tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post1349744657738812812..comments2023-05-15T19:52:28.454+10:00Comments on h&b: FireSTORMLBAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05433555112198668513noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-85268259466478514872009-02-21T10:38:00.000+11:002009-02-21T10:38:00.000+11:00Every time I read something about the destruction ...Every time I read something about the destruction caused by the fires, I cry again. The practical and literal descriptions from your sister provide such a vivid picture. Whether you survived or not was not something in the hands of the CFA or and individuals who lsot so much. I don't want to go home and see my scorched state, but I will in a few weeks. I saw Canberra after the fires there. I think it will pale in comparision to Victoria. Watershedd.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-75326485031295418152009-02-20T15:26:00.000+11:002009-02-20T15:26:00.000+11:00That all sounds really horrible. I didn't hear abo...That all sounds really horrible. I didn't hear about the fires until about a week ago. I hope everything will be OK for your family and the survivors.Damselflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00139191935886860839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-51261333528144648402009-02-17T21:05:00.000+11:002009-02-17T21:05:00.000+11:00Thankyou for your insightIt puts it all it to pers...Thankyou for your insight<BR/>It puts it all it to perspective.<BR/>Blessings to you and your family.zoesquidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10697735979911922843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-84397301811855914472009-02-14T23:37:00.000+11:002009-02-14T23:37:00.000+11:00Wow!!!! I have a freiend in Kinglake and she and h...Wow!!!! I have a freiend in Kinglake and she and her partner lost their houses as well. They fled in his Mustang on an empty tank...have heard from her and heard her some of her story and it is incredible. My heart goes out to all involved from the people who are directly involved with the fires from the people who lost so much to the CFA and all the other services as well... they have seen and been involved in more than anybody ever should be.<BR/><BR/>MichelleMichellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17914234649093958718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-41906843542232941772009-02-13T19:01:00.000+11:002009-02-13T19:01:00.000+11:00I feel I have just read more truth here in this on...I feel I have just read more truth here in this one post about the situation than I have gotten from all the florid/OTT reporting coming from the commercial networks now. Thank you H&B - this account was so immediate. My heart goes out to all those affected .. so very sad.nutmeghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00338099206534716993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-27433810270728957522009-02-13T13:42:00.000+11:002009-02-13T13:42:00.000+11:00UN-believable. I can't imagine a worse horror than...UN-believable. I can't imagine a worse horror than losing my babies. What these people have had to endure is beyond comprehension. Apparently some looters were caught, which made me smile. The cop explained that they were apprehended by a couple of farmers, and that by the time the cops got there, the looters were not in the best shape..albyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771830405134059871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-35503168167922035972009-02-13T10:19:00.000+11:002009-02-13T10:19:00.000+11:00thank you for this poignant reminder about the REA...thank you for this poignant reminder about the REALITY of this horror. <BR/>no time, no chance. <BR/>too quick, too fast.<BR/>these poor people. i cannot begin to imagine how anyone can 'get over' it or remotely even attempt to understand the terror and tragedy that ensued. and the kids...<BR/>i cry every time i think of the kids, the parents of kids wanting to protect their babies...<BR/>thoughts and prayers with all involved.<BR/>[and thank you for sharing such personal stories - it speaks volumes]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-80647406224463130912009-02-12T23:50:00.000+11:002009-02-12T23:50:00.000+11:00thank you for your blog. we have no tv so to hear ...thank you for your blog. we have no tv so to hear it in your words paints a clearer picture for us all. the generosity of our fellow australians is inspiring. perhaps we should harass the phone companies to waive mobile phone bills at this time for victims of the fires. the phones will be used more than ever and to stay in touch with friends and family is more important now, no doubt.lyrebirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01367252601419103240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-68652825991518150462009-02-12T23:27:00.000+11:002009-02-12T23:27:00.000+11:00We're hearing so much now about