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Original poster

To ask you to pray for the thousands of people trapped on a beach by fires in Victoria?

687 replies

TheClaws · 31/12/2019 00:46

There are 4000 people from the town of Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia, that is currently being destroyed by fire. They most likely won’t have homes to return to. They all have life jackets on ready to take shelter in the water as embers rain down upon them. Fire personnel have just - as I post - told them to get in the water. Can you imagine how they must feel?

Australia at the moment is burning across 4 states. Where I am it is 45c and the smell of smoke is heavy. It is a terrible summer for us.

OP posts:
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WorraLiberty · 31/12/2019 00:49

I'm not religious so I won't be praying but I hope they all get to safety.

It's a situation I can't imagine fortunately Thanks

1plus2equalstrouble · 31/12/2019 00:49

I'm so sorry you're living through it op, I can't imagined losing my home in such a way, or standing on a beach hiding from raining fire.

Notimeforaname · 31/12/2019 00:50

All my thoughts and prayers are with you all OP. I can't imagine how terrifying it is.

Osirus · 31/12/2019 00:50

It’s heartbreaking OP. I just can’t imagine how terrible and terrifying it must be.

LunaTheCat · 31/12/2019 00:50

I just read the news here in New Zealand. It looks like a vision of hell. I cannot imagine. Where are your government? Where is your Prime Minister ?
Australia needs leadership which seems to be lacking.
My thoughts are with those people and with all of Australia 😢

lborgia · 31/12/2019 00:51

I'm so sorry, it's an awful situation. Even for those"just" dealing with smoke and heat it's scary, cannot imagine how they're feeling on that beach. Definitely thinking of them.

LucaFritz · 31/12/2019 00:52

They got told to evacuate and thought they knew better ! Pray for the firefighters now having to go back for them because of their own idiocy! Biscuit

nancy75 · 31/12/2019 00:52

I have been watching & reading about the fires with growing horror everyday. What’s happening in Mallacoota at the moment is just so unbelievably awful. We can only hope they manage to stay safe

foamrolling · 31/12/2019 00:54

The articles I've just read stated that they weren't told to evacuate actually @lucafritz

They became cut off before the order was given and it became unsafe for anyone to enter or leave

Tolleshunt · 31/12/2019 00:56

YANBU. It reminds of those stories of people trying to shelter on the beach in Pompeii. I just can’t imagine what the people are experiencing. I’m also so sad for all the animals killed, injured and traumatised by it.

Asking for help and healing.

foamrolling · 31/12/2019 00:56

And I quote...

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said an evacuation order was not issued for Mallacoota - despite authorities encouraging residents in other parts of East Gippsland to flee.

'At the community level and regional level they had to work through what their options were and undertake a risk assessment of that, Mr Crisp said.

'We decided it would be unsafe to move them back along the Princes Highway. At the same time you have fires in New South Wales. So it is difficult to move north of Mallacoota.

lborgia · 31/12/2019 00:57

Didn't you hear Luna? Scott Morrison says there is no need for more firefighters because the volunteers want to be there. Oh, and he went on holiday for a week because he couldn't disappoint his kids.

Endless phrases such as "we will support the fire services so they can do what is needed", without actually mentioning sums, physical steps, or practical solutions.

Also, they have his "thoughts and prayers", so I'm sure they'll be right as ninepence...Hmm

foamrolling · 31/12/2019 00:58

Would you like to swap your biscuit for some humble pie? Or better yet enough compassion to find out what's going on before calling people trapped in an horrendous situation idiots

Butterymuffin · 31/12/2019 00:58

Praying for the Mallacoota residents and all those working to help them and the other Australians threatened by the fires. As said above, it looks like hell.

purpleme12 · 31/12/2019 00:59

This is so shocking.

lborgia · 31/12/2019 01:00

you know what Luca, even if we could actually blame the victims here, it seems a little harsh to do so right now. Given that, you know, they're facing lost homes, burns, and death.

eaglejulesk · 31/12/2019 01:02

Thinking of everyone in Australia affected by the fires, and animals, and the firefighters. Prayers for all.

AutumnRose1 · 31/12/2019 01:06

I gotta be honest OP

I don’t believe and used to find this kind of post annoying

but this is a proper “pray to the gods you don’t believe in, just on the tiny tiny tiny chance” moment.

Horrific.

Honeybee85 · 31/12/2019 01:07

This reminds me of the horrors in Greece in the summer of 2018.

I hope they’ll all be safe.
And my thoughts are not only with the human beings who are suffering but also with the countless poor animals who are trapped in this hell Sad

bloodywhitecat · 31/12/2019 01:07

This is awful, I will hold those poor people in my thoughts.

Foo2 · 31/12/2019 01:08

How terrified they must be Sad

StoppinBy · 31/12/2019 01:09

Unfortunately yesterday was such a shitty day, so hot and windy and then the lightening strikes last night caused lots of smaller fires that will make bigger fires. A lot of these fires are in thick bush areas and the fires just can't be stopped due to poor/no access.

On a side note I am getting sick of seeing posts on facebook saying 'thank you to all the firies' or similar........... not because they shouldn't be thanked (my husband is a volunteer and has been in his local brigade essentially his whole life as were his father and grandfather) but because people think if they sit back and say thank you then that is their job done..... time for everyone to step up and do their part rather than just relying on people like my family to constantly be the ones taking unpaid time off work (that we can ill afford) or to change our plans all the time to protect complete strangers.

Australia is burning all over and not many are actually doing anything to try and stop it.

Sorry that turned in to a bit of a rant, just wish more people would step up....... everyone expects to use the services of the fire brigade should they need it but very few join up to be a volunteer and the service, especially in rural areas where most fires occur are often solely run on volunteers.

lborgia · 31/12/2019 01:14

Stoppin I completely understand your feelings, it must be hard to watch. Meanwhile, I think it's unlikely that many new people would have the knowledge or fitness to do such a difficult job. Would you agree that this should be classed as a state of emergency, and the army drafted in? Seems obvious to me, but maybe there's a reason that this isn't like land slides, flooding etc in the UK that has involved army support.

bettybattenburg · 31/12/2019 01:17

They couldn't evacuate because the road is closed, there is no way out.
I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through, it's devastating to think of the fear that they must be in. Most of my family are on the east coast of Australia though not Mallacoota and they are terrified, they can hardly bear to watch the news any more.

Thoughts with all those affected by this.

Original poster
TheClaws · 31/12/2019 01:19

I get you completely StoppinBy. There’s no point in pointless platitudes that achieve nothing but Facebook likes.

We have a Rural Fire Service crew at the end of our road (yay!) and they put out a call to our little local community for pet and livestock supplies for people up north who have lost everything. They received two truckloads worth.

www.news.com.au/technology/environment/homes-and-lives-threatened-in-victoria-as-bushfires-claim-volunteer-nsw-firefighter/live-coverage/eccdbf36e90795da92052636148934be

OP posts: