Much of Australia is currently on fire. The worst of the fires seem to have engulfed Victoria. Entire towns have been reduced to ash, people have lost their homes, properties, livestock and in the most severe cases their loved ones. At the time of writing I believe there have been 65 people confirmed dead and that number is expected to rise. Some of the pictures are truly surreal. The Courier Mail has a gallery of photographs documenting the event. The one that is permanently etched into my mind is one in which the entire frame of the camera is filled with smoke, it seems more like the legacy of a volcano than a bushfire. In the middle of the frame there’s a tiny little black dot. It turns out that little black ‘dot’ is actually a 737 airline. It really gives you a sense of the scope of this ‘thing.’
Ironically elsewhere in the country, we are subject to floods.
My friend John in Minnesota had heard about the fires on BBC Radio and wanted to make sure I was okay before wryly adding, “Any quips about melting will be interpreted literally hence.”
I was fine. I am fine. All I had to contend with was a growing sense of guilt for having complained about how hot it had been.
Elsewhere other people hadn’t been so lucky. Not just people unknown to me either. YouTube personality ChrisOnTV88 (who I got to hang out with late last year in Sydney) became uncomfortably close to the fires. Last night he posted the following video.
Chris is the consumate comedian. I’ve never seen him this serious – or this worried. A little while after posting this he regained his sense of humour, tweeting Billy Joel lyrics. “We Didn’t Start The Fire” no less.
His whole twitter feed (@ChrisOnTV88) reads like a disturbing short-form novel.
I’m going to try and get the family in the car again
about 19 hours ago from webITS RAINING GOD YES
about 18 hours ago from webstill wont leave though
about 18 hours ago from webOkay now there is lightning … more fire is being started
about 18 hours ago from webOur house is like 100 meters away from the golf course and the fire destroyed it.
about 15 hours ago from webStill worried about friends though. Haven’t heard from a lot of them.
about 15 hours ago from web100 people estimated dead.
about 1 hour ago from web
Image Credit: Melbourne Bushfire Smoke #1 by Drew__
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Stay safe. Stay cool. Have you noticed any difference in the sunsets? I remember once when there was a wildfire a few states to the west, we had purple and red sunsets for weeks
Yes very difficult time- and times ahead…
I have a few sessions left.
http://mareejaeger.blogspot.com/2009/02/special-deal-assist-bushfire-victims.html
and you might be interested in this project http://mareejaeger.blogspot.com/2009/02/dot-points.html
Thanks for the useful info. It’s so interesting