Koala Bear new symbol of
Hope- Peace- Love-Inspiration and Salvation

As the brave firefighters try to save Victoria from the worst bush fires in Victoria's history one hero emerges as a representative of 
         
                     Hope- Peace- Love-Inspiration and SalvationClick here to see the famous video of  wonerful Sam the Koala Bear who is the new symbol of Hope-Peace-Love_Inspiration and Salvation


Click here to see the video of the famous Australian hero Koala Bear that millions of people around the world are watching

Koala love story wins hearts after deadly fires
February 12, 2009

CANBERRA (Reuters) - A love story between two badly burned koalas rescued from Australia's deadliest bushfires has provided some heart-warming relief after days of devastation and the loss of over 180 lives.

The story of Sam and her new boyfriend Bob emerged after volunteer firefighter Dave Tree used a mobile phone to film the rescue of the bewildered female found cowering in a burned out forest at Mirboo North, 150 km (90 miles) southeast of Melbourne .

Photos and a video of Tree, 44, approaching Sam while talking gently to her, and feeding her water from a plastic bottle as she put her burned claw in his cold, wet hand quickly hit video sharing website YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=do9AoKyjjQg), making her an Internet sensation.

But it was after reaching a wildlife shelter that Sam met and befriended Bob, who was saved by wildlife workers on Friday , two days before Sam, in Boolarra, about 180 km from Melbourne .

Tree, who has been a volunteer firefighter for 26 years, said it was extremely rare to get so close to a koala so he asked his colleague Brayden Groen, 20, to film him.

"You can how she stops and moves forward and looks at me. It was like a look saying "I can't run, I'm weak and sore, put me out of my misery,"" Tree told Reuters.

"I yelled out for some water and I sat down with her and tipped the water up. It was in my hand and she reached for the bottle then put her right claw into my left hand which was cold so it must have given her some pain relief and she just left it there. It was just amazing."

INSPIRING LOVE STORY

Sam was taken to the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson. Her story was reminiscent of a koala named Lucky who survived the 2003 bushfires that destroyed about 500 homes and killed four people in the capital of Canberra. Lucky became a symbol of hope.

Colleen Wood from the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter that is caring for Sam and Bob said both koalas were doing well while other animals like possums, kangaroos, and wallabies were also starting to emerge from the debris.

She said Sam had suffered second degree burns to her paws and would take seven to eight months to recover while Bob had three burned paws with third degree burns and should be well enough to return to the bush in about four months.

"They keep putting their arms around each other and giving each other hugs. They really have made friends and it is quite beautiful to see after all this. It's been horrific," said Wood.

"Sam is probably aged between two to four going by her teeth and Bob is about four so they have a muchness with each other."

Wood said about 20 koalas had been brought into her shelter in recent days, several of whom had bonded as koalas are known to clump together, but none had garnered the same attention as the new Internet star Sam.

Tree, a volunteer with the Country Fire Authority Victoria, has visited Sam since her rescue and was delighted to see she had found a boyfriend in Bob.

"They've really taken a shine to each other as they are both burned and share the same burned smell," he said.

"My heart goes out to the people in these fires and this was so innocent so people have used this to distract them from all the sad stuff that has gone on. It gives people a bit of hope."

Donations for bushfire support can be made to the Country Fire Authority Victoria via their website at http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about/supportingcfa.htm.

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More Latest News »
 

                        Hell on Earth

Victoria's bushfire catastrophe and

Australia's worst bushfire disaster

ABC - February 8, 2009, 11:07 pm

The death toll from horrific bushfires across Victoria this weekend has reached 96, surpassing the number of people who perished in the 1983 Ash Wednesday blazes.

More than 700 homes have been lost in what is being described as 'Hell on Earth', and it is feared the death toll will pass 100.

Former television newsreader Brian Naylor and his wife Moiree are among the victims; their house at Kinglake, north of Melbourne , was engulfed by fire yesterday.

Twenty-six fires continue to burn across Victoria; 12 of those are out of control. Authorities suspect arsonists are responsible for some fires.

The Kinglake Complex blaze continues to burn out of control and so far has burnt through more than 220,000 hectares. Communities around Glenburn, Taggerty and Rubicon are being urged to remain alert for any threats to their homes.The federal and Victorian governments have set up a Bushfire Relief Fund and $10 million in Centrelink payments for victims.

"Tonight our our resolve as Victorians is being tested," Victorian Premier John Brumby said in an address to the state.

"We know that tragically many lives have been lost ... and we have grave concerns for many more. We know that hundreds of Victorians have lost their houses. Out there it has been Hell on Earth.

"It is one of the most tragic events in Victoria's history. I am personally devastated by the tragedy. The scale of the tragedy defies comprehension.

"We all grieve with you. So many families, families like yours and mine, now have to rebuild. I can promise that we will not stop until you are safe and your lives and communities have been rebuilt."

The worst-hit areas are Kinglake, where at least 18 have died, St Andrews (12 lives lost), and Steeles Creek (seven dead).

Five people are dead in Callignee and Flowervale, three in Hazelwood, Whittlesea and Taggerty, and one in Jeeralang. More bodies have been found at Marysville, Humevale, Bendigo, Long Gully, Strathewan and Arthurs Creek.

Seventy-five people died in Victoria and New South Wales during the February 1983 Ash Wednesday fires.<h3>'Shock and desperation'</h3>

The Kinglake area has been the hardest hit in terms of both lives lost and property damaged.

Most of the residents whose homes burnt down are sheltering at the Whittlesea Emergency Relief Centre, and the ABC's Matt O'Sullivan has described the scene there this evening.

"There are people arriving on buses with literally only the clothes they stand up in, that's all they have, many who have lost friends and neighbours and loved ones and just this enormous sense of shock and desperation," he said.

"If you can imagine your street and all of your neighbours' houses and your house just gone and you're not sure if those neighbours are still there.

"There are people coming here looking for emergency accommodation, they're trying to register with the Red Cross so they can let people know they're all right, they're just looking for some support, some counselling support, anything, just the support of each other."

