Hats off to the Vic CFA & all emerg services

My Hat comes off to all the CFA out in the appalling conditions today, and all the emergency services helping to fight the fires around Victoria today.

After what I have just seen on the news, you all deserve a medal!

We all appreciate your efforts. Thank you.

You are right there, these guys & girls have to work in the most extreme conditions....VIC & NSW ... worth their weight in gold

There's a 6000 hectare fire approx 10-15km north west of here that until about 6:30pm was being pushed directly to the trees on the ridgeline directly to the north of my place (approx 700-800 metres away). The wind was about 45km/h and gusts up to 70km/h. Do the math .

I've got the fire pump out, connected to my tanks and the hoses run out. The pump's been primed and is ready to go. Fortunately for me the place is surrounded by short cropped grass, and comparitively speaking the fires aren't as quick nor hot ripping through grass as in trees and scrub in a state forest.

Fortunately at 6:30pm the wind shifted 180 degrees, the temperature dropped about 10-15 degrees and I'm guessing that it's now blowing and burning elsewhere .

I was listening to the scanner today, there were four separate mayday calls from the guys figting the fires near Whittlesea. The fires were burning up and over one pumper and they couldn't get a second one in there to help. The second one was overtopped by the fire and issued it's own mayday. The two met up and they all managed to get out by driving blind through smoke after sheltering in the lee of someone's burning house (the six occupants that were there when they arrived disappeared). Through all this THERE WERE STILL CARS DRIVING UP THE ROAD AS THEY WERE DRIVING BLIND OUT OF THE FIRE. What the fuck is going on with the dumb fucktards that put themselves and the CFA guys in danger by driving through a fireground when the CFA are trying to put the effing thing out???? The police and CFA have had to stop trailbike and mtb riders from entering the fire area, unbelievable.

The CFA are worth their weight in gold, kudos to them, but I'd have to say that today was the first time I'd ever heard anything approaching panic over the radio. The VIC FIRE dispatcher couldn't do anything for them, just wished them luck. Very sobering and very scary.

Mick

My Hat comes off to all the CFA out in the appalling conditions today, and all the emergency services helping to fight the fires around Victoria today.

After what I have just seen on the news, you all deserve a medal!

We all appreciate your efforts. Thank you.

+1 sadly it aint over yet. worried about alot of people in amongst the current bendigo fires and wishing luck to all those in south east victoria.

listening to the radio it just gets worse and worse. even got chum creek!
some ABC pictures
http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/bushfires/

Cudos to the CFA and associates, a very tough and brave job that deserves recognition. It's just a shame none of them were in Kinglake when the entire village was levelled. My mates aunt was driving past body after body as she drove to escape - ending up with 8 people in her car, some of which had been on fire when she reached them. Not 1 fire fighter in the town

I fucken hate arsonists!! Don't know if its fact but heard on the news arsonists are relighting fires that the CFA and associates battled to put out. They should burn in hell!

Mate, I reckon it is true and I also reckon if they get found by the locals before the coppers catch em they'll probably wish for that fate, am fairly sure there's a few ppl in and around Gippsland that would love to hook up with these blokes..

I fucken hate arsonists!! Don't know if its fact but heard on the news arsonists are relighting fires that the CFA and associates battled to put out. They should burn in hell!

The Max jail term here is 25 years & the NSW premeir has just been quoted saying he will make sure the scumbags cop the maxium

Really gut wrenching hearing the news on the tele. For non vics these places... kinglake, marysville, narberthong, buxton are the places we go for rides (spurs etc.) unbelievable tragedy.

My thoughts go out to all those affected by this tragedy. I have an uncle in Bendigo, so am hoping he is OK.

My parents house is less than 1km from where the fire started in Bendigo, was over there today, the devastation in the neraby areas is horrific.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the fires.

definatley credit to the fire fighters....with the heat, winds and circumstances they all went above and beyond the call of duty.....just hope that everyone affected can get on their feet again and everyone can help out where they can