Mass murder in Australia ?

[Srbo]

What the heck is this ?
Trashcan man visted the Aussies ?
171 people dead by the hand of some pyromaniac ?

Unreal...:sad:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/090209/world/international_us_australia_fires

[Luli]

It's very very sad! I hope it doesn't get worse! :sad:

[FlakeNoir]

I know, it's heartbreaking, just devastating. Huge hugs to my (((Aussie neighbours))).

[Liselle]

Some people are totally and utterly brain dead.

Apparently some moron was re-lighting the fires once they had been extinguished......why?????

I have to say I agree, if they are caught they should have the book thrown at them.

[rjt65]

Saw that on teh news this Sunday---- terrible --hope they can control them asap

[Kurt Rambis throwback]

crazy1 dudebr0

[Kim L.]

What the heck is this ?
Trashcan man visted the Aussies ?
171 people dead by the hand of some pyromaniac ?

Unreal...:sad:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/090209/world/international_us_australia_fires

To think that someone would do this deliberately...my heart goes out to everyone there.

[CorbinKale]

We have the same thing here in the U.S. Ironically, the proposed solution for these fires will cause more in the future. The answer is that these fires are normal, a part of nature. When you prevent fires, you allow the accumulation of debris and fuel that eventually causes catastrophic firestorms. Humans can't outrun them, and you can't see to drive in them. Traffic backs up on the roads and people suffocate and burn in their cars. Tragic.

I am now reminded to do some brush clearing close to my barn. It will soon be fire season here, too.

[bookworm101]

Prayers out to our Aussie friends.

[Mr Nobody]

Some people are totally and utterly brain dead.

Apparently some moron was re-lighting the fires once they had been extinguished......why?????

I have to say I agree, if they are caught they should have the book thrown at them.

Wouldn't rule out the culprit being some enviro-headcase. Record-breaking temperatures might get some nutjob thinking s/he has to 'prove a point' about 'global warming'. They then start a fire thinking no one would get hurt, and the coverage would serve as some kind of warning.
Law of unintended consequences kicks in and...away you go.
In their heads, that type of person would still believe they were justified.

If it's not anything like that, then I'm mystified (well, more than I am anyway). Be interesting to find out what they say when they're caught...always assuming they haven't become victims of their own crime.

[SusanNorton]

Glad you're safe, Flakey.

((((( All fire victims and their families )))))

[MrsSmeej]

(((((Australia)))))

The news is horrible... The pictures are terrifying. The idea that someone started these firestorms deliberately is almost intolerable.

:sad:

[tillyn]

My sister lives in N.S.W and is okay. That's the problem when you have temps. above 47. Everything drys out. Sad situation.

[JohnDalglish]

(((((Australia)))))

The news is horrible... The pictures are terrifying. The idea that someone started these firestorms deliberately is almost intolerable.

:sad:

Hi,

AWMSS.

Like the Australian premier, words completely fail me.

(((((All those affected)))))

Long days and pleasant nights

[Srbo]

Some people are totally and utterly brain dead.

Apparently some moron was re-lighting the fires once they had been extinguished......why?????

I have to say I agree, if they are caught they should have the book thrown at them.


I don`t get it either, Liselle.

Somebody wanted people to die....

This is...beyond words....

[Spideyman]

(((((((All in Australia)))))))

[Srbo]

Wouldn't rule out the culprit being some enviro-headcase. Record-breaking temperatures might get some nutjob thinking s/he has to 'prove a point' about 'global warming'. They then start a fire thinking no one would get hurt, and the coverage would serve as some kind of warning.
Law of unintended consequences kicks in and...away you go.
In their heads, that type of person would still believe they were justified.

If it's not anything like that, then I'm mystified (well, more than I am anyway). Be interesting to find out what they say when they're caught...always assuming they haven't become victims of their own crime.


You have a really good point here, Mr Nobody.

[Haunted]

My sister lives in N.S.W and is okay. That's the problem when you have temps. above 47. Everything drys out. Sad situation.

Glad your sister is ok. Taking the bad with the good????

[Volic]

Many prayers for the families and friends of the victims...

[boogerb53]

Heard from Dylan Roberts. It's a bit smokey where he is. Good thoughts and prayers to all in that area.

[Srbo]

My sister lives in N.S.W and is okay. That's the problem when you have temps. above 47. Everything drys out. Sad situation.

Glad your sis is OK.

But this is obviuosly not just the temperature...:sad:

[ally88]

This is an absolutely awful thing to happen. Here we are in England complaining about a bit of snow then something this terrible happens to put things into perspective.

