousands of injured animals who burn their feet fleeing from the flames, and even worse

R.I.P., you brave and proud souls

My heart is with you all