The reporter spoke to a schoolteacher from Kinglake who said that in the afternoon, Kinglake had not been mentioned on the radio.

"So he went for a walk up the street - there was a bit of smoke around but it didn't really smell like a fire - and he asked the firies if things were going to be all right; they said yes," Mr O'Sullivan said.

"By the time he got back down the street to his house, five minutes later, it was pitch black and five minutes later his house was in flames. He says if he was 10 minutes later he wouldn't be here today.

"So he's lost his house, his school's gone up; obviously he's very worried about the kids that attend that school."<h3>No warning</h3>

Jay Cherie from Kinglake Central said her family had no warning of what was to come.

"When the power went out I madly started to try and pack some things and in doing so it was like night-time all of a sudden. My husband came running into the house and said, 'grab the kids, grab the cat, we've got to get out'," she said.

"We got in the car and went to go down towards Yea and the flames were coming up over the paddocks towards our place and we could just only settle in the township; we knew straight away our home was gone.

"A lot of people made that same decision; there were probably about 100 cars in the same area that we were in at the time and we had gas bottles exploding around us.

"At one stage there my husband said to my children, 'get down on the floor', because we didn't know what was going to happen.

"We had fire coming in on the right-hand side of us on a paddock and we had houses to the left of us on fire; no-one knew what was going to happen.

"My little girl was saying to me, 'Mum am I going to see my friends again?', she also said to me, 'Mum am I going to live tomorrow?'."<h3>Bracing for 'bad news'</h3>

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited bushfire ravaged regions today and warned the nation to brace itself for the likelihood of more deaths.

"We've come through bad times before and we'll come through this one," he said

"This Government will be behind these communities. I fear in the days ahead, though, the news is going to be bad and I believe the nation needs to prepare itself as the full facts become known."

Mr Rudd announced a $10-million relief fund as well as a multi-million-dollar appeal.

He said the Army and other Defence assets such as bulldozers and bedding would be available to help communities begin to rebuild in the aftermath of the destruction.<h3>Interstate support</h3>

More than 4,000 local firefighters are battling blazes across Victoria, backed up by volunteers from New South Wales, South Australia , Tasmania and the ACT.

Country Fire Authority (CFA) Deputy Chief Fire Officer Steve Warrington says the interstate reinforcements are much appreciated.

"It's interesting in this part of the world, and I'm talking about Australia, that sense of mateship and camaraderie, we all stick together," he said.

"Victoria's gone to NSW and it's great to have NSW down with us, and that goes for every state, Western Australia , Queensland, they've all rung up and offered support to us today.

"From that point of view, it's quite heartwarming that we have this sense of culture and can-do in this country."

About 250 of the extra firefighters are from NSW, with that state also sending 25 search and rescue experts, nine identification experts and five paramedics.

The Northern Territory is sending a Disaster Victim Identification team, much like the one sent to Bali after the bombings.

Australian bushfire kills 84

February 8, 2009, 11:45 pm

WANDONG, Australia (Reuters) - Australia's deadliest bushfire has killed at least 84 people, some as they fled in cars or as they huddled in houses when the inferno engulfed rural towns in the country's south east, police said on Sunday.

The fire storm tore through several small towns north of Melbourne on Saturday night destroying everything in its path. One family was forced to dive into a farm reservoir to survive while others took refuge in a community shed with firefighters standing between them and a wall of flames.

A badly burnt man in the town of Kinglake, where there were many fatalities, was kept alive for six hours by being partially submerged by friends in a pool until help arrived.

"It rained fire," said one survivor, showing his singed shirt. "We hid in the olive grove and watched our house burn."

On Sunday, the remains of charred cars littered the smouldering towns, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Melbourne . Some vehicles had crashed into each other as their drivers frantically tried to escape the fire.

"Out there it has been hell on earth," Victoria state Premier John Brumby said in a television address.

Police said the toll could continue to rise as they search the ruins of the wild fires and with 20 people with serious burns in hospital. Thousands of firefighters were still battling scores of fires in Victoria and New South Wales state on Sunday night.

"We will find more bodies as we gain access to different parts of the fire areas," Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon told a news conference.

"We have found people in cars, it looks like they have decided late to leave their premises. We have found people who have been in properties, in their paddocks. We've found others in their houses. And the sad part is that we found children."

Nixon said some of the fires may have been deliberately lit.

The previous worst bushfire tragedy was in 1983 when 75 people were killed in the "Ash Wednesday" fires.

Survivors said the Victorian inferno reached four storeys high and raced across the land like speeding trains.

"It went through like a bullet," Darren Webb-Johnson, a resident of the small rural town of Kinglake, told Sky TV.

TOWNS DESTROYED

"Hell and its fury have visited the good people of Victoria," said Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd , who announced a A$10 million (4.5 million pound) aid package. "The nation grieves with Victoria. Many good people now lie dead. Many others lie injured," said Rudd. The government also put the army on standby.

Firefighters said more than 700 homes have been destroyed in the fires across Victoria state so far this weekend, the vast majority in the worst-affected areas north of Melbourne .

Wildfires are a natural annual event in Australia, but this year a combination of scorching weather, drought and tinder-dry bush has created prime conditions for blazes to take hold. Green lawmakers have been urging stiffer climate-change policies to reduce the risk of more such summer disasters.

Dazed survivors, wrapped in blankets, wandered through twisted and charred remains on Sunday, some crying, not knowing whether friends of family had survived.

At the town of Wandong, about 50 km (30 miles) north of Melbourne , one survivor said he had found the body of a friend in the laundry of a burnt-out house.

"Another 20 seconds and we were gone. We lost our dogs. There have been a lot of dead people. My next door neighbour didn't make it," said one survivor.

(Additional reporting by Mark Bendeich and Michael Perry; Editing by Matthew Jones)

Map Kingslake about 150 Kilometeres notth East of Melbourne, Victoria, where some of the worst fire damage has been happened.
Vicoria is in the bottom South East Section of Australia.

Satellite

2 mi

5 km

Rudd under fire a year after apology to Aborigines

 

SYDNEY (AFP) - A year after making a historic apology to Aboriginal people for centuries of injustice, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd came under fire Friday for failing to improve their lives.