The people who have done this are beyond contempt, i will never understand how people can be so evil, stupid and destructive.

[Kim L.]

Heard from Dylan Roberts. It's a bit smokey where he is. Good thoughts and prayers to all in that area.

Hope he is OK; thank you, booger, for letting us know.

[Born In Sin]

Unbelievable, my thoughts and prayers go out to those affected.

[benbennett]

Thoughts and prayers to our Australian cousins.

[Liasis]

Yep, its pretty bad. Worst thing thats happened in Australias history. They have live feed specials all morning and the scenes do look like something from a King book. There are still 19 bushfires raging and they are evacuating people from everywhere. Its completely out of control.
I hope the the idiots that started it (and killed 181 people, and left over 5000 homeless)
feel proud of themselves. Dropkicks.

[Dana Jean]

I am so sorry to hear about this. My added prayers.

[Wolf With The Red Roses]

I haven’t posted in here for a very long time, but a friend told me about this thread and I wanted to add some perspective from an Australian viewpoint.

This is, by far, the greatest natural disaster our country has ever seen… though we can debate the term ‘natural’ as it is becoming increasingly clear most of the fires were deliberately lit. We live in a harsh country… even now as country Victoria continues to burn in parts, fires ravage sections of New South Wales, while Queensland (which if you look on a map is larger than any American State ) has 2/3 of the State under flood with two cyclones sitting off the coast threatening to exacerbate the situation.

We are not immune to fire and flood; in fact the resilience shown by many of my countrymen who have rebuilt several times following natural disaster is testament to the spirit of our people. But this… can we call it a tragedy? Or do we call it senseless crime?... well, whatever it is called it is unprecedented.

But as a nation we support our mates. We feel for them. We cry with them. We reach out to help them. In less than a week since the full extent became clear (and maybe we have not yet seen the full extent) the Australian public, through the Red Cross, has raised in excess of $30 million dollars for the relief fund. This is in the middle of the worst economic crisis we have seen in our lifetime. You have to remember, we are a small country by comparison, of 21 million. We are digging deep… because our hearts are heavy.

There are great stories of tragedy, and great stories of bravery coming out of this. Whole families have perished. Whole towns have perished. Apart from the almost 200 dead there have been close to 1,000 homes destroyed. I heard today of a man who suffered third degree burns by driving a tractor through flames to get to his neighbor and save him and his family. He saved the lives of a family of four who otherwise would have perished. Our fire services… initially working almost 24 hour shifts to save life and property… risking their own lives in the process.

I have listed below a link for anyone who would like to donate… though I do understand your country is doing it tough too. You may have trouble accessing the site because I have been told it is crashing under the pressure of hits… but if you are in a position to donate keep trying… please

http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm

And finally, for my friends who have checked to see if we are ok… thank you. We are lucky. Where we live we are half way between where the fires are and the floods are… but in reality we are only a heartbeat away.

[Srbo]

People...friends...

I am crying like mad over this.

I`ve seen so many death in my lifetime that any other senseless murder is always making me, well, cry.

F***.

What is wrong with people, how can this ever be justified ?

I talked to my darling about this, and she said

" They want to be remebered. Any way they can. Best by killing people...Do you still remember our times ?...

They killed for nothing...they killed just because they could..."

I am still crying...sorry...:sad:

[staropeace]

Look at this poor lil kaola getting a drink of water. This would tear the heart right out of your chest.........

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2009/02/11/8346271-sun.html

[Kim L.]

But as a nation we support our mates. We feel for them. We cry with them. We reach out to help them. In less than a week since the full extent became clear (and maybe we have not yet seen the full extent) the Australian public, through the Red Cross, has raised in excess of $30 million dollars for the relief fund. This is in the middle of the worst economic crisis we have seen in our lifetime. You have to remember, we are a small country by comparison, of 21 million. We are digging deep… because our hearts are heavy.

There are great stories of tragedy, and great stories of bravery coming out of this. Whole families have perished. Whole towns have perished. Apart from the almost 200 dead there have been close to 1,000 homes destroyed. I heard today of a man who suffered third degree burns by driving a tractor through flames to get to his neighbor and save him and his family. He saved the lives of a family of four who otherwise would have perished. Our fire services… initially working almost 24 hour shifts to save life and property… risking their own lives in the process.

I have listed below a link for anyone who would like to donate… though I do understand your country is doing it tough too. You may have trouble accessing the site because I have been told it is crashing under the pressure of hits… but if you are in a position to donate keep trying… please

http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm

And finally, for my friends who have checked to see if we are ok… thank you. We are lucky. Where we live we are half way between where the fires are and the floods are… but in reality we are only a heartbeat away.

