The Fires Downunder Bloody Hell

[Meadows Miller]

Hi

Well the Fires have now burnt 8 towns  to the ground and coverd nearly 1 million acres in 2 days  And I just got news that 3 of the BEST DANG BLOKES ive ever worked with that i use to work with at G.L Goulds hardwood sawmill at Alexandra Have Died in the Marysville township firestorm

Chris aka Rats 45yo who died with his wife  :( :( :'( :'( Was the best leading hand ive ever worked with he was incharge of 30 men in the Geen mill operations processing 45 to 60 thousand bft a shift and nothing was ever a drama for him he loved working in the mill and had worked for goulds since he was 16 yo when he started on staking and  docking houselot orders

Harley 50 yo who has also died with his wife  :( :( :'( :'( was incharge of the pregrading line, pocket sorter and auto stacker and green/houselot order stacking end of the mill He,d worked at goulds for about 20yrs

Stue ,Stuart  50yo had worked for goulds like Rats since leaving school and drove the company bus from M/ville to Alex with another 12 employes and was early every day  :D He was one of the smatest blokes there but like he use to say to me i wont take on anymore resposability than i need to get paid mate  ;) id prefer you telling  me what to do and if i get it wrong your the one that getts in the s@!t mate  ;) :D :D ;D lets just say i never got intrubble He never let me down  ;)

Rats and Harley where thick as thethes at the mill and home  i use to meet up with them after i had left goulds  when they where getting around on their Harleys on a road trip and theyd spot me or id spot them  :D or funny senario was if we had met up at an expo and theyd say are you hanging around with us for awhile mate then they would start harassing the girls at the stands as to wether they where single or not  :D :D and if they where  it would be we know just the bloke for you and then try setting up a date and i hadent even opened me bloody mouth yet  ;) :D :D :D

We dont know when the funerals will be as they will have to be formely identified which may take some time  :(

Its just a dang sad day for me and other people who know them to loose these Fine Men and their Wifes  : :

Im still looking for one of my costomers and two other mill owners and a couple of other logging contractors in the area I just hope they are OK and I dont loose anymore freinds    :( :( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Reguards Chris

[jdtuttle]

Sorry for your loss, My deepest sympathy to you & their families.
Jim

[Chuck White]

We've been watching this on CNN tv!
It's an awful disaster.

Sorry for your loss!

Chuck

[Banjo picker]

Sorry to hear about that Chris.  My wife just told me this morning that down under was afire.  How close is that to you.  Be careful down there.  Tim

[Jim_Wahl]

Chris,
Sorry to hear about your friends.
Don't forget to keep yourself out of harms way!

Jim Wahl

[asy]

Hey Chris,

I was just about to post something about the fires, then I saw this thread.

Must admit, when I saw your location, my first thought was Oh $hugar... 

I'm sorry to hear about your friends...

We're up in Brissie, so nowhere near the fires, and even the fires in NSW aren't anywhere near our farm, thankfully because we're in bushfire area at the farmy...

I never watch the news, can't stand it, I have a theory that if something's really THAT serious, someone will ring and tell me about it.  So I didn't see the news, but true to my theory Mum rang and told me about it. She was hysterical. She'd seen on the news that they whole of Marysville went up in flames (she likes Marysville) but she'd misheard (she's deaf) and thought ALL the residents had perished. It's devastating enough that anyone died, but she thought the whole town full of people had...

The worst vision I saw was of four cars that had been in a nose-tail accident trying to flee from the fires and were burned out. I don't think they yet know what happened to the occupants of the cars, whether they're in there, or got away.

The other thing I thought was really sad was a lady who had spoken with her Mum during the day, and her Mum said she was going to stay in her house and if the fire came close she was going to get into her spa and get under the spa cover. I was HORRIFIED. I have visions of the spa boiling like a lobster pot. The mum hasn't been heard of last time I saw that person on the news...   :'(

Smith's Gully, the tiny little township where my GodDaughter used to live seems to have been totally lost. No news whether their old house is still there...  They moved about 10 years ago, though. They aren't too far away (diamond creek) and said it was frightening even there, the smoke was so dark.

But, the most absolutely heart wrenching and horrific thing is....  Most of the fires appear to have been DELIBERATELY LIT.

I'm sorry, but, what kind of a human would DO such a thing???  The whole area around Melbourne is Tinder dry. They haven't had rain for so long it's not funny.