 

February 13, 2009, 9:40 pm

• Victoria on alert for more fires

   

  Authorities say the threat of new bushfires in Victoria remains high, despite the mild conditions and light winds that continue to assist fire fighters.

   

  February 13, 2009, 9:01 pm
• Lightning poses threat to Beechworth blaze

   

  Rain has brought relief to crews working on the fire near the Victorian town of Beechworth, but lightning strikes continue to pose a threat.

   

  February 13, 2009, 8:42 pm
• Man faces court over Churchill bushfire

   

  A man has been charged over starting the deadly Churchill bushfire in Gippsland, which killed 21 people.

   

  February 13, 2009, 8:09 pm
• Retired judge to head bushfires Royal Commission

   

  Retired Supreme Court judge Bernard Teague will lead the Royal Commission into last weekend's devastating bushfires in Victoria.

   

  February 13, 2009, 8:08 pm
• Murray River communities wait for trickle-down effect

   

  Communities along the Murray River in South Australia are hoping water will begin to flow as freely as money following the passing of the Federal Government's economic stimulus package.

   

  February 13, 2009, 7:40 pm
• Pope prays for bushfire victims

   

  Pope Benedict XVI says his prayers are with Australia and families mourning loved ones lost in the bushfires.

   

  February 13, 2009, 7:06 pm
• GG continues disaster tour in North Qld

   

  A day after comforting victims of the Victorian bushfires, Governor-General Quentin Bryce has flown to north Queensland to comfort flood victims.

   

  February 13, 2009, 6:36 pm
• Australian man charged over deadly bushfires

   

  STEELS CREEK, Australia (Reuters) - Australian police charged a man with "arson causing death" Friday over one of the country's deadly bushfires, which killed 181 people.

   

  February 13, 2009, 5:51 pm
• Prince Charles 'horrified' by Vic fires

   

  Prince Charles has expressed his horror at the devastation caused by the Victorian bushfires and offered his sympathies to all those affected.

   

  February 13, 2009, 5:41 pm
• Justice Teague to head bushfires inquiry

   

  Former Supreme Court Justice Bernard Teague will chair a Royal Commission into Victoria's bushfires, Premier John Brumby said.

   

  February 13, 2009, 5:35 pm
• Australian man charged over deadly bushfires: report

   

  SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police charged a man with "arson causing death" Friday over one of the country's deadly bushfires, local media reported.

   

  February 13, 2009, 4:26 pm
• Bushfires upsetting Britons, Blair says

   

  Britons have been touched by the Victorian bushfires, offering messages of sympathy and support to the victims, former British prime minister Tony Blair says.

   

  February 13, 2009, 3:42 pm
• More than 1,800 homes destroyed in Vic bushfires

   

  There has been a significant increase in the number of homes destroyed in Victoria's bushfires, rising to 1,830 after more ground and aerial resources were used to check the damage.

   

  February 13, 2009, 3:08 pm
• Bushfire warning system 'has problems'

   

  The federal government wants an early warning system for bushfires but must overcome communications difficulties first, senior MP Anthony Albanese says.

   

  February 13, 2009, 2:32 pm
• Vic bushfires destroyed 1,831 homes

   

  More than 7,000 displaced people will have to be accommodated after a new assessment showed almost 2,000 homes were lost in Victoria's bushfires.

   

  February 13, 2009, 2:08 pm
• Australian man believed arrested over deadly bushfires

   

  SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police said they were questioning a man on Friday over the nation's deadly bushfires, which killed 181 people, but local media said he had been arrested and was expected to be charged with arson causing death.

   

  February 13, 2009, 2:01 pm
• Churchill arson suspect expected to be charged

   

  A man being questioned over the Churchill-Jeerelang bushfires in eastern Victoria is expected to be charged.

   

  February 13, 2009, 1:50 pm
• Australian man arrested over deadly bushfires: report

   

  SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police were questioning a man on Friday over one of the country's deadly bushfires, which killed 181 people, and local media said he was expected to be charged with arson causing death.

   

  February 13, 2009, 1:36 pm

Scores of people have died in Australia's worst ever bushfire disaster. More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed.

Information hotline: 1800 240 667

Find out how to donate to the bushfires appeal

Photo gallery 1 from the devastating scenes

Photo gallery 2 from the fires

Photo gallery 3 from the fires

Photo gallery 4 from the fires

Videos and message boards

Add your messages of hope for the victims

How to help animals affected by the fires

Watch extra news coverage from Victoria on Channel Seven over the weekend, at 1130am on Saturday and 430pm on Sunday.

Tragic weekend, troops on the way: Brumby

ABC - February 8, 2009, 10:54 am

n emotional Victorian Premier John Brumby says the state has been devastated by the bushfires that raced across the state in severe weather conditions yesterday.

Twenty-six people are confirmed to have died in fires north of Melbourne and this morning there are unconfirmed reports of bodies being found in cars overtaken by the fires in Gippsland in the state's east.

This morning Mr Brumby struggled to control his emotions when asked about the numbers of people dead and injured in the fires.

Speaking to reporters at Kinglake, he paused and nearly broke down before composing himself and continuing on.

He said he had accepted Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's offer of assistance from the Australian Defence Force, saying 26 fires were still burning and up to a dozen of them are still very serious.

"Every effort is being thrown at the fires," he said.

"This is not over yet. Tragically I think there will be more bad news.

"It's a tragic day, a tragic weekend in our history. The impacts on families are just devastating - I feel devastated."

Mr Brumby spent last night in the central Victorian town of Bendigo, where he witnessed a massive effort to save the town.

The fire destroyed more than 50 properties there and he confirmed there were casualties, but did not provide details.

The Bendigo fire was started by spotting from a nearby blaze at 2:30pm (AEDT) yesterday and by 5:00pm it was destroying property two kilometres from the CBD.

Mr Brumby said the immediate task today is supporting families and communities and called on people to donate blood to help in the relief effort.

"Obviously supporting families and communities is absolutely crucial," he said.

"What occurred yesterday, I've never seen anything like it.