how intense the fi...We're hearing so much now about how intense the fire was and how quickly it moved I think the media have started to move away from 'blaming' people for not leaving early enough. How dare we make such assumptions.Duyvkenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17660918523479855890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-54514794329449045642009-02-12T22:59:00.000+11:002009-02-12T22:59:00.000+11:00This post has kept me awake. My 15 and 13.5 yr old...This post has kept me awake. My 15 and 13.5 yr olds were at home alone on Sat, but hey we're ok cause we live in the relative safety of the 'burbs'. My heart is breaking for that Mum. bloody hell how will she get through it. Words are so inadequete. Thanks for painting such a vivid picture for a city girl like me who just doesn't get it. How absolutely terrifying. Incomprehensible.Daisy Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04533191944152032053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-33906293390080222782009-02-12T21:57:00.000+11:002009-02-12T21:57:00.000+11:00I've been praying for the whole situation since I ...I've been praying for the whole situation since I first heard of it Saturday night. I hope and pray that your weather holds. We are in WA and are having warmish weather, which isn't as hot as it was forecast, so hopefully in 2 or 3 days it won't heat up as much as it is supposed to.<BR/>God Bless you all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-30262272680901843152009-02-12T20:16:00.000+11:002009-02-12T20:16:00.000+11:00Your post moved me to tears. Here in the UK, bush ...Your post moved me to tears. Here in the UK, bush fires are something that we'll never (thankfully) experience but it has been headline news here for days and the stories people are telling are just heartbreaking. My thoughts are with you. Stay safe.XAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-82716234362408026072009-02-12T18:13:00.000+11:002009-02-12T18:13:00.000+11:00An amazing post. This disaster will be in the mind...An amazing post. <BR/><BR/>This disaster will be in the minds and hearts of Australians forever. In my lifetime, I've never known anything this bad in this nation of ours. <BR/><BR/>I'm also horrified by the media treatment of this - your sister's email strikes at the very heart of what this is all about. The pointing of fingers in the midst of such emotion is ridiculous. <BR/><BR/>(And I have to say - what the heck was the visit by the cricketers all about? "I know your family has died but hey, here's Ricky Ponting." I know, I'm being faecetious but it annoyed me.)<BR/><BR/>May everyone keep safe and well. xxxxMy floathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17002186548335132157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-48038597196847150712009-02-12T15:04:00.000+11:002009-02-12T15:04:00.000+11:00It’s all so incomprehensible !Thank you for sharin...It’s all so incomprehensible !<BR/><BR/>Thank you for sharing this very personal account.It must have been so hard emotionally.<BR/>You & your friends are in my thoughts as are so many others I don’t know.<BR/> <BR/>I was moved to tears , again.The tragic story about the 15yr brings it close to home for me - because my son is 15yr and often at home alone now he refuses to come out with us.♥.Trish.♥ Drumboyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13482654455512269065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-36115287671954973402009-02-12T13:41:00.000+11:002009-02-12T13:41:00.000+11:00So close to home for you. Thanks for sharing thes...So close to home for you. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for sharing these stories, they are worth sharing and remembering.Claire (ethel loves fred)https://www.blogger.com/profile/15039120555271381576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-66254402489392904412009-02-12T12:33:00.000+11:002009-02-12T12:33:00.000+11:00Sometimes I go to the shop and leave my kids here....Sometimes I go to the shop and leave my kids here...<BR/><BR/>It is just too horrible to contemplate. My heart aches more with every story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-33685780907202855552009-02-12T12:28:00.000+11:002009-02-12T12:28:00.000+11:00Thanks for such a vivid description. I used to be ...Thanks for such a vivid description. I used to be in the Rural Fire Service, and can attest that fires can travel a lot faster than you could ever expect, and not only that, the radiant heat travels in front of the fire and dries everything so quickly that it catches fire too. Hearing it all on the news I never even doubted that these people who died were wasting time - the fire was just travelling too quickly.Pruehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03545993243891419887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-10095848501092535082009-02-12T11:34:00.000+11:002009-02-12T11:34:00.000+11:00It's so true. There was no time. No warning. We le...It's so true. There was no time. No warning. We left our place in Glenburn when we could see the Murrindindi fire in the hills from the back porch. We listened to the radio, we were glued to the maps. We drove right between Kinglake and Toolangi with absolutely NO IDEA that the Kilmore fire was in Kinglake. We could see smoke, but it all looked like it was on the other side of the hills. We stopped in Yarra Glen, listened to the updates, and decided to keep going to Eltham. Again, we drove through Christmas Hills oblivious to the devastation going on around us. <BR/>It was only a couple of days ago I checked the times on the messages I'd been sending to my mum as we drove. We were right in it. And we had no idea.