If it's generally known that those areas are prone to have such fires it makes me wonder why they build there in the first place?

Your area is prone to snow and cold weather, why do you build there?

Snow and cold weather doesn't kill people. Or well, the occasional person who is under the influence of alcohol and happens to doze off in the snow may perish, not really a reason not to build houses here. On the whole our houses can resist the weather quite well, I'd invite for example Brits to take a look at how proper houses are built instead of the drafty and dank things they have.

:nope: Not good. I was reading about this on a kiwi forum aussie bush fires never get mentioned but when aussies die from them then the topics start.

"On warm days vaporised eucalyptus oil rises above the bush to create the characteristic distant blue haze of the Australian landscape. Eucalyptus oil is highly flammable and bush fires can travel through the oil-rich air of the tree crowns with an explosive power that firefighters can do little about. " Very tough enviroment, a bit like living beside drums of petrol stacked 30 metres high"

OTH, the answer is simple.

We have 3 types of country out here - bush, which is what burns, tropics, which flood, or desert, which gets a bit too hot.

You gotta live somewhere..

Saw this on the news, there were tattlings that it was started deliberately. Or am I imagining things?

@onetoughherring , take a look at a map of Australia you'll notice there's a thin band of green mainly along the east coast then the rest of the place is yellow for desert, there's not alot of choice's for places to live here - were I live is actually classed as being in a desert and its a major city with a population of over 1 million (Adelaide).

My inlaws got a phone call from my sister in law yesterday ,where she live's in Victoria has fires all around , they can't see the fires themselves (But they could be seen from the local town),and their getting ash falls - Churchill's about 1/2 an hours drive from where she live's .

Yea ok I guess you have thought about it then. Seems like a pretty big risk though, although from what I hear it's an even bigger risk in some parts of the US. Condolences for all the victims.

KP aparantly it was a deliberately lit fire. We've got a problem with firebugs throughout the summer months. Seems some idiots feel the need to light fires during one of the toughest days (47-48 degrees, hottest since records began and similar to temp during Black Friday during the 30s) ever.

I'm completely shocked by the death toll, never exepcted to see a bushfire claim over 100 people.

Luckily though I'm safe, 20 mins outside the Melbourne CBD. I've been considering joining the SES to help out during the summer months. This might speed it up a bit though.

Anyone deliberately lighting fires that cause death should be treated as a murderer, and in this case a fitting execution like burning at the stake would be appropriate, we have to live in fear of these idiots!:stare::x:nope:

Do it, you'll always regret it if you don't.

up to 130 dead now, with expectations of another hundred or so to be found.... not good.

Hey Grant, I trust you're safe from all the fires and floods.:-? Just stay outta the flood water so the crocs don't getcha!:o

Three towns pretty much wiped off the map shows the intensity of the fire in the area. May of the dead came from leaving it too late to get out in time. IF there had been some better pre planning by people in these areas, many of them would have survived.

I'm just praying that the toll doesn't rise much futher, and that the @#$%&*! who lit the fires get caught. IF the judge is begged to let them get a slap on the wrist, I hope they say to them it's a choice of staying in the cells or facing the next of kin outside!:stare:

LOL I'm well out of it mate. The devastation is in aother state, nearly 1000km (over 440 miles) from where I live. That said, there are more than 40 fires burning in my state but none anywhere I'm likely to get singed.

Still no contact from my mate in Bendigo, but I'm classing no news as good news so far.