"I think the big thing today is to not just to get on top of the fires that are remaining, but to make sure the message is clear that this is not over."

Mr Brumby is getting advice today on whether or not to ask the Prime Minister to send in the army to help in the firefighting effort.

Video news Photos

• 'Worst day in Victoria's history'
• Bushfires burn out of control
• Drug lord's exotic animals
• Pampered pooches relax at day spa

Bushfire disaster

Victoria's worst ever bushfires have killed scores of people and destroyed at least 750 homes. Hotline: 1800 240 667

• "It's hell on earth"
• Entire town wiped off map
• Devastating scenes
• Photos: Victoria in flames

• 'Worst day in Victoria's history'
  (00:52)Play
• Bushfires burn out of control
  (01:13)Play
• Drug lord's exotic animals
  (01:26)Play
• Pampered pooches relax at day spa
  (01:44)Play
• Swingers caught in the act
  (00:59)Play

• Ships collide in whaling clash
  (01:10)Play
• Phelps suspended over pot
  (01:11)Play
• Shame pushes up suicides
  (02:15)Play
• Plane ends up in the sea
  (00:37)Play

Top news headlines

Boy feared taken by croc in Qld floodsVictorian hospitals fill with burns victimsBushfire threat wanes in NSWMoney: US moves ahead on stimulus planMoney: crisis may cause 'politcal unrest'Poll: Bushfires, how will you help?

Latest sport

Cricket: Aussies survive comeback scareFootball: Socceroos lose Harry KewellAFL: Worsfold not panicked by hidingNRL: Benji Marshall stars in Tigers trial

CFA

13 15 99- Fire Restrictions

03 9262 8444 - General Inquiries

In January Age journalist Seamus Bradley and photographer Simon O'Dwyer spent three weeks chasing the firestorm. View their story

LINKS
	Country Fire Authority
	CSIRO satellite fire map
	Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services
	Victorian Urban Fire Brigades' Association
	Victorian Rural Fire Brigades' Association
	Australasian Fire Authorities Council
	Victorian state emergency services
	Emergency Management Australia
	Victorian bushfire statistics
	What Causes Bushfires on Public Land?
	Bureau of Meteorology

Bright Fires
Omeo Fires
Beechworth Fires
Fire in the Victorian Alps
Smoke haze over Victoria
Canberra burns
The Big Desert fire

CFA

13 15 99- Fire Restrictions

03 9262 8444 - General Inquiries

In January Age journalist Seamus Bradley and photographer Simon O'Dwyer spent three weeks chasing the firestorm. View their story

LINKS
	Country Fire Authority
	CSIRO satellite fire map
	Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services
	Victorian Urban Fire Brigades' Association
	Victorian Rural Fire Brigades' Association
	Australasian Fire Authorities Council
	Victorian state emergency services
	Emergency Management Australia
	Victorian bushfire statistics
	What Causes Bushfires on Public Land?
	Bureau of Meteorology

MEDIA

Bright Fires Omeo Fires Beechworth Fires Fire in the Victorian Alps Smoke haze over Victoria Canberra burns The Big Desert fire

FEATURES
	Mount Stromlo to rise from ashes
	The blame game behind bushfires
	Veteran closes gap in town's line of defence

BUSHFIRE SURVIVAL GUIDE

Bushfires in Victoria:
Approximately 600 bushfires occur within Victorian parks and forests (public land) each year. Between 20-30% of all bushfires on public land are started by lightning. All other bushfires on public land are started as a result of human activity.

10 Things everyone should know about bushfire safety:

1. Cover up.
Radiant heat kills. Every summer people try to survive bushfires wearing light summer dresses, shorts, singlets, even swimsuits. The real risks of bushfire are heat stroke, exhaustion and dehydration. Dress to protect yourself.

2. Stay or go?
The most important thing to decide is whether you plan to stay at home on days of extreme fire danger. If you choose to leave, you should do so early in the day, even before there is a fire in the area.

3. Late evacuation can be deadly.
Once a fire has started nearby, trying to evacuate is not an option. Most bushfire deaths involve people caught in cars or on foot. Once the fire is close, visibility will be very poor and travel becomes hazardous.

4. Have a bushfire survival plan.
The needs of every household and family are different. If you plan ahead, you will be less at risk. Your local fire brigade can help you develop a detailed survival plan.

5. Be alert.
Watch and listen. The announcement of a Total Fire Ban in your area will be the trigger to implement your plan of action. Listen for the weather forecast. Observe the local signs around you. Look and smell for smoke. Listen for sirens and fire activity.

6. Houses do not explode.
Many people believe homes go up in a "fireball" during a bush-fire. A well-prepared house provides sanctuary from radiant heat as the bushfire front passes. Most homes burn down long after the main fire has passed.

7. You may receive little, if any, warning.
Bushfires can spread with such speed that effective warning is often impossible. You cannot rely on the emergency services to advise you of an imminent threat.

8. Most homes burn down as a result of "ember attack".
Burning embers start small outbreaks on and around homes that can be put out easily if caught early. If no one is there the fire can grow and eventually destroy a home.

9. Be self reliant.
If you plan to stay at home have some basic fire fighting equipment and an independent water supply. Do not rely on the mains water supply. A dam, tank or swimming pool, even a 200-litre drum or a bath may make the difference between putting out spot fires and losing your home.

10. Clean up now.
Reducing the fuel around your home will lessen the chances of a fire taking hold on your property. Remove fine fuels and bush litter, remove hazards and rubbish.

.
Australian wildfires kill 84, floods bring crocs to town
February 9, 2009, 12:19 am

KINGLAKE, Australia (AFP) - At least 84 people were killed and entire towns razed in the worst wildfire disaster in Australian history, described by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Sunday as "hell in all its fury".

People died in their cars as they attempted to escape the inferno -- smouldering wrecks on roads outside this town told a tale of horror -- while others were burnt to death in their homes.

While the deadly fires and a heatwave raged in southeast Australia, floods from torrential rains claimed lives in the north, with one victim a five-year-old boy feared snatched by a crocodile as he walked his dog.

