Victorian fires... how are you all coping

[Rookie]

Just saw the news here Keith, see that we are sending 100 rural firefighters, (big by NZ standards) plus money and military hope it helps, the stories are getting worse and worse (200+ dead estimate) Was very impressed by your PM

Rookie

[aj.lec]

I am sure any help beit manpower or financial will be gratefully accepted and acknowledged
These communities will take years to recover and some simply may not
Such horrific losses really sadden and strike at the heart
I really hope it dosen't get anywhere near 200
1 is too many
May it come to an end quickly with no more loss

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Rookie

Just saw the news here Keith, see that we are sending 100 rural firefighters, (big by NZ standards) plus money and military hope it helps, the stories are getting worse and worse (200+ dead estimate) Was very impressed by your PM

Rookie

The current confirmed toll is 131. Although the immediate losses may now be on the wane, there are many serious burns victims in Hospitals for whom the next week or two will be critical. Also psychological trauma in survivors dealing with utter loss of loved ones, and emergency services crews exposed to heartbreaking scenes, will need to be treated to stem any suicides. The stories that have come to light through the media have been gut wrenching, but they're only the sanitised versions that can be published, many stories will never be told and will haunt those involved for years to come.

200+ may well be conservative.

[sth65pac]

I have never seen a 'good' bushfire. (have lost acquaintances in the past...)

My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones. They can never be replaced.

Here, we're lucky this year the fire is way to the South and West of Shoalhaven. In 2002 we had the worst of it. I filled the bath and water tanks in case we were threatened, luckily the fire split and went south of the river.. I am North.

Those people in Vic never stood a chance. Even the corrugated iron was melted. Even I have never seen a bushfire do that!

My hometown has a fire nearby (to Bega, NSW, near Wyndham where I rode motorbikes as a kid) We're all hopeful that it will not spread towards the other towns.

I hope Euan & family are well, or at least safe. The vehicles are replaceable. People are not.

Ian

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by sth65pac

I hope Euan & family are well, or at least safe. The vehicles are replaceable. People are not.

Ian

Euan and family are fine - they were at his father-in-law's property on the night of the fires and got out after grabbing the photo albums.

They live close to me in Eltham.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

It´s all over the news here in Holland, horrible stuff.

I sincerely hope all of the MLU forum members and their loved ones will come out of it alright.

- Hanno

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

..... Also psychological trauma in survivors dealing with utter loss of loved ones, and emergency services crews exposed to heartbreaking scenes, will need to be treated to stem any suicides. .... many stories will never be told and will haunt those involved for years to come.

The death of any individual is a tragedy, but it also has an effect on those surrounding the incident. One of the victims of the fires had actually featured in a previous news story relating to occupational trauma. The common occupations thought of at risk of psychological trauma (aka PTSD) are the Military, Police, Fire, Medical staff and they are extremely well supported with counselling services. Equally at risk are secondary groups such as railworkers, truck drivers, bank tellers, etc who don't actually respond to an incident, but are actually involved in the incident at the time. To those people we can now add the residents of the affected communities.

[phoenix]

I still find it hard to comprihend the scale of this disaster, and the size of the death toll.

One REMLR member has lost 2 Acco's to it as he is on holidays in QLD. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more vehicles lost in all of this.

[Keith Webb]

Euan has just called from Glenburn where he has taken a load of hay for the cows and reports they have been very fortunate with the house and main sheds surviving.
The fire burnt right up to the winch truck Euan has been working on but didn't damage it. The casualties are a couple of tyres on the back of one of the F15s and another on a rear axle and also some fire damage to the rear body section of a No9 CGT.
Will post some pictures when the become available.

As for the larger situation more and more is being revealed in all it's tragedy, human stories starting to come through, stories of survival and loss... the worst is it is a long way from being over.