Fire danger

[albrid-3]

I had a friend who lived at lorne victoria the day the ash wednesday fires  disstroyed the coastline this home was lost plus his 500 manx norton was mounting like a candle, it was devastating, we moved from Healesville area about 3 years, the place is a lovely area and so was marysville, their was a motor museum at marysville and l would say its all gone too. my heart goes out to all.

[Hoony]

yes i believe that motor museum will be gone too in marysville, it was a private collection and had a VERY rare horse drawn gypsy coach from 1890 or so plus a heap of bikes and cars. there is no way it would have been saved due to the alert came approx 8pm last night.

people lost there lives just trying to drive out of town.

 i also fear a mate property has been razed, he and family are safe in Melbourne but his shed & equipment probably went up, he won't know till early this week when he can inspect, roads are blocked.

[Tim754]

Our friend BigK is a resident in Bendigo fire area, I have not been able to contact him. Peter Schoene (Bultaco Parts) has lost before to wild fire he now lives at Toongabbie again unable to contact. Tim         Believe I have lost a mate of 45 years in Kinglake West hope he is about but his home has been confirmed razed and the ruins has been police taped off.
Crazy part my brother lives in rain drenched ,flooding Townsville area Far North Queensland.

[YZ250H]

This is unbeleivable    Has any body at all heard from GMC ?

[mxmaniac]

FAr out.. this is outrages.. now the death toll is upto 84.. I work with 5 guys with familys from king lake, fingers crossed. :'(

[Tim754]

My friend has been found laying with his two beloved horses, most likely was doing his utmost to calm them. It would have been quick in that hell.
I see BigK last posted at 9.03 Today that is good!

[Nathan S]

Damn, Tim.
Awful news - offering my condolences seems so weak, no matter how genuinely they're offered.

On the Volvo forum, one of the blokes has just discovered that the 16yo bloke who died with his younger sister was a friend of him/his missus.


Anyone know Geoff well enough to call him? Probably won't get through, but would be worth a try, surely?
NB: I don't think it would be a great idea to have half the forum ringing.

Spoke to an internet support bloke from Bendigo today - he was fine, but his brother's place was in real trouble/had been burned (he didn't go into details, I didn't ask).
After that conversation, I spent that arvo pushing the lawn mower around...

[frostype400]

one of our mates was fighting the fire in narbethong trying to save his house a couple of our little bikes were there that doesnt matter atleast he is save. He was running around putting out spot fires but it was getting out of control and the paddock across the road exploded in to flames and next doors lpg bottle exploded but a friend of his who worked in the fire tower rang him and said if you dont get out now in 30 seconds you wont get out so he only got his canary and cat and jumped in his car and raced down the black spur to healesville he is still very lucky he got out but i know he would have lost irraplaceable possesions his grandfathers war medals pictures of his dad so much there were so many bikes there too it doesnt matter about them he is ok but i know it would be dissapointing to lose them there was his brothers BSA B44 honda tl 125 and tl 250 honda sl70 his concourse 82 honda xl250 my honda minitrail but i and all others arent worried about any material goods it is his life and the centimental things that matter he hasnt seen his house yet but we all expect it is not there the houses around these areas are very old and its a wonderful place to visit it is a shame some of the 100 year old buildings have burnt down but as i say nothing is more important to any one than their own and their families and friends lifes i hope everyone is ok it is exteremley sad that people have lost their lifes we all are worried for people in the surronding areas it is a shame we have these firebugs as it seems most have been deliberatly lit i cant understand what sort of person could do such a thing i hope everyone is ok it is extremely sadning to hear people have lost their lifes

[Nathan S]

Nothing puts the relative value of people and possessions into focus like this sort of disaster.

[caps 999]

i give my condolences to any one who has lost family or mates in these fires its a real shame to have thing like this happen to innocent people

[paul]

brian naylor  the ex channel nine news reader and wife were found deceased tonite oppisit my friend house that is 4 inches deep pile off  ash and two brother i know from hazel wood were found deceased after they went back to save the family home  this devistation is the worst ever they say

[VMX247]

Dad stuck in floods, mum caught up in fires
By Nicole Butler
Posted 8 hours 1 minute ago
Updated 4 hours 33 minutes ago
 Vic truckie describes journey through fire, then Qld floods (ABC News) Audio: Flood-stranded truckie speaks about fears for fire-ravaged Vic family (ABC News) One Victorian family is enduring all of the weather extremes gripping eastern Australia.
The worst flood in 30 years has seen interstate truck driver Kevin DeVries stranded for five days at Rollingstone, near Ingham, in north Queensland.

"I've come up from Victoria, I left in 49 degree heat," he said.

"I got to the border, the road is melting before me ... tar is splashing up on my truck.

"I get into New South Wales, I go through fires, and I come through Queensland and listen to this rain - unbelievable - I've never seen anything like it.

"[In] New South Wales I was getting stopped for grass fires, before the big fires kicked in.

"Come up here [Qld] and been stopped twice for the floods and now I'm locked in and I can't come home."
Evacuation
Meanwhile, Mr DeVries's wife and three children have been caught up in the Victorian fires.

His family was forced to flee their home at Narre Warren in Melbourne's south-east yesterday when the inferno claimed around six houses in their street.

Mr DeVries has two daughters aged 17 and 11 and his son is 17.

"It was a little bit frantic yesterday - a father's instinct, or a husband's instinct is to protect protect their family and [I'm] just helpless," he said.

"It's a tough situation there for a while but we've got some good family and friends down there and we got them out."

He says his wife was frantic.

" talked the wife through it, she was in a bit of a panic mode," he said.

"They wouldn't let her in the blockade to get the two girls out of the house - she was at work you see.

"Everything's okay - I think she's [my wife] more concerned about me now."

He says he is quite proud of his son trying to help save his neighbour's house.

"My oldest boy's friend - his house got lost," he said.

"He was actually bucketing water out of next door neighbour's swimming pool trying to help fight the fire."

[gorby]

I havent been on the forum for a while but it puts things into reality when forum members home areas are mentioned in the news reports.
My wishes are with them at this time,its comparable to having concerns for family or mates even though
I have never met them.

[maicomc490t]

I'm not normally lost for words but this time I am - this is terrible and all we can hope is the bad news is going to end and our friends are safe.

As for the arsonists - simple solution - a wooden gallows and piano wire. They are f...... vermin scum !!!

My job as a firey up in Sydney often takes me to single houses, factories, schools, cars etc destroyed by fire but whole towns and communities ? nah - just can't comprehend it at all - this is BAD.

When the appeals kick in dig deep guys - those of us that can are just soooooooo lucky !!!

Dave Mac

[4RoBs]

Got nothing useful to add. Just can't sleep. Put's our little BBQ into perspective.