I hope they catch those responsible, and maybe instead of a jail sentence they could just let them into a CFA meeting. See how they go there...   (CFA = Country Fire Authority, the volunteer fire fighting authority).

I hope everyone in the FF family is OK, as are their loved ones.

asy.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Thanks Guys I cant sleep now either  : :( :(
Tim The big one started on saterday arvo around 1pm about 30 miles away went S/east with a 5 to 10 mile front 50miles long then the wind changed about 11pm to a northeasterly with 65mph + winds so it turned into a 50 mile front moving at anywhere up 10 miles in 20 mints was its quickest recorded move
it wiped out the first 3 towns 90%+ of those towns  wiped out in the first hour or so then the rest came in the morning we are upto 185 confirmd dead now they didnt have a chance
when a fire gets going over here it moves through the bush like a freight train on speed with the right wind behind it ive been in the CFA since i was 11yo and have seen plenty of fires but nothing that moved this dang quick Mate


I might be heading up to push in fire breaks on an old D6 as ive got a mate who has 4 dozers up there so im on the list if releif drivers are needed  ;) there is allready 50 odd dozers up ther now

Its about 10 mile from alex now and to give you an idea its another 30 odd to get to
Marysville its roughly done a 50to55 mile x 40 odd mile square in 48hours

Chris

Thanks Assy I hope any of your family down here are all ok ;) FF members are accounted for but i think itll be touch and go for the next while I heard from one of my loggers today that said Duncan/ Amberwood had a bloody close call today at his mill at healsville fire almost up to the gate  the closet one to me was only 2 mi away yesterday im lucky im out in paddocks and ive got somthing i can bare earth a large area in short time ;) and got all my fire gear ready to go
The main problem for the Cfa are the bloody national parks the first thing they do is rip up and regen all the logging roads and somthing like this happens you dont have access like they did  : then Kammakasi dozer drivers have to go into rough contry just to try and push roads for crews  or atlest rough controll lines but you can only do so much work in short time it would be handy to have a nice grid of hi grade access roading but where do you get that from  : : : : ahh the timber industry that theve being so effective at killing of around victoria for the last 25 years  Vic gov even had to buy 30 new dozers last year because thay cant acces the numbers they have needed over the last 10 years (And what did they buy PI$$ANT D2s & D3s ) You wont push no 4' dia tree out with one o them  : because Logging contractors are the only type of blokes wiling to put their balls on the line and they are usually the first ones there and they are a dying breed  ;) ;) 

its been a disaster waiting to happen for years  : : :( :( >:( >:( :'(

And things are too Wet up your way Assy Ahh Australia a Land of Extream's  ;) :D :D ;D

Chris

[Tom]

I'm sorry that it has hit you so close to home, Meadows Miller.  My condolences.

Please let us know of all that is going on.  What is left of the towns, and what damage has been suffered by the Forest land-ownersa and mills.   

The victims of a fire like this will be far-reaching.

[ErikC]

  It's bad news Chris. I have been around fire quite a bit, but this is about the worst thing I have ever heard of like it. I understand your frustration about the closed roads and all, we have the same exact thing in our country with Forest Service land. I have been one of those kamakazie dozer operators, be careful if you get called!

Hope it gets in hand soon,

Erik

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Thanks Tom & Erik Ill keep you posted on whats happening its still gonna have a long way to runn yet  : the thing that realy gets me going is how they can let such a Huge amount of fuel buildup on the forest floor over afew years  :( in such a populated area  : : there are goning to be alot of  ??? ??? ??? asked for sure  ;) Erik if i get called out ill make sure i stay safe  ;) Robs got a pretty looong list of blokes to call on mate

Also Assy with what to do if it was a fire bug they have serious problems and there should be some sorta std test to see ifn your a bloody piro  for a start ;) ??? :P But if i and a fair few ppl would feel the same way got my hands on em  there wont be no need for a court date at all  ;) These sort of personality traits need to/can be identified eirly on in life

[OneWithWood]

Chris,
I have been thinking about you and your fellow Aussies since I first heard the news.
You all will remain in my thoughts as this thing plays out.
Do what you need to do and stay safe.

[okie]

I too am terribly sorry for the tragedy in your neck of the woods as well as your losses.
At times like this I never can find the words to relate how I feel, alls I can say is I'm sorry and I hope you all make it through.
God bless.

