Black Saturday

[katiefoolery]

There’s something completely surreal about sitting in your safe home in suburbia, marvelling at a day of coldness and rain after a day of record heat the day before... and all the while, knowing that fires are raging barely fifty kilometres away from you.

Fires you can’t see.

Fires you can’t smell.

Fires that are destroying the town you grew up in. Fires that are killing people in that town and others nearby. Fires that are ravaging houses along the road on which you lived for most of your life.

I don’t know if the house I grew up in is even there any more. It hasn’t been my house for a while, ever since my parents sold and moved to Beechworth almost six years ago, but it was still there. Now it might not be. Now, it might just be a pile of smouldering wreckage in a landscape of devastation.

One hundred and eight people have died at the time of my writing this. People from the area I grew up in. The odds of my not knowing at least one of them are very slim.

People are still missing and unaccounted-for; I can only imagine the death toll will keep rising for some time yet.

There was a little town we used to visit when I was younger. It was gorgeous – so beautiful in Autumn when all the Autumn leaves fell on the leafy main street. Surrounded by bushland – cool in the Summer heat; shady and restful.

It doesn’t exist any more. It does not. Exist.

An entire town, gone just like that. Houses. Shops. Trees.

People.

Fire descended on towns like freight trains, like the fury of hell. “It rained fire" was how one survivor described it. Wind, heat, and flames. Flames that ran parallel to the ground, reaching out and devouring and never, ever stopping.

So you’re fire ready? You have your plan to escape?

Fire doesn’t care. It’s going to sweep down on you and it’s going to destroy everything. It’s the most horrific, unstoppable force of destruction you could ever possibly imagine.

Here’s a map from The Age:

The first arrow on the left is roughly where I live now. We’re literally about thirty or forty kilometres from the fires and there’s absolutely no evidence of them at all.

The second arrow is pointing at where I grew up. Right near a big fire.

The third arrow is where my parents live, next door to my brother and his fiancée. Oh yes, there’s another fire there. This one’s heading away from them now, and over towards another town. So while I’d love to be grateful that my family is safe, all I can feel is misery and concern for all the people who are now in its path.

And an article about my old home town: We Can See Flames. That building in the photo is one of only two pretty buildings in the entire town. I can only hope most of them are still standing.

More from my town: Wine Region Feels Blast of Blazing Inferno. The main picture is about half a kilometre from the town itself. The building is part of supposedly one of the oldest wineries in the state and appears to be miraculously intact.

This is the main article I keep refreshing compulsively: Death Toll Rises from Bushfires.

An appeal has been launched for donations through the Red Cross. The response from banks and business has been pretty much instantanenous, which is made even more remarkable by the current climate of economic uncertainty. It’s a little difficult to care too much about that when one hundred and eight people have died and thousands of people have been rendered homeless.

And yet, I’m here with my intact house and my cold weather and my lawn still damp from the rain earlier this morning. With my possessions. With the people I care about. With my cat.

I’ve never been more grateful for them all.

Comments

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

Oh jesus D:

[flippyfrog.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I have been following the news with absolute horror. Every chance I get, Beechworth has been in the news search engine. But none of them said BUNNE'S FAMILY IS SAFE
I feel so useless here. So, so useless, all I can do is wait for updates. I don't know what I would do if I was in the country, but I at least would have the option.

*throws more hugs into the pile*

please keep me updated, when you get the chance. and know my thoughts are with you. All my love. Keep you and your family safe and we'll rebuild houses when there's no more ash glowing.

[purpletigress.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I'm really glad you're safe ... my thoughts have been with all the people I know in Victoria. I remember watching fires burn a couple of years ago ... so many people I knew were evacuated, but no houses were lost. That so many houses can be lost, so many lives lost, when we have those awesome helicopters amazes me and makes me realise the gravity of the situation.

We had fires here in Peats Ridge, about 20 minutes away this weekend ... some horses died I believe but I'm not sure what else. We were with my parents in Newcastle and I all I could think about was what if it takes a turn for the worst and our kitty is stranded? I remember when my parents place narrowly escaped being burnt to the ground, all dad wanted to do was get home to let out the birds (Mum had taken the other animals) ... just so they had a fighting chance. We still have no clue how they all survived with fire so close.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I always consider Australia to be so lucky to escape so many severe weather conditions like earthquakes and most cyclones, but then bushfire season hits.

