Christian Photographers Community

Hello everyone,
just an update on the current situation with the fires.
Total amount of land burnt to date- 450,000 Hectares.
Total number of houses lost to date-1,033.
The death toll still remains at 181 but there are about 100 people still missing and after this length of time that is not good.
A chilling thought; about 100 bodies have been transported to a temporary morgue in Melbourne. This morgue has been set up to accept 300 bodies. The Medical Examiner has stated that some bodies are so burnt it will not be possible to identify them. To give you and idea of the temperatures these people faced, the Pastor of my Church wrote a book some years back about bushfires that destroyed a town about 5 miles away. One of the parishioners, a retired geologist, had a number of sand samples he had collected stored in his study. When the fire went through his house was lost. Later when sifting through the remains he found the sand had turned to glass. To do this the temperature had to be about 1,500 degrees celsius(about 2,700 degrees Farenhiet).
The total number of people homeless stands at something greater than 5000. It is difficult to put a figure on this because up until this morning many of the towns destroyed have been deemed a crime scene. As a result, many of the residents were not able to get back to confirm their houses had been lost.(even though they knew the worst in their hearts.) The homeless people are finding themselves with some unique problems, for example they are having to deal with Government agencies, but they have nothing to prove who they are-no identification, no money-nothing at all. The Government has promised to bend rules and do whatever is needed to help with these problems.
Can you pray for another looming threat. There are two very large fires to the East and North-east of Melbourne. Currently the fronts are only about 8 miles from each other. If they join they would create a single fire covering in excess of 200,000 Hectares. This fire would threaten the State's water catchment area and given that we have been in the grip of a drought for some seven years now, our water reserves are down to about 32 percent. If the water is contaminated it could catastrophic. Please pray the 3000 firefighters fighting these two fires can stop this from happening.
As I type this another town has come under threat from fire and the residents have been put on high alert. As I mentioned earlier we are experiencing some relief from the extreme weather. However the cycle is expected to return to warmer weather this weekend and even though it will not be as hot, we still have major fires out of control. We are all still very worried.
Your Brother in Christ,
Rob.

               
Words can't express how I feel......

Hi Rob...

Been praying for you and wondering how you are doing. 

Still praying.  Like Etta Sue words can't express how I feel.

Thank you all for your support and prayers. I finally woke this morning to some good news. It appears the firefighters may be getting the upper hand with some of these fires. At least there were no new fires logged in the Country Fire Authority website overnight, though they are still battling the large fire I mentioned yesterday. My prayer for the moment is that people do not relax thinking the danger has passed. It will be with us for some time yet. I heard a very touching story yesterday told by an elderly survivor of one of the towns destroyed(Marysville). She saw a gentleman driving around what remained of one of the streets when he came across another man staggering around in a dazed shock. He had no shoes on his feet. The gentleman stopped his vehicle and asked the man where his shoes were. The man responded he had left them in his mate's pickup and didn't know where he was. Without hesitating the gentleman bent down and removed his own shoes and socks and gave them to him. I don't know if the gentleman was a Christian but I am certain that the Holy Spirit was there in that town with those survivors.
You Brother in Christ,
Rob.

Oh, Rob!!!

How touching.  Thank you for sharing that here and we're all going to continue praying.  What a terrible time this has been but it's so good to hear a bit of good news surrounding it.

Wow that is so touching

We are still praying.

I checked out Clematis, Vic, Australia on Google Earth.  What beautiful country and so many trees.  I can understand how a fire could get out of control in your area.  I can't imagine what your country would like if it were live on Google Earth!

My prayers continue!

Thank you Etta Sue. Yes it is very pretty country and my wife and I love it here. That can be decieving though because of the nature of the dominant species of trees in Australia. You see Eucalypts are a very hardy tree that are adapted extremely well to fire. Their leaves have a high concentration of Eucalyptus Oil, so when they burn it is quite ferocious. From the point of view of the trees, the fire actually has a cleansing affect on the landscape. Many of the older and sickly trees will have died but the younger trees will come back strongly, and in fact we will probably begin to see new growth in the next few weeks. About 5 years down the track, the forest will have largely recovered and the only indication of the fires will be the blackened trunks of the trees, but they will all be healthy. Of course, none of this is any comfort from a Human point of view. As I sit here typing this, the smell of burnt forest is very strong in the air.
The Prime Minister has just anounced a date is to be set for a "National Day Of Mourning" because it is felt the nation needs a time to grieve. He has been in touch with the major Churches here to provide a National Church service on the day. I believe people will be asked to stop whatever they are doing and observe a minute's silence for those lost. One uplifting point is that people have opened their hearts and donated staggering amounts of food, clothing and just about anything else needed. The Red Cross launched an appeal to raise money for the victims of these fires and the last I heard the total stood at $74 million. A Melbourne newspaper has come up with a touching way of keeping the thoughts of the victims at the forefront of peoples minds and that is to wear a yellow ribbon. I feel it also gives the victims comfort in knowing how much support they have.
Please keep praying for the firefighters, the police and all the other emergency service workers and volunteers who are doing such a good job under very stressful conditions.
Your Brother in Christ,
Rob.

Thank you so much, Rob for posting.

I was just sitting here thinking about it and wondering what was happening.

So, you folks are alright now and out of danger? 

OK at least there is help on the way.  How close did the fire actually come to where you live?  I did know there was oil in the eucalyptus, but never thought about that from the perspective of fire.  This is such a sad situation for you are dealing with.  HAve you heard, is there any help coming from other countries?  I am continuing to pray for those who have lost everything.

