Hell on Earth
Elizabeth February 10th, 2009
Errol Shearsby and his wife Beverley stand stunned among the ruins of their home in Skyline Road. Photo: John Woudstra
I have been glued to the news over the past few days following this weekend’s tragic bushfires. While we were hanging out in our airconditioned living room on Saturday, passing the time with crosswords and Guitar Hero, thousands of people were losing their homes and their lives. Some of the bushfires were just half an hour from where I live.
The last time I had this much trouble unplugging from the news was when 9/11 happened. Already it is being described as Australia’s biggest natural disaster, and four days on the threat isn’t over. With strong winds forecast for later this afternoon, and fires still raging, there is potential for lots more damage.
I work in a school, and given the size of our community I expected to hear that at least a few of our staff and students would be directly affected by the fires. What I didn’t expect was that at least one student and her family are feared missing. Several staff passed through my office yesterday in various states of distress – some because they didn’t know the fate of their friends and family, some because they did. The two people that I work most closely with were both touched personally by the event.
Jayne Amatnieks returns to her property at Kinglake to find that her bike survived but her house and car were destroyed after a bushfire decimated the area. Picture: Stuart McEvoy
The car accident on the Kinglake-Whittlesea Road where it is estimated that 4 and possibly more people died. Picture: Jon Hargest
A man is comforted as he waits to hear news of his wife and children. Picture: Fiona Hamilton
Fire crews prepare themselves in Stanley before heading into bushland to fight fires near Beechworth. Picture: Ben Swinnerton
The intense heat of the fire literally melted the car rims. Picture: Stephen Harman
Trees, looking like burnt matches, show the fury of the fire. Picture: Mark Smith
My “tram buddy” helped his friend at Broadford defend his home against the fires on Saturday. When he was refused entry at a police roadblock, he and his wife found a way in through a golf course. They abandoned their car halfway in and walked the remainder of the way. His friend survived, but on the drive home they saw hundreds of kangaroos sprawled over the road – burned alive, or hit by cars as they tried to escape on the road.
There are stories of sheep set alight by the fires, running for their lives. A fireman who stood and watched his house burn down – pets and all – while he defended a neighbour’s home. People burned alive in their cars as they tried to escape fireballs that travelled 60km/hr. Reports that suggest 10,000 native animals lost their lives this weekend, and that most of the survivors would likely starve due to lack of food.
CFA volunteer David Tree helps a distressed koala in burnt-out forest at Mirboo North. Pic: Russell Vickery
A bushfire burns in the Bunyip State Forest near the township of Tonimbuk. Picture: AAP/Andrew Brownbill
The loss of human life currently stands at 173, with this number expected to grow to 300 as bodies are recovered from ruined buildings. It has been hard to stomach the news that so many of these fires were deliberately lit – and even re-lit.
I’ve been hugging all my people extra tight over the past few days.
