Bushfires

[zzazzb]

The death toll in Victoria's worst ever bushfires has hit 84, that makes Febuary 7th and 8th death toll rise higher than Ash Wednesday's in 1983.

i live in Melbourne about 40 minutes from Kinglake, By 8.30pm (AEDT), at least 750 homes had been destroyed, more than 330,000 hectares burnt out - 220,000ha alone in the Kinglake Complex wildfire - while authorities said some fires could take weeks to contain.

A family friend had her house and business both lost in the blaze and other bushfires threatened our beachouse, from our house toniht the sky was a bright orangey-pink, due to the light reflecting off the smoke, hankfully everyone i know is ok, after getting away from the fires and seeking shelter.

though this hit home a little more for my family after two of my Uncles were killed in the Ash Wednesday fires as part of the CFA.

I hope anyone who is near to the fires or anyone who knows people near the fires are ok.

Has anyone been affected by these fires?

i'll be praying for those affected and everyone who died protecting families and communities.

[Symphony]

It's a crazy business ... watching it on the news is scary, very scary - and my heart [and prayers!] go out to anyone who lives near to them / is affected by them!

I know one member posted on here last night that they were about to be evacuated from their home because of the fires, but sorry, I can't remember who it was.

[Emma]

I have been watching this on the news for most of the night. I feel very sorry for all those people who have lost any loved ones, it's not fair.

[Luc]

I was only half a kilometer away from one of the fires in Narre Warren South. The CFA ordered us to evacuate. None of my family was affected, but six houses in the general area were destroyed, and I don't know how many died.

Like Lily, I'll also be praying for those affected.

EDIT: Symph, that was probably me.

[Emma]

To everyone who is near the bush fires happening; I wish you all safeness. Watching it on the news was very upsetting and scary. That would be an extremely awkard situation to be in. My heart goes out to you all.

[Symphony]

I was only half a kilometer away from one of the fires in Narre Warren South. The CFA ordered us to evacuate. None of my family was affected, but six houses in the general area were destroyed, and I don't know how many died.

Like Lily, I'll also be praying for those affected.

EDIT: Symph, that was probably me.

yep, it was you - i thought of Luc, but then I wasn't sure and didn't want to be spreading rumours if I was wrong

[Dean]

Watching this on the news and how terrible to see all the destruction and loss. The saddest parts are the people who were trapped in their cars, thinking they were escaping. I feel for all the people who have lost everything.

[zzazzb]

One of the disgusting things about this is that some of these fires were deliberatly lit, peoples lives should not have been lost, that all the heartach people are going though could have been avoided.

[John]

I have been working in the Incident Control Centre for the Gippsland Latrobe Valley fires. We have 9 confirmed fatalities and 30 houses lost.

Unfortunately two of my friends lost their homes.

[SAB]

I live only about a km from Narre Warren, ontop of a small hill and I could see smoke wafting across the ground only a few hundred metres away. Was watching the news tonight, some of the scenes with the hills blazing in the darkness are definately the fitting image of hell.

They are saying that the fires actually generated their own thunderstorms, complete with lightning and wind gusts

There are reports of lightning in the central and northeast parts of the state which could spark new fires.

Smoke haze is expected to envelope Melbourne mid-week as winds turn easterly.