Hell has ravaged victoria

Death toll now at 181 - but they are expecting a dramatic escalation today as authorities get more people into areas that were devastated.

Some of the images that really drive home the unbelievable intensity and speed of the fires are images where homes have been absolutely and completely obliterated - nothing left but the concrete slab on which they once stood and maybe a few scraps of metal roofing...

Also burnt out cars where the alloy wheels are now just rivulets of molten metal...

What does gladden the heart is the response of Australian people. From folk who within the first day or so had driven up trailer loads of donated clothing, food, toys - so much so that authorities had to ask for people to stop because they didn't have the ability to deal with it. They instead asked for people to make cash donations to the Red Cross appeal (Red Cross have guaranteed 100% of donations, ie no admin fee deductions, will go to the victims). As I type, the response to that appeal exceeds Aus$31million and rapidly increasing - from a country of 21million people. While a large part of that has come from 'corporate' Australia, the response from everyone has been enormous. I tried yesterday and couldn't get through because the lines were consistently busy, so I shall be trying online in just a moment.

Blood Donations also have been very high. While they often seem to struggle for enough donors, since the tragedy people have been waiting in queues to donate.

 

I'm planning to go in and donate blood in a week or two, when the initial boom of people has faded. I've donated to the RSPCA, which has created an emergency fund to help animals endangered by the fires.

 

Theres a few videos on youtube that show just how bad the conditions were!

 

Did anyone see that pic of the firefighter giving water to a koala? It's like the one good thing to come out of this.

 

Even better, the vid

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMBe_XjFU0[/YOUTUBE]

 

Dunno if this is the video you're talking about?
Heartwarming.

 

It just goes to show how devastating the fires were. Koalas don't normally drink water like that - they get all of their water from the leaves they eat. With no leaves left, I wonder how the surviving animals will live...

 

the death toll is now over 200.

 

^ and the Bushfire Appeal fund today topped $100million...
http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/news_mediareleases_victorian-bushfires-assistance-160209.htm