Bushfires break through!!!

Thanks for the update Louise - we've just had a cool change here in Sydney, I hope it reaches you guys.

Naomi

This is too scary! I hope Leslie and her family and others in the area are okay!

Lots of prayers going their way!

I got an email from Leslie...

We are okay so far! fires are close and we have heard they are near a suburb that is behind us! It's almost a circle and we are sort of in the middle! I sms'd you back! Mobiles are useless! Feeling very tired and in a bit of shock I think! My head is thumping and our eyes are really bad! Just imagine how people are feeling that are right in it? At the moment the winds have died down and there seems to be no immediate threat how ever we are still on stand by! I feel sick over what people have lost!

Really glad you are all okay, I was worried that you were in it too! Poor cats are acting weird! Draco must have been glad to see you home! Please stay safe. I posted a thread about the bush fires earlier! with some photos of what it was like around us! I have to go offline soon cause of the electrical surges! But if you manage to get on to the site can you let them know that we are okay.

Just got to sit back and hope everything will be fine! I am dreading waking up and seeing the devastation in the morning as it is so dark now we can't see the full extent! All the shops are closed around us, no petrol stations etc!!! Very very strange feeling!

Stay safe and well! I will talk to you soon!

Love

Leslie, Pete and furbabies

Thanks everyone and a big thanks to Louise!

Update before falling into bed to get a bit of a sleep! I hope!!!

Pete as you know went to find his dad and said it was so awful, driving along and houses on fire with no one around to put them out! He couldn't get close to his dads house so had to walk. His dad is okay and the house is okay also thank god! But the house 3 doors up is gone! Also another friend that lives in Duffy lost theirs home! One of my other friends lives out Lanyon way on a property and they were evacuated at 3pm this afternoon, she doesn't think their home is standing either! They just grabbed vegemite (kitten) and ran.

Canberra was totally unprepared! It was just so quick. I am still on edge because it could change again. They are expecting it to be no better tomorrow.

We are okay for the time being! Hopefully the night will remain peaceful! I feel so bad for all the people that have lost there homes etc! We are very lucky so far! We now have 2 deaths reported and over 100 homes.

We have no where near enough Fire Fighters to handle this and the public is doing most of it themselves! There is very little water pressure in the hoses and it is almost impossible! I still can't believe what has and is happening! I'll get some more pictures in the morning!

Thank you again for being with me in this very scary time!

Just saw this. Bundy, take care and, if you have to - GET OUT!

((()))

I just saw this too. My heart was in my mouth reading about how close this powerful and frightening fire is to you Leslie (and Louise).

Girl - look after yourself and your furfamily. Keep everything close to hand so if you need to get in the car and leg it, you can find everyone and everything you need.

I do hope it won't come to that - the pictures you posted were very, very frightening and awesome and we are all thinking of you and hoping that the worse is over.

Take real good care of yourself, Pete and the fluffs.

OMG....just saw this. Leslie, so glad to hear you and your family are ok and that Pete's mom and dad are okay too. I am sending positive thoughts your way and sending prayers to all of you.

Louise, I am relieved to hear all is well with you also. I pray it remains that way.

The pictures are amazing....I can imagine how difficult it would be to breathe normally.

God bless you all and keep you safe...

OMG! I just saw this on ther news, and came right to the computer. I am glad to hear everyone is well so far. Please take care, and if possible keep us posted on how you are all doing. We're all praying for you. Be safe.

Oh my goodness Leslie this is horrible!!!
Stay inside and breath through masks or wet towels and keep all the animals inside and preferrable locked in kennels.
I hope your house and all of you will survive this well.
I'm sure we will all send you positive energy and pray for you.
All the good luck of the world!!!!!!
Please let us know as soon as possible.



______
Els

Just saw video, on the news and it looks like Hell. I'd be beating feet, out of there!

Those pictures are terrifying! Stay safe, Leslie. I hope you're out of the area. Bless you all and keep you safe.

I just read this! I am so sorry to hear you are going through this! I am glad to hear you are okay, though!! Please stay safe and keep us posted when you can on how you are doing!! You are also in my thoughts and prayers!!!!!!

Just checking in and what a horrible chain of events! I've been watching the news and Australia as a whole has been hit so hard over the last couple of months by fire.

I can just imagine how hard it is to breath and how horrible not to know what is going on with the telephone lines down.

Sending you, Pete, and furbabies all the best Leslie!

Leslie, I hope you and Pete and your kitty family are still ok. I can't imagine how scary it must be. Sending lots of positive thoughts.

Adding more positive thoughts and energy to you both, Leslie and Louise. Fire is so scary, I can't even imagine what you must be feeling with it being so close.

No matter what, remember that things can always be replaced, but lives can't be. Take care of yourselves, your families and your furbabes.