<BR/>Those people died through no fault of their own. I thank my lucky stars we made it out.<BR/>(By some miracle, it seems the house is ok too. But the roads are still closed, so I won't believe it until we can get back in there and see it for ourselves.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-75357302673377820392009-02-12T10:25:00.000+11:002009-02-12T10:25:00.000+11:00Being up here in Queensland, we're so far away fro...Being up here in Queensland, we're so far away from what is happening and it's so hard to imagine such terror, but we're SO overwhelmed with grief for all those affected. This is so tragic. My heart aches for everyone.Linhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02890619849951879239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-85955459235885549312009-02-12T09:23:00.000+11:002009-02-12T09:23:00.000+11:00I can't turn the TV on anymore...I spent satur...I can't turn the TV on anymore...<BR/><BR/>I spent saturady listening to the radio & on the internet trying to work out how close the fire was to my aunt & uncle's farm<BR/><BR/>In the end they saved their house, but now they have nothing to feed their cattle, the paddocks are black. By Sunday, I was just glad that they (& my cousins) were ok, so many other people were not.<BR/><BR/>The images that I saw from their farm were out of this world, & if it wasn't for the fact that power lines boarder their property (which the CFA were water bombing) there house would probably be gone...<BR/><BR/>Never been so happy to live where I do, & yet so guilty for everything being so normal.<BR/><BR/>I hope that your friends will be ok. xChristiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07935564388507544207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-83528049958368517992009-02-12T07:15:00.000+11:002009-02-12T07:15:00.000+11:00thank you for sharing. it's hard to understand wh...thank you for sharing. it's hard to understand when all we get are a few pictures and snippets here in the US. i do hope the help we are sending in the form of the bushfire project and money to the red cross will send some comfort. our thoughts and prayers are with you.jacquiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07362229673390519468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-54298621961254900012009-02-12T06:57:00.000+11:002009-02-12T06:57:00.000+11:00Each day I wake up thinking I'll be ok today, I wo...Each day I wake up thinking I'll be ok today, I wont cry ..just before I dissolve into tears once again. I’m over the boarder and feel so useless, I want to help, to do something. Giving money seems inadequate and yet there isn’t much more I can do at this point other than express my sorrow and my deepest, heartfelt condolences.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06568846295362183513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-80286910586004747992009-02-12T03:53:00.000+11:002009-02-12T03:53:00.000+11:00Thanks for your post.It is all just so hard to bel...Thanks for your post.<BR/>It is all just so hard to believe. The enormity of it all is just starting to sink in. Possibly the worst part is that it's not yet over.In transithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05254138588190886321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-54405832778681512422009-02-12T00:29:00.000+11:002009-02-12T00:29:00.000+11:00I'm halfway around the world, and while I've been ...I'm halfway around the world, and while I've been aware of the fires and devastation, it was an abstract thing. It isn't anymore. Any words of encouragement or sympathy seem trite, but I sincerely wish health, hope, and peace to the people affected by these terrible fires.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21988256.post-30362832031073147712009-02-12T00:08:00.000+11:002009-02-12T00:08:00.000+11:00Thanks for sharing. I cannot even begin to imagine...Thanks for sharing. I cannot even begin to imagine what these people have been through, the thought completely overwhelms me with grief and despair, especially when thinking about the children.<BR/><BR/>How does someone come through this?MissyBoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15718948252357141272noreply@blogger.com