bushfire #2

@Margie: yeah the scope and intensity of damage is unbelievable! and it is so devastating that such beautiful and historic country towns in the hills have just been flattened. so sad! It was a long night here but the situation here gets better by the hour so it looks like we will be safe for the next little while - unfortunately this isn't the case in other parts of the state where the many fires continue to rage.

@jamesy: yeah it's simply beyond belief!! Thanks again for your concern Deb but the situation near us is looking better by the hour here and the temperature is so cool that i need to go put on a jumper for the first time in literally weeks! woohoo!! the situation though still sounds horrendous in other areas of the state so my thoughts too go out to them!

@EYES WIDE SHUT: yeah i know - both the vastness of the firefronts across the state and the stupidity of some people is truly beyond belief!!!! Thank you EWS!

@-1q5yChØt!c-: Thanks!

@Suzanne: Thank you so much Suzanne for your concern. Yeah the California fires often make our news here and many of our firefighters journey over there most winters here to help out. Thankfully the situation here is even better now than a couple of hours ago thanks to the calm cool weather we are experiencing. However this isn't the case over the hills where the fires are still raging out of control and threatening many communities.

@Kingfish: Yeah we often hear of California's devastating fires - just such a scary force of nature! We should be used to it but this is just unprecedented! Thank you for you well wishes - there are a lot of people in the state that need them right now! unfortuneately the death toll has rising dramatically to 108 and will continue to rise - it is just overwhelming! It is officiallty now the worst disaster Australia has ever experienced! Thank you Kingfish!

@mo.langel: merci beacoup Monique!

@Charles: yeah the reality is just setting in here know with all of the weekday news covarage beginning this morning showing pictures of the affected areas just over the hills - it is just devastating! Thank you Charles!

@JJ: it seems to be for some areas of the state including where i am but just north of us the battle still wages and the scope of the destruction already caused it just unbelievable and horrendous!

@Susan: yeah it has been quite horrific and with the weekday news cycle beginning coverage today on TV the enormity of it all is just starting to sink in as we hear so many truly devastating stories and the official death toll of 108 now continues to rise - many burnt areas are still inaccessible and the complete toll may never truly be known as many houses, property and people fleeing in their cars at the last minute were simply vaporized by the fast approaching flames hot enough to even melt the cars!!!
it is bizarre to hear stories too of the people in the far north of our country suffering from major floods and cyclones while all this is going on - some areas of Queensland are bizarrely enough classified as suffering from both drought and flood at the same time! crazy! Thank you for your kind comments Susan! Let me know when Kaha arrives!

@Sandrine: yeah it was pretty spectacular! Thank you Sandrine!

@grouser: yeah well as you can imagine the resourses were (and still are!) spread extremely thin and the situation was far far far worse in other areas of the state!! it is so scary and so devastating to hear stories of what people went through and what people have lost already as the fires continue to rage just over these mountains! Thanks grouser!

@Maxine: yeah as much as the state was prepared for the conditions, the situation was much much worse than anyone could image leaving gaping holes in everybody's action plans as evident from some of the stories being told from the disaster zones. Luckily for us we have been told that our town is safe for now but again it is hard to get clear information as to what is actually happening out there. Though if we do have to leave it is hard to know in which direction to head as we have only 3 roads out of town - 2 through already affected bush and the other into the direction of the biggest fire near us! still pretty scary but it is a lot better than a couple of days ago... Thanks Max!

@Bookfool: Thank you Nancy! we have been so lucky considering the devastating effect this firestorm has had on all areas of our state - it is officially now Australia's worst natural disaster since european settlement a couple of hundred years ago with a confirmed number of 108 people dead and many many many more to be accounted for in the presently inaccessible areas just over the mountains from us! I hope to hear some nice stories of survival soon but all the stories we have heard so far are just devastating and soul-shattering.

@k@: Thank you k@! we are fine at the moment but many people throughout our state need our good wishes in this devastating time!

@Veronelle: merci Veronelle!

@Craig: yes it has helped here thank goodness but other areas of the state are still suffering in bad conditions and facing the enormous firefronts. Thank you Craig!

@Manel: Thank you Manel! The situation here is stable for now but it is still very very bad in many other areas of the state and the death toll continues to rise in this the worst ever natural disaster in Australia.

@Alivia: Thank you Alivia! It certainly does feel like the Apocalypse has hit some areas of the state as the scope of the destruction is just unfathomable!

@Grahame: yeah i know what you mean!!! they are just disgusting and revolting excuses for human beings! but we must keep our thoughts on the people that need our help and good wishes at the moment as they go through some very very tough times! Thank you Grahame!

@willow: Thanks Willow but i am fine for now it seems - others however are not so lucky with new fires popping up in areas and threatening communities due to lightning strikes!! will it ever end?!? probably not for a while!

@Chris Parr: Thanks Chris! i will look into some websites as there are many appeals and funds already set up to help those already affected by this tragedy. Thanks again!

@Calusarus: me too! Though we have seen some promising signs thismorning of fires near to us being contained for now and threats being downgraded. it is still quite bad in other areas but at least this is something to comfort us!

@Bro: Thank Bro! the fire threat has increased here a little but there is some drizzle falling at the moment which is nice. Thismorning on TV we were actually shown some 'other' news and part of what i saw was a short piece on the dramatic blizzards in the UK - what is up in the world ey?!!? haha. Hope you are not too cold! stay warm!