Australia Bush Fires Kill Record Number
| 2/9/2009 | Posted by Patti under World News |
It’s hard to believe the utter devastation that bush fires in the state of Victoria in Australia has wrought. Almost 800 homes have been destroyed, countless vehicles and other structures, animals and upwards of 160 people and rising have lost their lives. Another 80 are in hospital. Almost 1300 square miles destroyed by raging fires that some describe as sounding like 5 or 6 airliners landing at once.
What is even more mind boggling is that it is believed that some of the estimated 400 fires were deliberately set. According to one report I found, at least two suspects are in custody. Between the drought that Australia has suffered with for months and record hot temperatures, it would take someone with a serious lack of gray matter between the ears to even thinking of striking a flame.
Australian Prime Minister Rudd has said that those found to have started the fires will be charged with murder. I certainly hope so.
I can’t even begin to imagine what it is like to not only lose your home but everything around you that you knew to be familiar. In some cases whole communities have been wiped from the earth, much like an atomic bomb exploding. Australia has experienced fast moving bush fires before but apparently nothing like these and never before with a death toll as high as this and will likely continue to rise as burnt out homes and vehicles are inspected.
I found this gallery of pictures from the fire zone online. Unbelievable.
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