Thank you, Wolf With The Red Roses. Our good thoughts and prayers are with you.

[staropeace]

And heres how she turned out.............................

SYDNEY -- It was a chance encounter in the charred landscape of Australia's deadly wildfires: A koala sips water from a bottle offered by a firefighter.

David Tree noticed the koala moving gingerly on scorched paws as his fire patrol passed. The animal stopped when it saw Tree.

"It was amazing, he turned around, sat on his bum and sort of looked at me with (a look) like, put me out of my misery," Tree said yesterday.

"I yelled out for a bottle of water. I unscrewed the bottle, tipped it up on his lips and he just took it naturally.

"He kept reaching for the bottle, almost like a baby."

The team called animal welfare officers to pick up the koala Sunday, the day after deadly firestorms swept southern Victoria state.

Koalas are rather grumpy with a loud growl. They rarely comes down from trees and don't like walking. The marsupial is especially vulnerable in wildfires because they move slowly on the ground.

The wildfires sent countless wombats and other native species fleeing parks and forests. One resident reported seeing kangaroos bouncing down the road with flames at their backs.

The fires razed farmland, killing or panicking sheep and cattle. TV footage showed cows running down the main street of a smoke-filled town.

Tree said he found the koala in a burned-out forest near Mirboo North, 150 km east of Melbourne, Victoria's capital.

Koalas normally drink almost no water because they get fluids from leaves.

After Tree's crew moved on, animal welfare officials came by. The koala was in pain but recovering with antibiotics, Jenny Shaw of the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter said.

"She is lovely -- very docile -- and she has already got an admirer. A male koala keeps putting his arms around her."

[Spideyman]

I haven’t posted in here for a very long time, but a friend told me about this thread and I wanted to add some perspective from an Australian viewpoint.

This is, by far, the greatest natural disaster our country has ever seen… though we can debate the term ‘natural’ as it is becoming increasingly clear most of the fires were deliberately lit. We live in a harsh country… even now as country Victoria continues to burn in parts, fires ravage sections of New South Wales, while Queensland (which if you look on a map is larger than any American State ) has 2/3 of the State under flood with two cyclones sitting off the coast threatening to exacerbate the situation.

We are not immune to fire and flood; in fact the resilience shown by many of my countrymen who have rebuilt several times following natural disaster is testament to the spirit of our people. But this… can we call it a tragedy? Or do we call it senseless crime?... well, whatever it is called it is unprecedented.

But as a nation we support our mates. We feel for them. We cry with them. We reach out to help them. In less than a week since the full extent became clear (and maybe we have not yet seen the full extent) the Australian public, through the Red Cross, has raised in excess of $30 million dollars for the relief fund. This is in the middle of the worst economic crisis we have seen in our lifetime. You have to remember, we are a small country by comparison, of 21 million. We are digging deep… because our hearts are heavy.

There are great stories of tragedy, and great stories of bravery coming out of this. Whole families have perished. Whole towns have perished. Apart from the almost 200 dead there have been close to 1,000 homes destroyed. I heard today of a man who suffered third degree burns by driving a tractor through flames to get to his neighbor and save him and his family. He saved the lives of a family of four who otherwise would have perished. Our fire services… initially working almost 24 hour shifts to save life and property… risking their own lives in the process.

I have listed below a link for anyone who would like to donate… though I do understand your country is doing it tough too. You may have trouble accessing the site because I have been told it is crashing under the pressure of hits… but if you are in a position to donate keep trying… please

http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm

And finally, for my friends who have checked to see if we are ok… thank you. We are lucky. Where we live we are half way between where the fires are and the floods are… but in reality we are only a heartbeat away.


Am so pleased to hear you are OK, and thank you for that heartfelt post. My heart cries out for the people of Australia, and for all the critters too. Yes, the economy here is not good, but I will donate to this cause. Please stay safe Wolf With Red Roses. You are kept in good vibes and positive intentions- always.

[SusanNorton]

Wolf - thank you so much for your take on this. As someone who's survived a natural disaster, I know how it can make a region feel "alone in the world." Even when others are concerned and compassionate, unless they've gone through something similar they can't really know what it feels like. And it's a lesson for everyone: no matter who you are, no matter how insured, how wealthy, how happy, how smart - something like this can happen in the blink of an eye, and all you're left with is your self and your family (if you're lucky), and your faith in something bigger than you.

