prodomal wrote: Aldaron wrote: Ronson wrote: tiny thinker wrote: I just checked the news -- the latest figure is "at least 171" and the fire zone has been declared a crime scene...
I am having a difficult time understanding how so many people could be caught off guard. One witness said the fire and winds changed direction so quickly that at one moment they felt safe and the next they were directly in the line of fire. That must be it because I would think so many people would have been evacuated.
That's what I keep hearing, too. People were, from past experience, estimating they had 2 - 3 hours before the fire front arrived, and within 20 minutes the fire was on them. A lot of those killed were caught in their cars as they tried to escape.
One thing about Australian bushfires is that, because of the aforementioned eucalypt trees and the mist of oil they produce, is that new fires can literally explode in the air over a kilometre in front of the main front.
Plus, we were getting 70 - 80 km/h winds, all of them very hot and dry, gusting up to 100 km/h in all directions.
Death toll's currently at 173 - more than twice the toll from the previous worse bushfires. It's really terrible. I feel awful for everyone affected. I heard a breif blurb on the news today about it. The newscaster said they think the fires may have been intentionally set, which, if true, makes it even worse.
Hope all the Aussies here are safe!
Some were intentional, but with 48 deg. C temperatures, hot north-easterly winds, the lowest December/January rainfall on record (after 12 years of drought) and the unique properties of eucalypt trees, you don't need a lot to set one off, even accidentally.
