[famosetroie]

I read one headline saying this was Australia's worst fires ever. Hard to believe in light of those horrible fires they had a few years back. Awful.

[jPNy2BP5]

Victorian fires update

Death toll now officially 210, some reports suggest 37 persons still missing

Despite massive efforts by many thousands of firefighters including interstate and overseas personnel, 4 large fires are not extinguished yet, all in mountainous heavily forested terrain.

The weather forecast for Tuesday 3rd march is for temperatures in mid 30'sC (mid 90'sF), winds strengthening to average speeds of 70kmh with gusts to 120kmh prior to a wind change to the SW from NW of similar force before it gradually eases over several days.
Due to almost total lack of rain for 2 1/2 months, this will raise fire dangers to similar levels of 3 weeks again when those hundreds of people died.
Once the SW change comes through there will be some rain and showers, probably not enough to put out the fires, but will make them less intense on future days. The weather also will be cool for a week or so at least. So if Victoria can survive tomorrow, the worst of the crisis will be over, but potentially the worst will be tomorrow.
Pray for Victoria tomorrow.

[hansen384cbh]

Once again, Bush is to blame.

[hotelhyatt]

Victorian fires update

Death toll now officially 210, some reports suggest 37 persons still missing

Despite massive efforts by many thousands of firefighters including interstate and overseas personnel, 4 large fires are not extinguished yet, all in mountainous heavily forested terrain.

The weather forecast for Tuesday 3rd march is for temperatures in mid 30'sC (mid 90'sF), winds strengthening to average speeds of 70kmh with gusts to 120kmh prior to a wind change to the SW from NW of similar force before it gradually eases over several days.
Due to almost total lack of rain for 2 1/2 months, this will raise fire dangers to similar levels of 3 weeks again when those hundreds of people died.
Once the SW change comes through there will be some rain and showers, probably not enough to put out the fires, but will make them less intense on future days. The weather also will be cool for a week or so at least. So if Victoria can survive tomorrow, the worst of the crisis will be over, but potentially the worst will be tomorrow.
Pray for Victoria tomorrow.

Just to give you an idea of our fire threat:
- Melbourne has had literally NO rain for over two months (nothing at all)
- We are in the 11th year in a row of drought
- The condition of the bush is severely overgrown and tinder dry
- For the second time in history they've issued a hurricane warning for the state (140km+ winds) because of the mass-low pressure cell to hit us today

The cause isn't GW, no matter what you say. The cause is literally the same as the cause of the great fires of 1983 and 1936.

For 40,000 years Aborigines systematically burnt the bush to reduce undergrowth. They also used it to direct animals so they would help by eating the undergrowth. Recently Green policies of local councils in those areas, and the State Govt's own green policies, have banned winter backburning and the "Mountain Cattlemen" who used to take their cows up into the ranges to graze on the undergrowth.

Now we face a situation today where the fuel is at its highest and driest ever. Fire trucks can't use access roads as they are all overgrown. Dept of Sustainability has not been allowed to control burn for years. Etc etc.

This is how bad the politics are that the greenies have caused:
A guy in Marysville was fined $50,000 for breach of green regulations because he bulldozed a 100 metre radius of trees around his house. The local council regulations state no trees further than 10 metres from the house to be removed. The guy's house is the ONLY house standing within a 20 km radius after the fires of Black Saturday two weeks ago, and he's suing the council for his $50,000 back.

It's bad to be a greenie in Melbourne this month.

EDIT:
6am and can already smell the fires. Today has an ominous feeling.

[Mereebirl]

Thanks for posting this, Dale.
It's still going on?!?
I thought this was over weeks ago.

[QQQQQ-Trek]

Hell yes, we're interested. Are the firefighters going to move early in anticipation of the wind shift? Either move or stay is a gamble.

[DavidShreder]

In harm's way, hamlets hold their breath

* Ben Doherty
* March 3, 2009 - 8:46AM

Towns and hamlets in harm's way in central Victoria are holding their breath this morning as the state faces some of the worst fire weather in its history.

And with extreme weather warnings across the state, an arsonist has struck in Melbourne's suburbs, highlighting fears firefighters may be forced to deal with deliberately lit blazes on top of the major fires still burning after the horror of Black Saturday.

Bushfire Hotline: 1800 240 667
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An eerie calm hangs over the High Country township of Jamieson, near Eildon, this morning and the streets are deserted.

The tiny, picturesque mountain hamlet - predicted to be right in the fire’s path when an expected strong south-westerly change hits today - sits low in a valley, surrounded by wooded hills on all sides.

The forest looms large, claustrophobically close, on all sides, running right to backyards.

In the main street, a handful of Department of Sustainability and Environment trucks and firefighting appliances sit outside the Courthouse Hotel.

Many of the residents have already evacuated. In front yards, fully packed four-wheel-drives sit, ready for departure. Otherwise the streets are empty.

Shops are closed and classes and meetings at the community centre have been cancelled.

Two kilometres north of town, police have established a roadblock, allowing only locals and firefighters access.

The same road south is blocked at Woods Point. And the road to Eildon is closed too.

But the forecast winds haven’t yet reached Jamieson. It is still this morning, and light, intermittent rain is falling.

In Melbourne, firefighters were called to a scrub fire in bayside Chelsea early today.

The fire was noticed about 12.30am on the foreshore and burnt about a hectare before firefighters put it out.

