Deliberately lit

Bushfire Appeal numbers & links

They arrested the bastard who lit the Peats Ridge fire on the Central Coast. And there have been no known deaths in the NSW fires. (For NSW and Victoria see map below.)

In Victoria the police are treating all the fires as crime scenes and they already have some evidence and suspects. The arsonists could be charged with murder. Good. Gutless bastards.

The bad news is the death toll in Victoria is now over 100. That makes it at least 30 more than the previous worst record of bushfire deaths in Australia which was 75 on Ash Wednesday in 1983.


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Yesterday's bushfire locations map

One of the reasons we're so scared of bushfires in we don't have that much farmable land. Australia is 80% of the size of mainland America but has a whacking great desert in the middle of it and even in the farmlands the soils are ancient and not very fertile.



Wiki Creative Commons

Map of world climate zones

Australia's size compared to America, the UK and Europe and Asia.

Victorian bushfire info line 1800 240 667 (for infomation on relatives and friends missing in the fires)

1800 811 700 has been swamped and the Red Cross is asking that people donate online instead at redcross.org.au.

Salvos Bushfire Appeal

"Donations can be made to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief fund by calling 13 Salvos (137258) or by going online to www.salvos.org.au."

Victorian bushfires

There are no fires in the Woy Woy area and the big fire at Peats Ridge fire is miles away. All we've had here so far is a shitload of smoke the other day.

Pop over to Steve's for a photo of just how smoky it was here.



Peats Ridge (dot near Woy Woy) is nothing compared to what's happening in Victoria. The death toll there is now (6.30pm) being reported on the ABC as 65 people. That's more than four times the amount of people we usually lose in a bad weekend of bushfires.

The situation is still pretty unclear, as it always is with disasters, but there are 3 or 4 small towns being reported as almost completely gone.

The worst part is some of the fires were deliberately lit. Australia is a very dry country. Bushfire is one of our most devasting disasters. People who deliberately light fires should turn themselves in.

Bushfire disaster: 'We all grieve with you' (ABC)

Bushfires rage in Victoria (SMH)

Army called in to help battle Victorian bushfires (The Australian)

Marysville destroyed by Victorian bushfires (The Australian)

$10m bushfire relief fund, Army on way (ABC)

"People affected by the Victorian bushfires will be able to apply for payments as part of a $10 million disaster relief fund set up by the Federal Government.

The money will go to people who were seriously injured or hospitalised, and to those who have lost their homes.

Eligible adults will receive $1,000, and an additional $400 payment will be made per child."

Victorian bushfire info line 1800 240 667 (for infomation on relatives and friends missing in the fires)

Salvos Bushfire Appeal

"Donations can be made to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief fund by calling 13 Salvos (137258) or by going online to www.salvos.org.au." (Direct link to donation page)

Bendigo Bank Bushfire Appeal (online donation form)

Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.