The toll from the fire look,ed set to rise as medics treated badly burned survivors and emergency crews made it through to more than 700 houses destroyed by the fires, some of which have been blamed on arsonists.

Thousands of survivors jammed community halls, schools and other makeshift accommodation as troops and firefighters battled to control huge blazes fed by tinder-box conditions after a once-in-a-century heatwave.

Twenty-six fires were still burning in Victoria Sunday, with another 53 blazing throughout neighbouring New South Wales.

The devastating fires have affected around 3,000 square kilometres (1,200 square miles) -- an area larger than Luxembourg or nearly three times the size of Hong Kong .

"Hell in all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria in the last 24 hours. Many good people lie dead, many injured," Rudd told reporters, deploying army units to help 3,000 firefighters battling the flames.

The number of dead rose steadily throughout Sunday as rescue crews reached townships that bore the brunt of the most intense firestorm northwest of Melbourne , which likened to a nuclear bomb.

The previous highest death toll in Australian wildfires was 75 people killed in Victoria and neighbouring South Australia in 1983 on what became known as Ash Wednesday.

The latest fires in Australia's southeast flared on Saturday, fanned by high winds after a heatwave sent temperatures soaring to 46 C (115 F), and continued to burn out of control Sunday.

They wiped out the pretty resort village of Marysville and largely destroyed the town of Kinglake, north of Melbourne , with houses, shops, petrol stations and schools razed to the ground.

Marie Jones said she was staying at a friend's house in Kinglake, where at least 18 people perished, when a badly burnt man arrived with his infant daughter saying his wife and other child had been killed.

"He was so badly burnt," she told the Melbourne Age's website.

"He had skin hanging off him everywhere and his little girl was burnt, but not as badly as her dad, and he just came down and he said 'Look, I've lost my wife, I've lost my other kid, I just need you to save (my daughter).'"

An AFP photographer who made it into Kinglake described a road strewn with wrecked cars telling of desperate, failed attempts to escape.

The cars appeared to have crashed into each other or into trees as towering flames put an end to their desperate flight from the town.

Some did not even make it onto the road, said Victoria Harvey, a resident waiting at a roadblock to be allowed to return to the site of her destroyed home.

She told reporters of a local businessman who lost two of his children as the family tried to flee.

"He apparently went to put his kids in the car, put them in, turned around to go grab something from the house, then his car was on fire with his kids in it and they burnt," she said.

In Kinglake scores of homes were levelled along with shops and the school. The smouldering ruins of the town were deserted except for police and forensic experts.

Police Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said there was no doubt that were behind some of the fires.

"Some of these fires have started in localities that could only be by hand, it could not be natural causes," he said.

Police have warned that arsonists could face murder charges.

The government's Australian Institute of Criminology released a report last week which said half the nation's 20,000 to 30,000 bushfires each year are deliberate.

Meanwhile in Queensland in the northeast of the country, where some towns have been inundated for a week by cyclonic rains, two people were missing after their car was swept away -- and a crocodile is believed to have taken a boy.

"The boy was walking with his seven-year-old brother earlier this morning when he followed his dog into floodwaters," police said in a statement.

"He disappeared in the water and his brother saw a large crocodile in the vicinity of his disappearance."

Much of the state has been declared a disaster zone, with an area of more than a million square kilometres (386,100 square miles) and 3,000 homes affected by floods.

Above:
1. Out of control-February 9, 2009, 1:34 am, Bushfires rage through the Victorian countryside.
Photo by AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill
2. No relief in sight, A volunteer takes a much needed rest.
Febrary 9, 2009, 1:34 am, Photo by AFP Photo/William West 

  
Above:
1. Fatigue sets in, A volunteer contemplates the tragic scenes,
February 9, 2009, 1:34 am, Photo by AFP Photo/William West
2. Help from above, A fire-fighting helicopter dumps a load of water on a house under threat.
Febrary 9, 2009, 1:34 am, Photo by AFP Photo/William West 

 

Above:
1. Moving on, Volunteers prepare to move to save another house.
February 9, 2009, 1:34 am, Photo by AFP Photo/William West 
2.Blinding haze, Febrary 9, 2009, 1:34 am, Smoke fills the air as fires encroach on another property. Photo by AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill


Above:
1. Desperate times...February 9, 2009, 1:34 am , A Country Fire Authority (CFA) firefighter prepares equipment -
 Photo by AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill
2. Ominous signs, Smoke rises from Bunyip State Forest bushfires near the township of Tonimbuk. 
Febrary 9, 2009, 1:34 am, Photo by AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill



Above:
1. Hell on earth, A bushfire engulfs the Bunyip State Forest. February 9, 2009, 1:34 am-
Photo by AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill
2. Damages mount, One of the many vehicles destroyed in the fires.
Febrary 9, 2009, 1:34 am, Photo by AFP Photo/William West 

Above:
1. Dwarfed by smoke, February 9, 2009, 1:34 am- Smoke and flames rise over Bunyip State Forest.
Photo by AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill
2. Tireless crusaders, Volunteers pack away their hose as a barn burns in the background after they managed to save a house close to Labertouche.
Febrary 9, 2009, 1:34 am, Photo by AFP Photo/William West 


Above:
1. Deadly battle, A CFA fire truck is dwarfed by flames. February 9, 2009, 1:34 am,
Photo by AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill
2.Towering inferno, Bushfire flames shoot up over trees. February 9, 2009, 1:34 am, 
Photo by AAP Image/Simon Mossman

Above:
1. Dangerously close, February 9, 2009, 1:34 am,  CFA staff monitor a giant fire raging in the Bunyip State Park near Labertouche, some 125 kilometres west of Melbourne.Photo by AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill
2. Under the red sun, The sun glows red as smoke covers the sky during a bushfire at Bunyip State Forest., February 9, 2009, 1:34 am,, oto by AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill
   

Australia's deadliest bushfire kills 84
February 8, 2009, 11:45 pm

WANDONG, Australia (Reuters) - Australia's deadliest bushfire has killed at least 84 people, some as they fled in cars or as they huddled in houses when the inferno engulfed rural towns in the country's south east, police said on Sunday.