Thank you all so much for your support! We are fine at the moment but the new suburb mentioned below is where Peters parents are! Your kindness and caring has meant so much. I don't know what this new day will bring.

------------------------------------------
Bushfire ravages another Canberra suburb
Another Canberra suburb is on fire after nearly 400 homes were lost along the western edge of the city yesterday.

The latest fire is in Holt.

Some 380 homes have been lost in Canberra after yesterday's devastating bushfires.

Milder conditions overnight have eased the situation but that is expected to change with a shift in the wind to the north-west later in the day.

Areas expected to be threatened include Fisher and Chapman.

Two people have died in the fires.

Twenty per cent of the city remains without power, and it is not expected to be restored for some time.

Crews are also working around the clock to restore power to a major sewage treatment plant.

OMG!!!!!!! I am reading through the online news! Our R.S.P.C.A is gone!!!!!!!! All those animals!!! The shelter is totally destroyed! This is a dark day indeed!

Canberra's darkest day
By Peter Clack
Sunday, 19 January 2003

Two people are dead and three more were feared to have perished yesterday in the most devastating fire disaster in Canberra's history. There were unparalleled scenes of chaos in Canberra's suburbs as a massive week-old bushfire finally burst through the city's western perimeter on a 10km front and destroyed up to 100 homes across 19 suburbs and rural settlements.

The suddenness of the onslaught, heralded by billowing clouds of choking black smoke, caught residents by surprise early yesterday afternoon and found fire crews unable to cope.

Police fear for three other people who they believe may have lost their lives when homes collapsed. They were carrying out house-to-house checks last night.

Early accounts of damage have reached $100 million, but police, fire and emergency services, having fought the fires to a standstill yesterday, are bracing themselves for another desperate effort today.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope declared a state of emergency and full powers were transferred under disaster management legislation to Chief Police Officer John Murray. Mr Stanhope called it "total devastation".

Late last night police were evacuating residents in streets in Cook as spreading fires threatened homes in north Canberra.

However, Duffy was the first casualty, losing as many as 40 homes as firefighting resources were overwhelmed by the ferocity of a fire driven on by 40km/h winds and soaring temperatures.

Streets resembled war-time destruction, with houses reduced to smouldering shells, flanked by downed power poles, arcing power lines and wrecked and abandoned cars.

"I know mine's gone. My mate's has gone. All my medals are lost. I've lost my wife and daughter and I can't find them anywhere," Duffy resident Alan Latta said.

As homeowners, neighbours and firefighters fought bravely shoulder to shoulder, a man was arrested for looting in Duffy.

Power and water pressure failures across the city undermined the efforts by 500 firefighters and 100 police, who fought a game rearguard action in more than 40-degree heat, and with visibility reduced to a few metres. Thick smoke haze grounded the fleet of 14 helicopters for most of the day.

Among dozens of horrifying spectacles, the BP service station in Duffy became a fireball, the RSPCA was lost, and TAFE at Weston, the Australian Defence College and Kambah Fire Station were damaged.

Police climbed on to the roof of the police forensic and computer centre at Weston, before the building was saved.

Flaming embers driven ahead by the wind rained fire down on hundreds of houses, igniting parklands and trees, destroying gardens and leaving cars and homes in flames. In other areas, fires were caused by exploding power lines.

Dramatic and desperate individual scenes of bravery unfolded as home-owners, their families and neighbours fought side-by-side in a losing battle to save their homes and possessions from the flames. Many houses disappeared in less than 15 minutes.

Thousands were forced into the streets in shock and disbelief.

Another 30 suburbs were considered at grave risk last night. Dozens more and perhaps hundreds of victims sought medical attention, stretching hospital resources in Canberra.

Four evacuation centres were providing emergency accommodation last night to 2000 families displaced by the inferno.

The Australian Federal Police has called in 75 reinforcements for today to bolster its force of 100, who struggled with yesterday's multitude of evacuations.

I'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face. I can't imaging how horrible it was for all of those caged animals at the RSPCA who lost their lives in the fire. And, then to think of so many families burned out of their homes. This is just too horrific for words. My thoughts are with you and with everyone in that part of Australia.

Crawling out from the rock I obviously live under, since this is the first I've heard of this.

Prayers coming your way from MD!!!

I can't even begin to contemplate what those poor, precious, innocent souls went through at that RSPCA.

Leslie, I pray that Peter's parents are safe and sound, and that no more lives are lost. This is truly a tragedy! There is a possibility, isn't there, that the animals were released or rescued before the RSPCA burned? I'll have to hold on to that hope, because the alternative is unthinkable. Please stay safe. Leave the area if you have to, but stay safe. I don't say that lightly, since we lost almost everything in a fire some years ago. Things can be replaced; you can't.