Latest report from the Sydney Morning Herald says:
“The towns of Kinglake and Marysville have been wiped out as if they had been bombed, and authorities are treating the disaster like a terrorist attack, with more than 330,000 hectares of land affected.”.
To put it in the scale of the USA, that is about the area of Rhode Island burnt out.
The Victorian disaster hasn’t been the usual sort of bushfire. Experienced firefighters say they’ve never seen the like of it. One said that "In one day this fire moved 4 times the distance a bushfire normally travels in a week. " It seems that even for experienced, prepared people there just hasn’t been enough time to react.
I think there will be debate about the advisability of staying to defend one’s home in the case of bushfire. Recent advice had been to prepare your house (keep plants clear of house and remove small shrubbery at start of season; make sure you have hoses and that they reach around your house; and if a fire threat is issued block the downpipes and fill with water. Prepare to hose down roof and ember strikes) as it had been found that away from the front of the fire, houses were being lost 'cos flying embers land on the roof or in nearby shrubbery, and start secondary fires. An able bodied householder with a long hose can defend against this danger, but not against a speeding wall of flame hot enough to melt metal.
The towns are mainly one road in, one road out. I never thought of trees coming down in the fire and blocking the road, but looking at the photos it seems they do.
Look, I know it’s difficult times and that fire, by it’s very nature is a most capricious animal, but for fucks sake could we possibly get some RELIABLE fire information from the emergency services and the media outlets?
Up until 2.00 pm the ‘latest’ ‘Urgent Fire Warning’ on the CFA website for the Beechworth fire/s was that issued at 2.00 AM this morning. :rolleyes:
The DSE website was maintaining that a number of towns were in direct threat of imminent danger (including Yackandandah where my folks live and why I have a personal interest.)
The commercial news bulletins AND the ABC were also issuing reports that the situation in the NE was likely to equal or rival that of Kinglake and Marysville. :eek:
In touch with the Olds, they had a town meeting at 11.00am today, and it appears that there is no real immediate threat at all, at least for Yack! Plans to evacuate were premature and most likely totally unnecessary according to all the officials in attendance. :rolleyes:
So, who do we believe? Is there any way of co-ordinating information a teensy bit more effectively so that those who live in the fire-affected areas can make some sound decisions about what to do, and that rellies like me don’t start having major fucking panic attacks?
My impression is that a large proportion of the deaths were those who left it too late to get out safely, and those who decided to stay and fight then panicked and left. Leaving early or staying and fighting seem to have been the safest option in general.
Kam the CFA website is being overwhelmed by the number of people visiting it, not surprised they are having problems. ABC radio is asking people who don’t need to visit it to stay away.
I don’t think that was true, especially for the Kinglake fires…those who chose to stay and fight were burned in their houses because of the ferocity of the fires. I think the government is now going to review the ‘flee or fight’ plans because, at least in this instance, it doesn’t seem to have lived up to expectations.
Y’know the most horrible part of this whole disaster? Bloody news reporters shoving their microphones and cameras into the faces of poor bloody bastards who have lost their homes, their wives, husbands, children, their entire** lives** asking, “How do you feel?”
How do you think they fucking feel, moron. It’s really horrible and I reckon should be declared a violation of their human rights. :mad:
I think this ‘Royal Commission’ they’re going to install should make its No. 1 recommendation that media outlets can report on events but should be banned from interviewing victims for a period of, oh, I reckon 6 months might be adequate.
Agreed again Kam. It is heartbreaking enough hearing the CFA media people and police media people breaking down on the radio whilst trying to do their job warning people where fires are.
Listening to the CFA lady today in tears saying to people “Leave now, your home is not worth your life” and then the later Urgent Threat Warnings saying to people “It is too late to leave” and knowing that there is no escape for people there, the fire is coming. Just scary.
I can’t watch the news. Not because of what’s happening but because I find the on the spot interviews to be extremely embarrassing. Here’s a hint reporter, when the person you’re interviewing breaks down and moves away from you when you touch her shoulder, she doesn’t want to be comforted by the person asking the dumb questions.
I just watched the news and some bloke was evacuating while “Elvis” dumped water on his and his neighbours house. They were the only houses left standing.
One thing that has impressed me is that officials and some of the media are referring to victims who lost their lives as deceased persons rather than just “dead bodies”. It gives me a feeling that they are and will be treated with respect. I know it is only a small thing in this huge fat fuck of a situation but I hope that hell i don’t know what the hell i’m saying sorry
I appreciate the need for the news to report what’s happening, so people can be kept aware.
But surely I’m not the only one finding some of the coverage to be… Not morbid. Just horrible.
The one bloke who lost both his children when he went out to fight a fire somewhere else. I cried a little when I saw him, how numb he was that he couldn’t even grieve his kids yet. But then all three major FTA channels had cameras in his face and reporters going “How does it feel to lose BOTH your kids?!”
I normally don’t watch Free to Air, especially not the news and double especially not when there’s a crisis on (not that I don’t care about the crisis, just that I don’t need to see four channels all showing the same footage feeds), but with Hubby in hospital, when I’m visiting him all we get on the crappy hospital TVs is 7, 9, 10 and the ABC.
I was flicking between the three (90 minute “News Special” on 10, 60 minutes on 7 and 9), watching this poor guy show up again and again and again. He’s like their poster child for the horrible loss, and I just feel so sorry for him. Both for his loss and for the TV networks that can’t think of anything beyond “This guy’s a great story”
Any of you Aus locals know whether Royal Commissions accept submissions from normal people like moi…IOW, I would seriously like to propose that media organisations be barred from interviewing victims of major tragedies like the fires in Vic now, or, for example, the frenzy that happened after the WTC 9/11 catastrophe.
As I mentioned before, could it be a violation of human rights?..insofar that someone in the throes of dealing with such a major trauma would not be able to offer real ‘consent’ (in a legal sense) to the interview being undertaken?
Of course the embarrassment and intrusion of privacy stuff goes without saying really. :rolleyes:
I’m not sure if they can be barred but they bloody well should be! On our news tonight it was all about “LIVE FROM VICTORIA”. They had even taken time to track down “a Kiwi who has lost everything!”. They had the poor woman sobbing while she recounted everything she had lost (the neighbours 2 children died!).
Yes we need the news but this camera in-your-face stuff has to end, it is truly disrespectful and explotitive. As a society we need to have more respect and say no to this bullshit.
My sympathies to all Australians affected by this tragedy.
I am amazed at the scale of the fires, but even more amazed at the mentallity of someone who would want to start or re-start one. I can’t even fathom why anyone would do that.
The death penalty would be too merciful, they need a long time in jail to reflect upon what they have done (assuming they have any remorse at all).
As for the media, they should show more restrain when interviewing people who have just lost their homes and/or family members.
Here’s hoping the death toll does not rise anymore and that these fires can be controlled.
