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

[TheClaws]

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.

My Dd, Dsinlaw and Dgkids are trapped by the fires in East Gippsland. The road was blocked before they were aware. That's how fast the fire changed direction and started burning towards them. They are 'safe'. I get 2 x daily texts to save their mobile battery power .... no electricity since yesterday.

I am on tenderhooks and can't relax or eat properly and no-one knows when the roads will be clear and safe. Smoke and embers everywhere at times.

Hey guys in England! Wanna swap some blue skies for some of your rain?

Mallacoota is very isolated. There’s really only one road out. They weren’t told to evacuate, and it was probably too late by the time they realised given the fires surrounding. Trapped in a car in a traffic jam is the most dangerous place of all.

It’s also a lake with a narrow shallow inlet to the actual beach. So an ocean evacuation would be tricky, but I think ships and helicopters have been called up now.

It’s perhaps worth explaining that having people at a house to prep and defend it is very often the difference between keeping and losing your house, as if prepared you can soak the house and spend a few exhausting days keeping that up and putting out spot fires from embers. So it is a tricky and emotional decision.

Oh MrsCrabbyTree, I’m so sorry, that sounds bloody awful.

TheClaws I hope you don’t need to use your go-bags.

Watching the live update thread (posted earlier) is horrible. Def not going out celebrating tonight.

Thoughts and well wishes for everyone’s safety.

One of my best friends is in Mallacoota right now with her family camping. They were told not to evacuate as the (only) road out was likely to get blocked in by the fire (that was moving in the other direction at the time) and 4000 people on a narrow isolated road would have been carnage. Haven’t heard from her since yesterday afternoon. A sea based rescue is tricky as the water they are on is a long way from the ocean and the major ports nearby are on fire and it’s Australia so everything is a long way away.

Almost 10 years ago my olaws list their home in black Saturday and a high school friend lost her whole family. I’m in a city a relatively safe but things could change in an instant for so many peuple

DH's brother emigrated to Aus and has been there years. He is married to an Australian woman and apparently his step DC and their DS together are having respiratory problems because of it...and they are far enough away from it to not have to worry about their house.

I think I huge percentage of the country's wild life has been burned alive as well. Awful awful awful. I think in years to come when we look back on the timeline of climate change, we will see these fires as the moment where it all "properly" began.

@MrsCrabbyTree

Goodness, I can't imagine what you're going through. I wish I could say something more but I'll be thinking of you all.

We've not had much train in England as of late...was on the train yesterday in the countryside and the grass was turning yellow.

It’s a nightmare. I have friends that have lost their houses in NSW and SA.
@MrsCrabbyTree I hope your family is ok, I’ll be thinking of them and you.

@TheClaws I really hope you don’t need to evacuate but please do at the slightest chance of danger.

Scummo is garbage. His strongly held religious beliefs are that people who have sinned will burn. These fires are proof to him and his cronies that they are morally superior and protected. That’s why he fucked off to Hawaii, and thinks the legends out fighting these monster blazes are there for fun. He doesn’t give a fuck. He bought a lump of coal into a sitting parliament ffs. Climate change does not exist in his world.

twitter.com/danbakes/status/1211850190132367360

Yes, I saw that one gitehn. He’s one of the kids stuck on the beach in Mallacoota. (In the middle of the day although it’s pitch black.)

Prayers for you all, I have a brother in Sydney luckily not in danger but says the smoke is terrible.

The fireworks going ahead is a disgrace, who can celebrate whilst their country and fellow countrymen's homes burn? Not to mention the loss of life.

I'm sorry @MrsCrabbyTree I've no words that will
Comfort you until your family are safe

This image is the same as the one put up before, except one of the fires has turned to Red (Emergency Warning). For the people living in the path of this fire, it is too late to leave.

Some maybe hopeful news then TheClaws 🤞

BREAKING: Military vessels at the ready for bushfire evacuations

Naval vessels, military helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are being prepared for bushfire evacuations in Victoria, at the request of the State Government.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds have agreed to deploy a fleet of aircraft and ships to the fire-ravaged state, at the request of the Victorian Government.

As part of the deal, the Australian Defence Force will send Black Hawks, chinooks, fixed-wing aircraft and Navy vessels for firefighting support and evacuations.

The Defence Minister is expected to release more details shortly.

Yes, let's pray to the god that could send rain to put out the fires if he so chose to do so, but hasn't

Angrywife, do you really think God is sitting in a room somewhere controlling the weather? Stupid comment - if you don't want to pray then don't, but keep your unhelpful comments to yourself.

We've had our bags packed for 4 weeks - everyone I know did, but I think even then it felt random and sporadic. Although we' were horrified by the lack of political will,
it still felt like two separate issues. Then we'r had 3 fires with 2km of us in 24 hours, all dealt with fast because we're near infrastructure. But since then, and now the fire around Sydney is only 20kn away it all feels as if the media/ politics/ fire/eco issues are just one big issue (climate change), but those st the top refuse to believe it. Primarily, it seems, because of this idea that they are untouchable.

We can fundraise, and recruit, til we're dead, but without the political will, an uncontrollable fire will never be controlled.

Sending love and sympathy. Everyone I talk to about this, in England, is appalled and feels helpless. OP, is there anything else we can do? I would gladly donate money but have not heard of any appeals.

We have to raise our voices about climate change. We have to yell and demand that our politicians take action immediately. They have been getting warnings for decades.

Thoughts and prayers are useless
They need policy change on clearing and back burning
They need donations for recovery
Proper funding to the country fire services

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

Many cant just step up.
Be that lack of fitness, lack of training, age, no way can some give up what little money they get.
That 6 grand scomo promised isnt for all, if your unemployed or work for a big company, you get nothing. Its for small business and self employed people only.
I wont volunteer and im rural, i cant drive, if i miss one job network appointment, im punished and wont be paid, therefore punishing my family
My partner cant, he tried, but PTSD says no.
We wouldnt be run on just volunteers if the government cared to fun fire services out here. Hell they have to fundraise just for equipment.

Plus in last decade the volunteer pool has dropped by 18.000 people, why? bullying in the ranks and people cant afford the time off.
Fix these 2 issues and more will step up again

for those looking to donate try
for people

www.redcross.org.au/campaigns/disaster-relief-and-recovery-bushfires

and for animals

www.wwf.org.au/get-involved/bushfire-emergency#gs.paectj

@lucafritz are you jacob rees- mogg 🤨

It is horrifying. I have been following the Guardian live blog this (UK) morning. Thoughts are with everyone affected.

I can't believe they are going ahead with the fireworks in Sydney.

@LucaFritz that's not true!

The fireworks in my Daughter's Qld location were cancelled well over a fortnight + ago out of respect for what the countryside was going through, although they will still go ahead with a film night, which I think is a nice solution.

I am appalled that the Sydney ones are still going ahead!

If you’d like to donate, The Guardian has a helpful list.

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/21/how-you-can-donate-and-help-the-volunteer-firefighters-in-australias-bushfire-crisis

It’s past 6pm here now and it’s still 43c