The fire storm tore through several small towns north of Melbourne on Saturday night destroying everything in its path. One family was forced to dive into a farm reservoir to survive while others took refuge in a community shed with firefighters standing between them and a wall of flames.

A badly burned man in the town of Kinglake, where there were many fatalities, was kept alive for six hours by being partially submerged by friends in a pool until help arrived.

"It rained fire," said one survivor, showing his singed shirt. "We hid in the olive grove and watched our house burn."

On Sunday, the remains of charred cars littered the smoldering towns, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Melbourne . Some vehicles had crashed into each other as their drivers frantically tried to escape the fire.

"Out there it has been hell on earth," Victoria state Premier John Brumby said in a television address.

Police said the toll could continue to rise as they search the ruins of the wild fires and with 20 people with serious burns in hospital. Thousands of firefighters were still battling scores of fires in Victoria and New South Wales state on Sunday night.

"We will find more bodies as we gain access to different parts of the fire areas," Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon told a news conference.

"We have found people in cars, it looks like they have decided late to leave their premises. We have found people who have been in properties, in their paddocks. We've found others in their houses. And the sad part is that we found children."

Nixon said some of the fires may have been deliberately lit.

The previous worst bushfire tragedy was in 1983 when 75 people were killed in the "Ash Wednesday" fires.

Survivors said the Victorian inferno reached four storeys high and raced across the land like speeding trains.

"It went through like a bullet," Darren Webb-Johnson, a resident of the small rural town of Kinglake, told Sky TV.

TOWNS DESTROYED

"Hell and its fury have visited the good people of Victoria," said Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd , who announced a A$10 million aid package. "The nation grieves with Victoria. Many good people now lie dead. Many others lie injured," said Rudd. The government also put the army on standby.

Firefighters said more than 700 homes have been destroyed in the fires across Victoria state so far this weekend, the vast majority in the worst-affected areas north of Melbourne .

Wildfires are a natural annual event in Australia, but this year a combination of scorching weather, drought and tinder-dry bush has created prime conditions for blazes to take hold. Green lawmakers have been urging stiffer climate-change policies to reduce the risk of more such summer disasters.

Dazed survivors, wrapped in blankets, wandered through twisted and charred remains on Sunday, some crying, not knowing whether friends of family had survived.

At the town of Wandong, about 50 km (30 miles) north of Melbourne , one survivor said he had found the body of a friend in the laundry of a burned-out house.

"Another 20 seconds and we were gone. We lost our dogs. There have been a lot of dead people. My next door neighbor didn't make it," said one survivor.

(Additional reporting by Mark Bendeich and Michael Perry; Editing by Matthew Jones)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, March 23, 2003
Inquiry takes on lessons of fires

Fuel reduction, staff levels, logistics, training and damage compensation are expected to be the focus of the State Government bushfire inquiry. more

---

Wednesday, March 19, 2003
Wind fans fires in Victoria

Strong winds hampered fire crews battling three blazes across Victoria today. more

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Saturday, March 15, 2003
Fire probe to consider CFA pay

A State Government inquiry into Victoria's worst bushfires in 20 years will assess whether Country Fire Authority volunteers and their employers should be compensated financially. more

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Wednesday, March 12, 2003
Parks Victoria calls the cattle home early

Parks Victoria wants mountain cattlemen to remove livestock early from the high plains to reduce erosion and other degradation following the bushfires. more

First fire, then the fallout
States accused over fire risks in national parks

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Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Federal inquiry planned into bushfires

An inquiry will be held into the bushfires that devastated parts of Australia last summer. A spokesman for Prime Minister John Howard said an announcement would be made shortly. more

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Sunday, March 9, 2003
The ash gives way to green

From the ground, the areas surrounding Omeo that were devastated by fires that swept through about a month ago seem to be recovering. more

---

Friday, February 28, 2003
Cruel irony claims firefighter

A firefighter who had spent weeks battling the state's worst bushfires in more than 60 years has lost her life in a flash flood. more

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Monday, February 24, 2003
Timber removal sparks inquiry

The State Government has begun inquiring into allegations that loggers took timber illegally from a firebreak cut along the edge of the Snowy River National Park when the bushfires were at their worst. more

Firefighters look forward to good drenching

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Sunday, February 23, 2003
Fires: State's $60m bill

The cost of fighting the worst Victorian bushfires in 20 years has been $2 million a day, with the running total of at least $60 million set to put further pressure on an already tight May state budget. more

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Saturday, February 22, 2003
After the inferno, hope, kindness, and red tape

For two long weeks the tiny community of Wulgulmerang waited for "the dragon". And now, after the inferno, the waiting goes on; for a ministerial visit to hear their plight, and lastly for the big dry to break. more

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Thursday, February 20, 2003
Push for inquiry into bushfires

The Bracks Government is under pressure to establish an independent inquiry into Victoria's bushfire crisis amid claims that poor public land management contributed to recent blazes. more

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Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Fire crews still battling blazes in Victoria

Fire crews continue to battle Victoria's bushfires, with the vast southern edge of the blazes still burning. more

Howard pledges blaze recovery funds

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Tuesday, February 18, 2003
$1.2 million pledge for fire victims

The State Government has pledged $1.2 million to help rebuild bushfire-ravaged communities in the state's north-east. more

MPs press for bushfire inquiry

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Sunday, February 16, 2003
Scorched north-east reopens for pleasure

North-eastern Victoria is getting back on its feet as tourist attractions reopen after more than a month of fires, but firefighters say the danger further south is not yet over. more

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Saturday, February 8, 2003
Rescuers struggle to save animal victims of fires

Experts believe 90 per cent of native creatures caught and affected by the fire may have died or will be put down. more

Teen volunteer lit 12 fires, court told

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Thursday, February 6, 2003
Firefighters battle Colac blaze

Victorian firefighters were battling an 80-hectare bushfire near Colac in the state's south-west last night, as the fire threat in the north-east eased. more

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Wednesday, February 5, 2003
Woman loses two homes in two weeks

A Victorian woman last night lost a second property in as many weeks to bushfires raging in Victoria and NSW. more