God bless those in Australia who are grieving for their lost friends and family, their lost homes and places of employment, and all the landmarks that made it "home."

[Harley Wench]

I haven’t posted in here for a very long time, but a friend told me about this thread and I wanted to add some perspective from an Australian viewpoint.

This is, by far, the greatest natural disaster our country has ever seen… though we can debate the term ‘natural’ as it is becoming increasingly clear most of the fires were deliberately lit. We live in a harsh country… even now as country Victoria continues to burn in parts, fires ravage sections of New South Wales, while Queensland (which if you look on a map is larger than any American State ) has 2/3 of the State under flood with two cyclones sitting off the coast threatening to exacerbate the situation.

We are not immune to fire and flood; in fact the resilience shown by many of my countrymen who have rebuilt several times following natural disaster is testament to the spirit of our people. But this… can we call it a tragedy? Or do we call it senseless crime?... well, whatever it is called it is unprecedented.

But as a nation we support our mates. We feel for them. We cry with them. We reach out to help them. In less than a week since the full extent became clear (and maybe we have not yet seen the full extent) the Australian public, through the Red Cross, has raised in excess of $30 million dollars for the relief fund. This is in the middle of the worst economic crisis we have seen in our lifetime. You have to remember, we are a small country by comparison, of 21 million. We are digging deep… because our hearts are heavy.

There are great stories of tragedy, and great stories of bravery coming out of this. Whole families have perished. Whole towns have perished. Apart from the almost 200 dead there have been close to 1,000 homes destroyed. I heard today of a man who suffered third degree burns by driving a tractor through flames to get to his neighbor and save him and his family. He saved the lives of a family of four who otherwise would have perished. Our fire services… initially working almost 24 hour shifts to save life and property… risking their own lives in the process.

I have listed below a link for anyone who would like to donate… though I do understand your country is doing it tough too. You may have trouble accessing the site because I have been told it is crashing under the pressure of hits… but if you are in a position to donate keep trying… please

http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm

And finally, for my friends who have checked to see if we are ok… thank you. We are lucky. Where we live we are half way between where the fires are and the floods are… but in reality we are only a heartbeat away.

You and your country have been in my heart and prayers since the beginning..I've been getting updates from a former member whose family was surrounded..and are fine..now...The spirit of Australia and it's people should stand as an example...You should be so proud of your country and countrymen...continued prayers..friend!!

[smjohn]

Some people are totally and utterly brain dead.

Apparently some moron was re-lighting the fires once they had been extinguished......why?????

I have to say I agree, if they are caught they should have the book thrown at them.

Maybe, if they'd had a few more books thrown at them in their lives, they would have found something more productive & less destructive to do.

[smooth operator]

OMG!! This kind of thing breaks my heart. I cannot begin to understand the sort of mind that would do something like this. The utter disregard for life - be it human, animal, or even plantlife - is frightening. My heart goes out to all those who have suffered at the hands of creatures (I cannot bring myself to call them people) like these.

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

I just heard that police are questioning two suspects.

Long days and pleasant nights

[Srbo]

And heres how she turned out.............................

SYDNEY -- It was a chance encounter in the charred landscape of Australia's deadly wildfires: A koala sips water from a bottle offered by a firefighter.

David Tree noticed the koala moving gingerly on scorched paws as his fire patrol passed. The animal stopped when it saw Tree.

"It was amazing, he turned around, sat on his bum and sort of looked at me with (a look) like, put me out of my misery," Tree said yesterday.

"I yelled out for a bottle of water. I unscrewed the bottle, tipped it up on his lips and he just took it naturally.

"He kept reaching for the bottle, almost like a baby."

The team called animal welfare officers to pick up the koala Sunday, the day after deadly firestorms swept southern Victoria state.

Koalas are rather grumpy with a loud growl. They rarely comes down from trees and don't like walking. The marsupial is especially vulnerable in wildfires because they move slowly on the ground.

The wildfires sent countless wombats and other native species fleeing parks and forests. One resident reported seeing kangaroos bouncing down the road with flames at their backs.

The fires razed farmland, killing or panicking sheep and cattle. TV footage showed cows running down the main street of a smoke-filled town.

Tree said he found the koala in a burned-out forest near Mirboo North, 150 km east of Melbourne, Victoria's capital.

Koalas normally drink almost no water because they get fluids from leaves.

After Tree's crew moved on, animal welfare officials came by. The koala was in pain but recovering with antibiotics, Jenny Shaw of the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter said.

