For many, it came too late.
The weather forecast for Melbourne in the coming week is for temperatures in the low to mid 20°Cs.
Unfortunately, for many Victorians the cooler weather has arrived too late. The latest death toll for the devastating bushfires which have been burning out of control across the state for the past few days currently stands at 135. It is expected that number will rise to over 200.
Fuelled by temperatures in the mid 40°Cs (113°F), severe winds and a landscape bone-dry from years of drought there was no stopping the fires as they raced through bushland, across farms and through towns. Over 750 homes have been lost and a number of townships have been virtually wiped out.
It is Australia's worst natural disaster ever.
The destruction and loss of life the fires have already caused is devastating and it is made worse by the suspicion that some of the blazes may not have been so 'natural' and may have been deliberately lit. That thought is almost too horrendous to contemplate and our Prime Minister, Keven Rudd, has even gone as far as to call it 'mass murder'.
My family and friends are all safe. My sister and her family live near one of the largest fires and they were ready to leave their home at a moments notice. Luckily, they didn't have to. We had a small fire a couple of kilometres away from where I live but the local Country Fire Authority (CFA) were able to contain the fire and brought it under control very quickly. So many others have not been as fortunate.
Unfortunately, for many Victorians the cooler weather has arrived too late. The latest death toll for the devastating bushfires which have been burning out of control across the state for the past few days currently stands at 135. It is expected that number will rise to over 200.
Fuelled by temperatures in the mid 40°Cs (113°F), severe winds and a landscape bone-dry from years of drought there was no stopping the fires as they raced through bushland, across farms and through towns. Over 750 homes have been lost and a number of townships have been virtually wiped out.
It is Australia's worst natural disaster ever.
The destruction and loss of life the fires have already caused is devastating and it is made worse by the suspicion that some of the blazes may not have been so 'natural' and may have been deliberately lit. That thought is almost too horrendous to contemplate and our Prime Minister, Keven Rudd, has even gone as far as to call it 'mass murder'.
My family and friends are all safe. My sister and her family live near one of the largest fires and they were ready to leave their home at a moments notice. Luckily, they didn't have to. We had a small fire a couple of kilometres away from where I live but the local Country Fire Authority (CFA) were able to contain the fire and brought it under control very quickly. So many others have not been as fortunate.