Article

2009-02-11 Down Under

181 dead in Australian fires, death toll expected to reach over 300

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Posted by Oztralian 2009-02-11 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 Prayers for the Ozzies.

Posted by Steve White 2009-02-11 10:06|| 2009-02-11 10:06|| Front Page Top

#2 "We had people banging on the sides of our tanker begging us to go back to houses where they knew there were people trapped, but we couldn't because if we had, we'd all be dead too," a firefighter told The Australian about the moment the firestorm hit.

Heartbreaking. From a fellow volunteer smoke eater in the outback of Kansas/Oklahoma my prayers and sympathy.

Posted by swksvolFF 2009-02-11 12:08|| 2009-02-11 12:08|| Front Page Top

#3 In Murrindindi, firemen guided 19 people, including seven toddlers and babies, to a river and hosed them under fire blankets as the desperate parents begged to know: "Are we going to make it out of this?"

Andrew Collard, 30, and Brian Lawry, 46, stormed through the fire in their truck and saved the group of eight families as flames engulfed them at a park.

They herded the families, all campers from Melbourne, into the shallow water, parked their truck to protect them before driving cars into the water and bundling the toddlers and babies inside, covering them in blankets.

Someone buy Brian and Andrew, and the firemen, a couple rounds.

Posted by swksvolFF 2009-02-11 12:18|| 2009-02-11 12:18|| Front Page Top

#4 What's this about Muzzies being responsible? Anyone heard that rumor?

Posted by Jack is Back!">Jack is Back! 2009-02-11 12:26|| 2009-02-11 12:26|| Front Page Top

#5 No. And police are claiming arson played no major role, especially in the worst fires.

Posted by Grunter 2009-02-11 12:59|| 2009-02-11 12:59|| Front Page Top

#6 #5 No. And police are claiming arson played no major role, especially in the worst fires.
Posted by: Grunter 2009-02-11 12:59

The police are looking into several suspicious fires, but the majority were set by lightning after one of the hottest days on record in Victoria. Arson reports are isolated and there has been no confirmation - it could take days or even weeks to determine how each of the fires started. There have also been some isolated reports of looting, but nothing yet confirmed. Mostly we just have to wait and see - and pray.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2009-02-11 13:58|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2009-02-11 13:58|| Front Page Top

#7 Latest word is arson is definitely suspected in the Churchill fire and possibly in the Marysville fire.
So far I have seen no official comment on terrorist activity.

Posted by Grunter 2009-02-11 19:05|| 2009-02-11 19:05|| Front Page Top

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