Victorian fires... how are you all coping

[phoenix]

Looks like Euan was very lucky. There are so many stories circulating of close calls.

[Euan McDonald]

A week after black Saturday and we had another flair up tonight, in the lower paddock the clumps of grass are still burning under the ground reignited and burnt out more of the remaining pasture.
After a slight set back I'm back to restoring the F60l with the frame body and cab to be sandblaster in the next few days.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Police in Gippsland interrogated a suspect by
placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with
wires to a photocopy machine. The message "He's lying" was
placed in the copier, and police pressed the copy button
each time they thought the suspect wasn't telling the truth.
Believing the "lie detector" was working, the suspect
confessed.

Australian arson suspect named
Helen Spowart, Melbourne, 16 Feb 09
Defence lawyer Helen Spowart argued her client was at risk even in custody

A court has lifted a ban on identifying an arson suspect in Australia's deadly bushfires, despite fears of possible retribution attacks by angry residents.

Prosecutors say Brendan Sokaluk deliberately set a fire in Churchill, Victoria, in which 11 people died.

The 39-year-old was not in court to hear the judge lift the suppression order which kept his identity a secret.

At least 189 people are now known to have died in the dozens of bush fires that swept Victoria earlier this month.

Firefighters in the south-eastern state are still battling nine blazes.

Police have warned that the death toll could rise further as officers continue to search through the debris of razed houses for victims.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced that a national day of mourning will be held on Sunday for all victims of the bush fires.

Anger and disgust

Mr Sokaluk, a local man from the Gippsland region, is facing charges of arson causing death and of intentionally starting a bushfire.

[Tony Smith]

The effect of the fires are also being noticed in the South Island. The smell of smoke has been noticed in the Canterbury and Otago districts for the last week and the snow on Mt Cook has grey smears from ash. My reporters say, though, that the Sunsets are magnificent!

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

The effect of the fires are also being noticed in the South Island. The smell of smoke has been noticed in the Canterbury and Otago districts for the last week and the snow on Mt Cook has grey smears from ash. My reporters say, though, that the Sunsets are magnificent!

I was talking to my brother in law on Skype in NZ and they see the smoke there and can some times smell it ..The sunsets are spectacular..and no snakes..

[Max Hedges]

heard on the news that 2 fire fighters we injured and one fire truck damaged yesterday, there are still several fires burning

Max

[Ryan]

Saw on the channel ten news tonight some footage of a current fire in Upwey or possibly Dalesford where a CMP Blitz had been destroyed. Not sure if it was a Ford or Chev but it had a large jib on the rear. The owner was okay. Did anybody else see this report?
The owner was a Matt Leary I believe, I'm pretty sure that was the name they showed.