Ok, I live less than 30 minutes drive from some of these places, I had some friends who live near Healesville stay at my house last night to escape the fires. Luckily, their house is ok, as the weather changed dramatically and the fires went the other way.
I was in Healesville last week escaping the extreme heat, glad I didnt decide to go up there yesterday.
I have one friend actively fighting these fires as a volunteer fire fighter, I hope she's ok. There's a friend who lives in Kinglake which has been wiped out, I hope he got his family out.
Fire is still raging on an 80 kilometre front outside of Melbourne, whole towns have been lost, around a million acres is now black.
Dunno about the block, but from what I have gathered the fires didnt go near the coast.
Lucas called me this morning to see if I was ok... that was pretty cool!
I dont know anyone personally who's been killed, but a couple of people I work with lost their houses.
Nobody is sure how the fires started, I'm guessing lightning strikes, but the fires last week were started by fuckwits with no clue, so it's possible that these might be human started.
I'd hate to be in their shoes if they are caught. 200+ murder charges likely.
Joined: Fri Jan 12 2007, 04:38am
Location: Florida
Posts: 687
Hose down the house man - I wouldn't take any chances. If our crew had the funds I am sure we would all fly down and dig a big fire break around the property just in case. Of course I most likely would never leave after that.. so it's probably better for you to find an alternative method.
Yeah I just heard about this a few days ago on the radio at 3AM after the Jazz stops and the news starts. I'd offer one of my spare rooms, but where I live may be more dangerous. The crackheads here have formed roving gangs and they wander the bombed out streets with hollow cries of "Craaack, Craaaaaaack!" Us natives have barricaded the doors and we wield shotguns. But yeah if you're not turned off by that, you're welcome to stay.
Due to my refusal to accept New Orleans as a legitimate city yet, I consider myself domiciled in the most dangerous city it the US. In reality, Morgan Quitno puts us at #2 most dangerous behind this so-called New Orleans anarchy. It's a fix-up I tell you. where was New Orleans last year? Why are we back to calling it a city now? Just because Bourbon Street is open to tourists again? Bah.
What I would give for a nice Southerly wind right about now to clear the smoke haze that I've been choking on for the last 3 days. Last nights moon was the colour of an amber trafic signal. Maybe the apocalypse is coming!!!