[alankria.livejournal.com]

*tries to send rain south*

I hope your family (and you) stay safe, and that the fires can be controlled and extinguished as soon as possible.

[dolorosa-12.livejournal.com]

*sends snow and ice*

I hope that the fires are put out soon, and that you, your family, and the people in your area (and their houses) all remain safe.

[katilara.livejournal.com]

It's insane that the wind is blowing away from you, and very lucky. When Florida was under fire some time ago we had several days where we got crazy smoke, and we were farther than 50k away. Fire is so hard because it seems to make no sense. Unlike floods which seem to have a start and will follow as long as they don't reach a block, fire doesn't make any sense, and it goes over everything.

My thoughts are with everyone affected, and I hope that you and yours continue to be safe.

[snowy-gem.livejournal.com]

*hugs for Bunne, her family, friends and anyone else even remotely touched by the fires*

Ive been out the last few days and i come home. I have rural firefighter friends and they have been that busy that i havent heard from them about what fires they are at, so if they arent in Victoria yet, im sure they are going to be sent.

Im so glad that your family and yourself are safe hun.

[everydayjoy.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about you last night and wondering how you're doing. It's just... unbelievable.

[qwaynt.livejournal.com]

I've heard about the extreme weather and fires. I wondered if you were affected by any of this. Obviously you are. Mother Nature is just too damn cruel some times. *hugs* Thoughts and prayers are with those who are without right now. May you remain safe.

[stefeny.livejournal.com]

I'm a state away, and I feel so helpless, not that anything could be done were I in Victoria. I can't believe the death toll. I hadn't been following the news, so I didn't realise until last night what had been going on.

Ah well, we must do what we can. I'm trying to rally my co-workers into donating goods en masse. I was only complaining yesterday that I had too many blankets ...

[arctic-firefox.livejournal.com]

It's still hard to believe that places like Marysville (population 600) and Kinglake (population 1500) pretty much don't *exist* anymore.

Contrast this to the fact that literally two-thirds of Queensland (over one million square kilometres) is flooded.

I know a paramedic who just moved to Alexandra - his skills will surely be appreciated there now.

[morbane.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I read your post before I checked for updates on the fires, because when I saw that Beechworth was still one of the main concerns my heart lurched anyway. I'm glad your family are safe. This is horrible.

[erinmacha.livejournal.com]

:( *hugs* That is scary. We have fires every summer around here and the idea of people not having enough warning to get out in time is mind boggling to me. "Sounded like a train..." The very idea freaks me out.

Stay safe please. *hugs again*

[the-kaytinator.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

This is just awful. I don't know what to do, but I'll be going through my enormous stuffed toy collection and taking out a good portion to send down south. I can't afford to give money, but I'll see what I have that I can give.

And they're estimating a possible 170 dead.

[ilexarts.livejournal.com]

I hope you and your family are able to stay safe *hugs*
Please keep us updated.

[rilla06.livejournal.com]

I could see the smoke from Yarra Glen from my house. It's crazy. My school principal's house has gone, he lives there.

I can't really believe it yet. :/

[rilla06.livejournal.com]

ALSO, that photo from the "We Can See The Flames" link was taken by one of my friends. :(

[frohike.livejournal.com]

Good to hear you are okay so far. I was getting worried.

Also that last line about your cat basically brought me to tears. For the love of god hug your cat.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I know. It's almost impossible to take in right now.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

BUNNE'S FAMILY IS SAFE. :D

The fire came close enough, but it headed in a different direction, thankfully. I was talking to the Ma tonight and telling her that people she's never met were worried about them and sending good thoughts and wishes their way, which made her kind of surprised and thankful.

All you can do is wait for updates. And it's so frustrating because you want to be doing something but you know you'll either a) fail to think of something, or, b) just get in the way.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

My kitteh was being especially clingy last night and it just made me think of how many people lost their beloved pets in the fires. It's awful to think of how many animals, both pets and livestock, have died, on top of the human cost..