Morgan

[stonebroke]

I guess if the choice were between wildfires and ice storms I would pick ice storms every time. Hope it works out for every body down under.

Stonebroke

[StorminN]

Sorry to hear about your friends, Chris... my condolences.

Hang in there, mate...

-N.

[Tom Sawyer]

Sorry to hear this news.  I hope they find the jerks that started those fires.

Tom

[Ianab]

Please let us know of all that is going on.  What is left of the towns,   

Watching the news here, possibly more up to date then the US news. The towns that were hit are basically GONE, just a burnt moonscape. 14 out of 200 houses left standing in one town.

170 confirmed dead, and thats not a final total. 

What seems to have taken everyone by surprise is the speed that the fire spread pushed by hot 60mph winds. So the tops of gum trees just literally exploded and burning embers were constantly being blown ahead of the fire. One fire burned 50,000 acres in 4 hours and another 500,000 in the day.

Although a lot of the fires are still burning the winds have dropped and they are more like the normal bush fires people are used to, more predictable and you have time to escape.

Saturday was definately scary stuff over there!!!

Ian

[Tom]

It's really exasperating to try to find it on the news here.  I sat through 30 minutes of drivel on Fox News to hear a 10 second report showing some aerial photos of burned and burning buildings.

I thought that the owner, Rupert Murdoch, was an Aussie.  Figured that Fox News would be loaded with the latest.   

[nsmike]

Tom,
Go to Google News and look down at the bottom to the country list, click on Australia, and you will be in Google News Australia.
Ian,
I fought some brush fires as a kid, nothing dangerous, what got my attention was whenever the fire would hit an eastern red cedar. It would go up like a roman candle with a big whoose. I have always imagined that a crown fire going through the tops of trees, and ignigting them like the red cedars was pretty scary, doing it at 60 mph is truely frightening.
Chis.
I hoping everyone down there stays safe and you catch a break on the wheather.
Mike

[asy]

Hey Chris,

Thanks for the update on Duncan, must admit I was really worried about him, I was going to email him today, I knew he was in that rough area...  I hope all his family are OK, too.

Hey, Duncan, check in when you get a chance, willya???  We'd all love to hear you're OK..

I was just watching the news here, and seems the death toll is 166 at this stage, but they're predicting somewhere around 250 final toll  :'(

That 4 car pile-up I was talking about in a previous post seems to have "only" claimed one life, which is far fewer than they were predicting. Still awful, but, nowhere near what was originally thought.

Awful stories of two young girls 21 and 23 who refused to leave their horses, and perished alongside the horses in the paddock... 

Tom, here are some news reports for you to have a look at:

THE AUSTRALIAN This site has a very moving slideshow of photos of the fire aftermath.

NEWS.COM.AU Has lots of local news from the area.

HERALD-SUN WEBSITE   The "Herald-Sun" is the main Victorian daily newspaper.

HERE Is the Herald-Sun's interactive map site about the fires. There is a state map with which fires are still burning and you can click on them and see photos and tolls.

Here's a GOOGLE MAP to the fires and where they are and which ones are still going.

I haven't heard about whether Healesville Sanctuary is affected, but I expect we would have heard had that been burned. Healesville Sanctuary is one of Australia's premiere "native animal Zoos". It's right in the area where the fires are.

And yeah, Chris is right, it's a little wet up this end of the country..  North Queensland is FLOODED 

Wouldn't it be nice if it all just evened out a little!

asy.

[CLL]

Chris, sorry about your friends, as I have just lost my mother. Good friends are really a blessing and I can't imagine losing 3 at a time. My condolences.

[old joe]

Sorry for your loss.  I know first hand how devastating a fire can be.  Be safe.
Joe

[ErikC]

  I just spent a few minutes looking at the links ASY put on. Thanks for showing them.
Boy...not much you can say.

[thecfarm]

Not much you can say is right,accept you are all in our prayers.Sorry to hear of the trouble that you are all in.

[tyb525]

Wow that's terrible Chris, my deepest sympathies.

[HOOF-ER]

Deepest sympathy CLL and Chris. Fire is a terrible thing when not being controlled. Stay safe.

[WildDog]

Sorry about your mates, their wives and all affected Chris, hang in there.

There is so much I'd like to say about arsonists, looters, greenies and National Parks but its all negative so i will wait untill such time as the positives outweigh the negs.