Victoria Police Senior Constable Marty Beveridge said the fire was deliberately lit.

"Fires don't just happen on the foreshore like that unless people start them," he said.

Victoria's emergency services are on high alert, with strong winds today expected to fan bushfires still raging across parts of the state.

Weather forecasters have predicted a hot north-northwesterly wind gusting over 100km/h in many areas, and over 120km/h in alpine regions.

A Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman early today said one of the key times would be when a cool change moves across the state.

"It is not just then though, it could be dangerous at any time. When you have gusty winds it can happen at any stage,'' he said.

He said about 2500 DSE firefighters were on the fire front with many more on call.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Peter Blake said the change would start moving across the state about lunchtime and hit Melbourne about 6pm. Worryingly, the change would also bring lightning.

Light rain fell across central and southern areas, including Melbourne, this morning but the weather bureau said this would not ease conditions. Severe weather warnings remained in place everywhere except the northern and Mallee regions.

About 300 schools and 250 childcare centres will be closed today because of the fire risk.

Four major fires are still burning out of control with the blaze at Kilmore-Murrindindi North causing the most concern, particularly to the communities of Woods Point, Jamieson, Eildon and Mount Buller.

Kevin Monk, of the DSE, told the Seven Network fire crews used the calmer weather overnight to work on control lines, but the state was tinder dry and the day would be trying for all concerned.

Up to 5000 firefighters and SES personnel are on high alert today in the biggest emergency services operation in Victoria's history.

Police have urged anyone with information about the Chelsea fire to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000. http://www.theage.com.au/national/in...o.html?page=-1

Arsonists should be shot on site!

[swoluelvede]

Hell yes, we're interested.

QFT

In Southern California, we have some bad brushfires, but nothing like this!

[bribiaLaubysdggf]

Well good news for the fire fighters. Rain has started falling in the affected areas, and on the news they're predicting it to rain solidly for at least a day.

Luckily, even with all the wild wind out there, no fire broke the containment lines that had been made. So that is great news. The news is calling this (too early maybe?) the beginning of the end of the fires.

[13spebampiliece]

Woohoo! With rain all yesterday, they're calling it the end of the fire season for this year. Sure, four blazes are still massive, but they're now contained.

Our thoughts should be with those affected and with the families of the 250 dead.

Well done to the Fireys and emergency services people.

Heavens open and a hellish season ends

* Marika Dobbin
* March 5, 2009

Jobs well done: NSW and overseas firefighters will be going home after the worst of Victoria's bushfire season was declared over.

Jobs well done: NSW and overseas firefighters will be going home after the worst of Victoria's bushfire season was declared over. Photo: John Woudstra

THE worst of Victoria's catastrophic bushfire season is over, authorities say. Rain across the state has brought an unofficial end to a ruthless summer.

Many residents forced to flee are now safe to return home. About 1000 interstate firefighters are also going home. So, too, are 121 from New Zealand, Canada and the US. One hundred and fifty NSW police went home yesterday, while 50 from South Australia arrived to reinforce local numbers.

Exhausted CFA volunteers are headed home, while professional firefighters will continue the battle to tame four monster blazes that have burned since Black Saturday, but have calmed since receiving about 20 millimetres of rain.

CFA deputy chief fire officer Steve Warrington said the rain had not extinguished the fires, but he was confident that containment lines would not be tested again. All the lines held in gale-force winds of up to 125 km/h on Tuesday night, except a two-hectare outbreak in Bunyip State Park.

"Mother nature threw everything at Victoria (on Tuesday night)," Mr Warrington said. "We had winds, we had storms, we had rain, we had fires.

"I think Victorians should be proud of the emergency services but also be proud of themselves and the way we've held up through what's been fairly horrific circumstances."

More than 100,000 households lost power on Tuesday night and yesterday morning. There were mass blackouts in Werribee, Melbourne's outer east and between Colac and Apollo Bay.

About 2500 were still without electricity yesterday afternoon. The State Emergency Service and MFB received 820 calls for help.

Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin said the period of extreme weather was finished.

"It's an opportunity for communities of Victoria to start their grieving, start their process of rebuilding without the ever-present threat of fire that's been there in the last month," he said. "It's been a deeply distressing period. Particularly, the events of Black Saturday have left a scar on all of us that will never go away."

Victoria Police forensic teams who withdrew from Marysville, Narbethong, Wandong, Kilmore and Kinglake because of bad weather resumed their efforts yesterday to identify human remains.

Restrictions on access to the fire-devastated areas, ordered by the State Coroner, are expected to remain for up to three weeks. Jennifer Coate made the order after several sets of remains were found on February 20 in areas that had already been searched.

Deputy Police Commissioner Kieran Walshe yesterday met Kinglake residents frustrated that they had not been allowed to return because the town was being treated as a crime scene. http://www.theage.com.au/national/he...0304-8oif.html

[Alulursuifold]

.... Rain has started falling in the affected areas, and on the news they're predicting it to rain solidly for at least a day.

[lkastonidwedsrer]

You lack the essential ingredient of large amounts of trees and plants which have evolved over time to propagate themselves through fire- all those lovely eucalypts which give the Blue Mountains that distinctive filmy blue haze are full of combustible volatile oils- and their leaves dry out very nicely to form some lovely kindling with all the bark shed by trees such as the paperbark tree - which of course has its uses in cooking and so forth, but it does make for some formidable bonfires.