"She is lovely -- very docile -- and she has already got an admirer. A male koala keeps putting his arms around her."

This put tears in my eyes.

[Sawney Beane]

Yeah,it´s also the national sport over here in Spain,every summer the same bloody thing.I hope it all ends soon.How can anyone get so imbecile...it escapes me.

[Wolf With The Red Roses]

"We are not victims... we are survivors." - a quote from a man who lost his home, his belongings, his horses and dogs

"The spirit of Australians is a lesson to the world.." - Orlando Bloom

The above quotes were heard during a Telethon held last night to raise money for the bushfire appeal. Orlando was here in Oz visiting his Australian girlfriend and spent all night answering phones taking donations during the telethon...It was also made clear that besides the loss of human life and property, in excess of 1 million animals have perished...

But on the bright side.. the Telethon raised $21million, which takes the total from the Red Cross Appeal to $77 million. Outstanding considering current times.

One other thing that moved me as well... Leonard Cohen, who is currently touring in Australia, donated... wait for it... TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS!

Even as I write two more towns are under threat but the word is the Firefighters will have them under control soon as long as the weather stays in their favour...

[Spideyman]

Heard on the news Australia will set a National Day of Mourning. My heart goes out to all those who are dealing with these wildfires. I can only begin to imagine the fear and loss of life amongst the animals. May the weather conditions be such that these fires are controlled very soon.

Thank you for the update Wolf With The Red Roses. Be safe!

[sueb84]

:((((((everyone down under)))))

[Harley Wench]

Great news on the fund raising...it can help so much but it can't take away the trauma..as I said before..your country should be a shining example to the world on how people pull together and think of others besides themselves..the gentleman was right..you're not victims..you are survivors in the strongest sense of the word...Is there a website to donate to the relief fund??

[staropeace]

GOd Bless the people...some of me cobbers down there...God Bless Aussie...

[Srbo]

"We are not victims... we are survivors." - a quote from a man who lost his home, his belongings, his horses and dogs

"The spirit of Australians is a lesson to the world.." - Orlando Bloom

The above quotes were heard during a Telethon held last night to raise money for the bushfire appeal. Orlando was here in Oz visiting his Australian girlfriend and spent all night answering phones taking donations during the telethon...It was also made clear that besides the loss of human life and property, in excess of 1 million animals have perished...

But on the bright side.. the Telethon raised $21million, which takes the total from the Red Cross Appeal to $77 million. Outstanding considering current times.

One other thing that moved me as well... Leonard Cohen, who is currently touring in Australia, donated... wait for it... TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS!

Even as I write two more towns are under threat but the word is the Firefighters will have them under control soon as long as the weather stays in their favour...

My life is as hard as it is anyway...

1 MILLION ANIMALS ?

Sometimes it`s really, really hard NOT to hate...

[JackTheRipper]

...I am just speechless... What kind of a-hole would do that? Is he just effin stupid?

[JayneH]

They arrested a 39yo guy last night and he was charged this morning with lighting the Churchill fires. He is in protective custody as he isnt the most popular guy around!

181 people dead, close to a million native animals, 000's of hectares of land burnt and over 1800 homes lost. As someone who lives in a rural environment who has nearly lost her house before - my hearts go out to them. Hopefully they will catch the other murderers as well as those moronic looters that have moved into the area.

[ticktock]

so sad!

[Dylan Roberts]

Thanks to everybody here who was concerned...

Things got pretty smoke-filled where I was, and to be honest, I'd literally come up with a bit of a plan to dig line and torch the yard if things were going to get close. Hunkering down somewhere in the black would've been my only defense, really, as I was living in a place that belonged to a mechanic and had a lot of vehicles (some of them with full gas tanks, which basically makes them explosives in wait), a garage full of flammable stuff (including a buttload of fireworks), and my chances would not have been good. The only way to escape would have been to have hooked up a battery to one of the vehicles and try to drive out- I don't have a full license in Australia, but hey, if push came to shove, I wouldn't have cared.

Scariest thing was that practically nobody knew I was living there, and the only ones that did were a fair distance aways. So, I sat around nervously, with guitar and a few beers, and John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" blaring out of my PA. Watched the moon rise every night, blood red and voodoo-like every night for a week solid.

Lucky for me, the fire never reached me...But I heard quite a few horror stories from people I knew up in the Healesville area, some of which are pretty bad. And the aftermath...is just tragic.

But here's a thought-
What if .... a member of the board DOES end up caught in something as horrible as this, and loses all their worldy things ? What are people here REALLY willing to do ?

Dylan