Take care
Rob

[timberfaller390]

I've been a wildland firefighter since I was 18 years old and arson was the number one cause of wildfire every year of my career. These people should be shot in my opinion. I am deeply sorry for your personal loss and your country's loss.

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Thanks Guys Im still comming to gripps with things as i still canot contact Rod and the other 2 Blokes  as yet  ???  but its still early days yet  ;)

CCL im sorry for your loss Mate my condoleces to you and you family its a tough time for anyone to lose someone close mate

Wilddog ill say it all for you Mate  ;) :D :D

I just got of the phone to Duncan amberwood he and the family are ok and said that the last few days and the next have and will be touch n go asfar as Healsville is concerned fires burnt  most of the grassy and forest areas around the town but its been lucky that it wasnt moving too quick to keep a handel on things The cfa and dse have been putting in and expanding control lines around the town the past couple of days

We also talked about the salvage effort that will most likely start within the next 4 to 8 weeks its going to be a huge task for atleast 18 months to two or three years but that will depend alot on how the Goverment setts up the Native salvage the last big fire in 03 they wasted 18 months till we started seeing logs at Goulds and by then A grade Mountain Ash logs where only good for low grade framing and dunnage  : I just hope they dont Pi$$fart around for that long this time around  ;) : : After the 39 fires they salvaged for upto 15 years as Loyed Gould started his sawmill that year and they where the second largest sawmiller in Vic when i worked there the prolem between then and now there are tooo many paper pushers and stupid protocols to go through to even start  :( >:( : :

Well Dad and I have decided to donate a week or sos Sawing free of charge to get some basic neccesitys to a town or two or timber for some fencing or someone to start rebuilding their home if they had no insurence  ;) ;D ;D

Id like if the timber went into somthing like a town hall or metting place where ppl who are trying to rebuild and have decided to hump it in a caravan with the bare nessetiys (which afew are going to do) can have access to decent shower n toilet facilitys and have contact with other peole in the township and support which will be the main thing   ;D  But that will all depend on the powers that be  and all their BS ;) : : ALL it would take is to drop some trees mill the framing and cladding ring around some supplyers and ask them to donate the waste water treatment plant ,roofing iron, fixtures ,wirering , plasterboard ect ect I reckon we could get a hold of everything needed build a coupple of halls within a day
Builders and tradys and supplyers  from all over Australia have allready put their hand up to help with the rebuilding effort  ;D ;D 8) 8)

With a green light a good team could get something like a 100'x 30' odd size building up within about 3 to 5 days and it wont be nothing rough n ready  either  ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D 8)

Thats one of the best things that makes me Dang Proud about being an Aussie is that you see the best out of us at the worst of times  ;D ;D ;D 8)

Chris

Ps and here was i scratching my head thinkin what could i do to help  : Trees + Sawmill = Timber = a roof over someones head   ;) Simple  ;) ;D ;D ;D

[bandmiller2]

Been worried about you Chris,sorry for your losses.Its a shame now but it seems city people control government they have no idea about the country and forests,their cock sure rural folks have been messing things up for hundreds of years.Take care mate and keep your bottom close to a billibon.Frank C.

[Burlkraft]

I just was watching the news. The destruction is unbelievable   

I am sorry to hear of all the loss of life and property. It's going to take some time for all to recover from this  :-\

They were saying that some of the fires were intentionally set. I hope they find the persons responsible for that and give them a bit of Aussie justice.

I can't imagine someone would do something like that.

My prayers go out to you all  :-\

[petefrom bearswamp]

I can't say much except I 'm saying a prayer for all of the lost and those involved.
Hang in there chris
pete

[StorminN]

An arrest has been made...

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-02-13-voa24.cfm

-N.

[sparky]

Chris,
Would you give us an update on the fire situation down under? I was looking on the internet and could not find any current information. Regarding the arsonist that was arrested, my friend has offered to process him through his wood chipper. He would prefer that the body be frozen first so clean-up would be easier. We will have winter in Minnesota for another month, so keep that in mind when scheduling this action.

Sparky

[Handy Andy]

  Hard to imagine a fire moving that fast.  And what a terrible way to have to end your life.  Very sorry for all those folks.  I've burned wheat stubble and when it goes you just get out of the way.  Sounds like burning wheat stubble with a 90 mph wind.