We are a pretty lucky ocuntry generally. And then awful conditions combine to create the most unbelievable of disasters.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we could do with some of the coldness about now. :) It looks like the worst of the fires has passed and now we all deal with the aftermath.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

We could definitely do with some of that stuff! :)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I know - it's so weird. About two years ago, there were bad fires that were several hundred kilometres away and the city and suburbs were blanketed in smoke. You couldn't breathe anything but the stuff. And yet, there's no sign of fires that are barely half an hour away.

Thankfully, my family appears to be safe. I'm just so damned grateful for every little thing right now and wishing I could do something more to help.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your thoughts. :) And for your firefighters! Everyone involved in dealing with this disaster is just amazing.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your thoughts. :) It really is the most incomprehensible thing right now.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Yep, completely untouched and safe here, and so is my family. The whole state was warned we were facing absolutely the worst conditions for bushfires in our history but I don't think anyone believed it could be this bad.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

If anyone has a couple of hundred spare houses lying around, those'd come in handy, too. :) I just can't believe how many people are homeless because of these fires. It's like everything I do makes me think of it. I'll be all, Damn, I'm lucky to have this soap, or, I'm so lucky I get to wear a different set of clothes tomorrow... and the day after... and the day after that.

I don't think it's even possible to donate too much.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I can't believe it. I've seen the pictures of Marysville and I still can't reconcile that with the lovely little town I used to visit as a kid. It's not possible that it's all gone.

And yeah, your friend in Alexandra is probably being over-worked and incredibly appreciated right now. :)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

It kept alarming me, too, the way mention was constantly made of "the Beechworth fire". Thankfully, it decided to be the "close to Beechworth, but moving towards the less populated areas" fire.

Thank-you for your thoughts. :)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

It really was like that - fires are so capricious. The crazy thing is that the state government is going to hold a Royal commission to investigate how the situation was managed... as though it was a manageable situation to start with. It wasn't. All the fire plans in the world won't help when you have a fire moving at 120kph.

I'm safe. My family is safe (and grateful for the thoughts and wishes of people they don't know). :)

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I fully expect the final death toll to be quite awful. There are so many stories of people missing and you just know it's not going to be good news there.

Please, please do send those stuffed toys. So many kids will be grateful beyond words to have them.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

My family's safe, thankfully. Now, we just sit and watch as the full aftermath unfolds.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you're OK - I was worried there might be fires around your area, too.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Seeing my kitteh all safely curled up and asleep makes me feel all teary just for the thought of all the other pets out there who didn't make it. The cost in human lives is horrible, but the cost in animal ones must be thousands of times worse. It's completely awful. :(

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I hope your friend's OK, in that case.

My poor, ugleh childhood town. :(

[saralonde24.livejournal.com]

I'm glad your family is ok - when I heard about Beechworth I wondered.
The whole thing is terrible, but it's just awful about Marysville. We stayed in a nice little house there a few summers ago - I'm guessing it's probably burned down by now. I get upset seeing photos of the main street.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

It's so hard to believe Marysville's gone. Only one building left in the main street and most of the houses completely consumed. :( Just last week, people were talking about the weekends they spent there over the Summer holidays... and now it's not even there any more.

[sarsalot.livejournal.com]

Hey there Bunne, so glad to hear you and yours are okay. I haven't visited LJ for months, but I saw the news and suddenly remembered that you lived somewhere in Victoria. So sorry about your hometown.

[purpletigress.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. People always seem to forget the animals but not me. Then again ... I'd have a whole hoarde of kittens before I decided to have a human baby ;-)

[flippyfrog.livejournal.com]

Oh good, Rill, I'm glad you're alright, babe. *crash tackle hugs* Stay safe too, okay sweetheart, don't make me come over there with a herring!

*hugs again*

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

*hugs* to you and everybody who's been affected by this horrible tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

[moonlitpromise.livejournal.com]

I heard about that... So horrible...

[rilla06.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I'm fine, we had the Bunyip fire on one side and the Healseville/Yarra Glen ones on the other, but none of them got close. We were lucky.

[rilla06.livejournal.com]

No, not the herring! :P *hugs back*

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your thoughts and your concern. I really want to go and visit that ugly little town of mine, but I don't want to be part of the inevitable stream of tourists out to marvel at the devastation.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

Thank-you. :) I'm afraid a lot of those prayers and thoughts are needed by a lot of people right now.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

It really is a completely awful thing.