It's february, 2009, NSW, Australia. The bushfire season is on us with a vengence this year. Although we are not near any fires our horizons are hazy with smoke. We watch, we wait, we worry. Will we get one here? Never far from my mind is the fact that it only takes a lightning strike, or some brainless idiot with a match, and we will join with the thousands who are fighting fires in the south eastern corner of our nation.
Massive and almost unbelievable tragedy in Victoria ths year as normal bushfires go wild.
Firestorms have razed three towns to ruins and taken far too many lives. No one was prepared for what happened even though it had happened before, 26 years before. As of this morning 173 deaths,750 homes lost and about 600 thousand acres burnt.
No one has yet tried to count farm stock losses, and no one knows much about the wild life in those devastated areas. Help with feed and agistment of farm animals is already being organised thanks the generosity of rural people in unaffected places. The survivors are already getting assistance with the practical necessities of life as well as counselling where necessary.
The wild life ? Nothing yet, but past experience tell me that what help can be given will be given as soon as its safe to enter the burnt areas. Mother Nature may be cruel, but in all fires some wildlife will survive to repopulate the devastated places. The trees will mostly have new shoots by spring and those forests will again be places of extreme beauty.
Having said all that, those who have lost friends, family, neighbors etc, need tender loving care to help then deal with the trauma they are experiencing, regain their composure, and move on with life. May they all recover and rebuild what they have lost.
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I echo your final paragraph Bob.
This devastation slipped under the radar here in the UK and I feel sad about that. As a fellow Commonwealth country, I feel Australia should receive more news attention over here concerning such devastation. The BBC is quick to plaster wall to wall coverage when disasters in other far-off lands strike.
I sincerely hope life is getting back to normal, if it ever can, and I also hope everyone who may have been involved in starting some of the fires is apprehended and dealt with harshly, even charged with mansalughter.
Knowing Aussies, the people affected will bounce back even stronger than before; I hope so anyway.
Best wishes
Lawrie -
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The rebuilding is under way Lawrie and you are right, us Aussies do bounce back, same as any other nations, after any disaster. It's the nature of the species.
A couple of the firebugs have been caught but so far i don't know what happened.
Thanks Lawrie.
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Amen my friend, Amen. I echo your sentiments for all those who have lost their lives, their loved one's, homes, liveliehoods, pets, livestock, friends, neighbours and their world as they knew it.
It's heartbreaking to listen to the newsreports from here and see the pictures of the devastation and utter distress. This morning I heard that even more fires were started overnight by suspected arsonists. I am not overtly religious but helpless, all I could do was offer up another prayer, along with everyone of us that prays for a cessation and the healing time to begin.
Watching...Waiting...Wondering...I hear you and feel for you Bob...
I wish I could find words of solace but it's too close to the madness and mayhem, may no more lives be lost and may all those lost rest in peace and may those that have survived find in time some semblence of peace of mind.
Many blessings to you and your Lady Lis, friends, family, neighbours and Australia from shore to shore, God Bless you all,
Love and Light,
Yvette
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Hi Yvette, Overnight some rain has fallen on the fire areas and thismorning there are NO towns under threat for the first time since last Saturday. The future for the survivors now starts. All the hassles with insurance companies, finance institutions, plus the grisly and messy business of cleaning up the rubble that used to be home. Then the act of rebuilding can begin.
I had my home burn once and sat in the street with my pyjamas my only possessions. I know how these people feel on that score but I did not experience the loss of life that makes this bushfire year so tragic.
Like yourself and many others across the world all I can do is pray for the speedy recovery to a normal life for those affected.
I will never understand what makes an arsonist.
On the other side of the coin Queensland is half under water. Massive rainfall has created a disaster of another kind up there, and it is still raining. I live in a strange and beautiful country, but Mother Nature can be cruel.
Thank you for your thoughts and blessings. Our place is expecting some rain in the next couple of days and the heat wave has passed. Rain will be a blessing as we have not had enough to measure for about two months.
Take care
Bob
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Well said
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