Farmers get $500,000 fire relief
Alpine fires may reach sea, says CFA
Storm forecast rekindles fire fears

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Tuesday, February 4, 2003
Coastal towns warned to prepare for the worst

Towns as far south as Bemm River on the Gippsland coast are being warned they could come under threat from the Victorian fires, with the danger expected to intensify in the next 48 hours. more

Bush fire areas: Back to school

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Sunday, February 2, 2003
Razing heaven

It could have been so much worse. Meaning, no one died. But some lost their homes. Tom Noble was one of them. more

Arson: 'I'd think that'd be fun to set on fire, and I'd do it'
Firefighters stay on alert

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Saturday, February 1, 2003
Six motives for starting a bushfire

The psychology of firebugs varies immensely, according to Richard Kocsis, a Sydney forensic psychologist who has published several papers on arsonists. more

Canberra residents start to rebuild lives
'A game of chess'
Help on the way, fire victims told
Firefighters enjoy quiet before heat

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Friday, January 31, 2003
Summer of fire forces questions for all

Australia's fiery summer has left a nationwide trail of devastation unparalleled in recent memory. From the most picturesque and forested country of north east Victoria, to dry plains, Australia has burned for what seems like three months without end. more

'Dry' firefighters, Alpine residents pray for rain
Dry fire-fighters, Alpine residents pray for rain
Omeo unites to ensure town does not ignite
Houses go as state swelters
Pulling off a miracle at 72
Pelting rain slows blaze at ski resort
Four homes destroyed as huge blaze strikes Omeo
Lightning sparks new fires in Victoria

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Thursday, January 30, 2003
Tomorrow could be the worst bushfire day yet

Gale-force winds overnight were expected to herald the worst day yet on the massive southern front of bushfires burning in Victoria's north-east. more

Mitta Mitta residents urged to take action
At least one house razed at Omeo
Fires closing on Harrietville
Crews on duty: Fighting Victoria's fires
Firefighters watching and waiting
US firefighters join cause
A family business goes up in smoke
Feature: A burning issue for the US west
Vital feed blocked, say angry farmers

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Wednesday, January 29, 2003
A village breathes again

It will be a long while before Rock De Marchi will be buying his own drinks at the pub. more

Industrial relations: Protect fire heroes' pay, union says
The firestorm: Blazes join to create a monster ready to pounce
Global warming: CSIRO's 1988 pointer to a fiery calamity
Arrested: Teenage firefighter on blaze charges
Smoke shrouds Melbourne again
CFA captain slams Bracks over bushfires
Strong winds could push fire over control lines

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Tuesday, January 28, 2003
CFA calls total fire ban for state

A total fire ban has been declared for tomorrow across the state of Victoria, with temperatures expected to top 40 degrees in much of the state. more

Mt Hotham comes under threat again
Three generations of heritage lost
Man 'saved' by timely stay in hospital
Battle for Bogong: Brigade leads the cavalry charge
The fallout: Premier defends fire policy
Bushfire relief
The devastation: After the fires, a time for mourning
Woman, 80, laments a home in ruins
It's one cattleman's toughest day

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Monday, January 27, 2003
No end in sight for Victorian bushfires

The bushfire crisis in north-eastern Victoria could continue for several more weeks, authorities warned today, as firefighters and residents recovered from the Australia Day onslaught. more

Homes lost in fire fury
Dartmouth: Town survives to tell the tale - but without TV
Wandiligong: Residents told it's now a serious waiting game
Trauma: Even the heroes can suffer burnout
Eldorado: Town on alert as spot fire leaps defence
Thredbo under threat,defence lines fail to hold
Factbox: The losses
Benambra: 'She's not playing by the rules'
First aid: Medical volunteers treat more than 400 people

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Sunday, January 26, 2003
Terrifying ordeal, then lucky escape

But upon reaching the settlement of just 20 houses up a dirt track, the strike team realised that fire had closed in behind them. more

Fire reaches lower Alpine towns
At least 4 homes lost in northeast
Cancel your travel, fire chiefs urge
Beechworth: Firefighters try to stay one step ahead to save tower
NSW: Control lines on 60 fires
The forests: Feeling the pain for Canberra's silent victims
ACT: Crews hold their lines, wait
Tasmania: Residents ready to leave
Omeo: No let-up in mountains

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Saturday, January 25, 2003
Canberra remains in a state of emergency

The national capital will remain in a state of emergency until at least Monday as strong winds and high temperatures threaten another fire onslaught. more

Massive firefront in state's north-east
Fires near Melbourne
Burning issue for those who live with the bush
Omeo waits anxiously
Now to put the bush capital back together
Owners grieve for pets lost in bushfires
Houses threatened in Derwent Valley
Children to miss start of school
Tremendous example, says Governor

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Friday, January 24, 2003
Weekend weather won't help fire efforts

Firefighters battling massive fires in northeast Victoria cannot look to this weekend's weather forecast for any respite from their troubles. more

Waiting for the fires testing residents
Breakaway fire at Mt Hotham
Ravaged state braces for fires
Industry: Fire risk will rise if we go: loggers
Yackandandah: Home from the front, off to bed
Bright: Alpine districts brace for heat, winds
Alpine struggle: Firefighters battle 'a monster'
Arson: Pyromania 'driven by delusions'
Current battles: Around the nation

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Thursday, January 23, 2003
Residents flee massive alpine fire

The Victorian alpine community of Bright was under renewed threat last night after a massive fire jumped a containment line and advanced to within 500 metres of the town. more

Friends and neighbours bring hope in hell
Melissa Fyfe: A necessary part of the natural landscape
Management: Safety put first for ones that get away
Beechworth All hands on deck in north-east
Firebugs: Bracks vows to punish arsonists
On the edge: Mitta Mitta residents wait, nervously
Canberra: GG lends cottage to homeless family
Stanley: Elvis the chopper joins firefighters
Complaints: Bracks under fire after fuel warnings revealed

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Wednesday, January 22, 2003
Fires may have been deliberately lit

Fires which destroyed four houses in Victoria's north-east overnight, and continue to rage out of control, are believed to have been deliberately lit. more

Waiting for the disaster to hit
Watching, waiting for another onslaught
Around the nation
Grab the dog and get out
Dangerous times for the fringe dwellers
Green groups blamed for fuel build-up
Emergency alert for towns
Man perished after returning to his home
Shelter: Canberra housing crisis looms

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Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Firefighters make the most of milder conditions

Firefighters battling bushfires raging in Victoria's north-east are taking advantage of a lull in the weather, with more extreme conditions forecast for the weekend. more

Fires within 8km of suburban Canberra
State's fire prevention strategies not good enough: Ingram
State's fire prevention strategies not good enough: Ingram
Conditions worse in the mountains
Smoke haze makes phones run hot
A Canberra tragedy: What price family mementoes and photographs?
True grit in fire's aftermath
Bush capital faces changes for safety
Water supply: Rain now a pollution threat

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Monday, January 20, 2003
Stanhope says blame me for fires

ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope today called for critics to blame him, and not emergency services workers, for the destruction caused by fires which swept through Canberra at the weekend. more

Fires threaten homes in Victoria's north-east
ACT bushfire cost could hit $100 million
'Deek' left with only charred medals
Disaster in the capital
Heat, wind recipe for 'real bad day'
40 years of artist's treasures gone
NSW: A rugged battlefield tests weary crews
Michelle Grattan: Bush paradise turns deadly
Smoke forces planes to divert

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Sunday, January 19, 2003
Survival the aim as a monster came to prey

Veteran firefighters had never seen anything like the fire that raced into Canberra's bush suburbs on Saturday, writes Brendan Nicholson. more

Random fingers of fire pick off houses
Injured pour into hospital
$20m damage to historic observatory
Firestorm razes 400 homes
Fourth fire victim found
Hospitals treat more than 200
Power, water and sewerage problems after fires
Two dead, 388 homes lost in ACT blaze
Crews braced for latest onslaught of runaway blaze

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Saturday, January 18, 2003
One dead, 100 homes lost in Canberra fires

One man has died, up to 100 homes have been destroyed in the nation's capital and hundreds of people have been evacuated from resorts in the Snowy Mountains as bushfires razed vast tracts of Australia's south-east today. more

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Friday, January 17, 2003
East Gippsland fire contained

Victorian firefighters have controlled a blaze started by lightning in the alpine zone of East Gippsland overnight. more

Hundreds of firefighters mobilised
2,000 firefighters prepare for extreme conditions

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Thursday, January 16, 2003
30,000 hectares of Victorian bushland burning

Almost 30,000 hectares of Victorian bushland is on fire with blazes expected to continue spreading as the weather heats up again tomorrow. more

Isolated communities targeted in fire effort

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Wednesday, January 15, 2003
No sweat, it's fighting fires from a distance

In the fire-fighting business, this is the clean work. Little sweat and no black stuff - unless you count the coffee. more

Firefighters battle nine alpine blazes

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Tuesday, January 14, 2003
Close call at Frankston as bushfire menaces homes

A fire at Frankston South came within 100 metres of houses yesterday as more than 1000 firefighters across the state battled 37 outbreaks. more

1,700 firefighters battle alpine blazes

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Monday, January 13, 2003
Frankston grassfire threatens homes

Homes are being threatened by a grass fire burning near Frankston, in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. more

Fire outlook grim in north-east
Ash Wednesday: A street rebuilt, but a legacy not forgotten
Fires cause smoke haze across Melbourne
Fires cause smoke haze across Melbourne
Fires cause smoke haze across Melbourne
Satellite images show remote alpine fires

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Sunday, January 12, 2003
Hikers told to keep out of parks as heat rises

Firefighters across the state are preparing for several days of heightened fire risk and warning holiday-makers to avoid many park areas as temperatures rise into the 30s and winds shift to the north. more

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Friday, January 10, 2003
More than 20 bushfires still out of control

Hot weather over the coming weekend is expected to fan more than 20 bush, grass and scrub fires still burning in parks and farmland in Victoria's east. more

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Thursday, January 9, 2003
Fire destroys Gippsland gun club

A Gippsland gun club was today destroyed by bushfires raging out of control in Victoria's south-east and north-east. more

Crews still battling 47 fires

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Wednesday, January 8, 2003
Three fires in Gippsland national park

Country firefighters quickly contained a grass and scrub fire near Melbourne today as three other blazes broke out in East Gippsland. more

Fire crews battling blaze at Mickleham

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Tuesday, January 7, 2003
Searing sun brings first fire ban

Today has been declared a day of total fire ban, the first to apply to the whole of Victoria this summer. more

Picture: ANDREW TAYLOR
Mount Stromlo site controller Gary Thompson assesses the damage to the observatory after the Canberra fires.

Mount Stromlo to rise from ashes

February 1 2003

Scientists are divided over the future of the observatory lost in the Canberra fires. Stephen Cauchi reports.

Where to now for the Mount Stromlo observatory? Workman are trying to salvage what they can from the blackened and charred ruins of the 73-year-old observatory, with the aim of reopening workshops there within a year. As they do, officials at the observatory's operator, the Australian National University, are puzzling over how and what to rebuild. Others question whether the observatory, whose location near the night-time lights of a major city is less than ideal, should return to its status as the country's major observatory behind Siding Springs.

The ANU insists the reconstruction of the observatory is on track. According to a statement this week, it "was, is and will continue to be an icon of scientific research and education". Furthermore, the Mount Stromlo redevelopment fund had received "hundreds of donations and inquiries from around the world", including money and offers of telescopes.

Only the visitors' centre, and two buildings which housed academic staff and computing resources were spared from the recent fires that swept through Canberra. Damage to the observatory is estimated at between $20-50 million, not including irreplaceable historical items such as the 19th century Great Melbourne Telescope.

Eight houses and all five telescopes were destroyed. The 1924 heritage building, accommodating administration staff, the design office, and the library, were gutted, as was the workshop where a multi-million-dollar spectrograph was entering final testing.

On the other hand, nearly all scientific data has survived, as have instrument plans for another major project being designed for the overseas Gemini telescope.
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