Hello Pat and Judy,
Pat we are having some respite from the immediate threat of the fires at the moment, but to say the danger is past would be premature at this stage. I have posted a Government map from late afternoon showing the current number and position of the fires. The dark red spot marks the approximate position of Clematis where I live. Also there is a shot of the moon I took about half an hour ago. It truly is that red and that is because of the filtering affect of all the smoke in the atmosphere. The smoke is not just from the fires still burning but also from our own firefighters burning back forest toward the fire fronts to create firebreaks.
Judy, at a guess I suppose the nearest large fire is about 15 miles away. We are still getting smaller spot fires occuring all the time and some of these are closer but the firefighters can cope with them. The weather conditions at the moment are good. The fires don't seem to be moving very far but as I mentioned the other day it would only take a shift in wind direction or speed and major towns will again be threatened. The work the 4,200 firefighters are doing at the moment will hopefully go a long way to helping the situation when those wind changes occur. The weather bureau is currently advising us to expect them about Tuesday but of course that could change. I have just read a statement by a government representative that we can expect lightening strikes as early as Monday. Regarding the other countries offering help, there are quite a lot. I know Japan, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Brazil, Britain, France and even Iran have offered help. The US is sending a team of fifty specialists over to assist in the regeneration of the devastated areas and also I believe a team of specialist firefighters. We have an agreement with your country in which we share and work closely in wildfire fighting resources.
An update of the situation;
The total number of homes destroyed took a dramatic jump today to 1,831 as emergency crews were able to get into the more difficult areas. As a result the number of homeless people has now been upgraded to over 7000. The official death toll still stands at 181 but we are being told to brace ourselves for a dramatic increase as more destroyed houses are being found.
A man was arrested and charged today with lighting one of the fires that claimed 21 lives. The police are keeping his whereabouts secret for his own safety. I believe he is to be assessed as to his mental state and his suitability to stand trial. There are another four fires the police are treating as suspicious.
We recieved and email from our pastor today listing the members of our congregation affected be this disastor. One couple's daughter has lost her home. One girl's uncle has lost his home. An older couple had a rental property in one of the towns. The property was lost and the family were killed except for the father. There are many others but I think you can see from this that the fires are still overwhelming our thoughts. Please pray for these people.
Your Brother in Christ,
Rob


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Your updates are clear, concise and detailed.  Thank you for that.  I am continuing to pray for you and your family.  Also for the people that have been left homeless.  I understand why they are keeping that person's whereabouts secret, it would take very little to forn a lynch mob. 

Rob, thanks for posting.  I am married to a retired law enforcement officer, we have friends who are with the federal fire agencies who fight fires such as those you are experiencing.  Both dangerous jobs at such a time as you are having.  My prayers are with you and your family, also for all of those emergency service people.  May God give strength to all.
Becky

Thank you all so much for your prayers. I have just read that the residents of Marysville are going to be allowed back to see their town today(or what's left of it). The police will be strictly supervising them and they will be taken in on busses. As I mentioned earlier, it is still a crime scene. One lady said that she and her friends have started calling it "Ash-ville".
Your Brother in Christ,
Rob.

 :)Good afternoon.  I have been going over the post's and it is terrible what is happening in Austrialia and so many people have been affected and so many killed.

ROB:  WILL CONTINUE TO PRAY.

Hello everybody,
Just a note let you all know where things stand with the bushfires. Sorry I havn't posted any news for a while but it has been a bit of a waiting game here. The weather has eased considerably and it has given the firefighters valuable time to get containment lines and firebreaks in and around the major fires. There are now only 4 fires out of control but these are not near any populated centres and don't form any threat. Sadly the official death toll now stands at 208 and will probably rise further in the coming weeks. The latest death was that of one of the firefighters who was on his truck manning a hose when a dead tree fell on him.
Tommorrow has been set aside as a "National Day Of Mourning" for the whole country. There is to be a nationally broadcast service held at one of our major sporting arenas starting at 11.00 AM. I am hoping to be able to get back from Church in time to see most of it(our service finishes at 11.00AM but I am manning the Church Book stall afterward).
I think the mood of the people seems to have moved from the initial shock we all went through and now we are trying to pick up the threads of what is left and start to move forward. It is going to be a long road for many. Please pray not only for those who have died but for the 7000+ homeless, the rebuilding process not just for peoples homes but for the communities(Schools, stores, community halls etc.) I heard an interview from the Member of Parliament representing the worst affected area and she made the point that had the fires occurred two days before they did, the death toll would probably have included many thousands of school children. They would never have been able to evacuate them quickly enough. A recent report from a senior firefighter stated that to have travelled the distance it did in the time it did, the fire must have averaged about 70 miles per hour. The flames were reported to be about 100 metres high.
Your Brother in Christ,
Rob.

It's good to know you are ok and hope the worst of it is over for you. I just can not imagine something like this and what it would be like to go through. Want you to know you and your country are in my prayers. You keep your eyes peeled and may the Lord give you what it takes to keep yourself and your family safe. You hang in there Bro, and keep looking up.

Don

OK Thank you for this update.  I am continuing to pray, not so much about the fires but for the losses.  Again we see the hand of GOd in this with the school children.  We are continuing to pray here in the north.

Praying here for peace and strenght in recovery.  Glad to here you are well.
Becky

Thank you for the update.

I've been out of internet range for several days and we continued to pray so it was good to see your post tonight.  Thank you so much!

God bless you and we'll keep praying.

Hi Gang I'm  back on CP after a long absence but will try to stay in touch as my job allows. I still run the highways with a big truck but do get home most of the weekends with the company I now work for. Been reading on the fires in Australia and it leaves one at a loss for words except to say you are being prayed for and our thoughts are with you as you all go through this trying time. This is a time for us in the body of Christ to uphold you folks and your country before God that His will be done and that He keeps you in His loving care. I am going to run for now but will come back on this evening as we need to get ready for church and we have a pot luck lunch today so we can attend the annual church business meeting. Interact soon God bless all and have a safe and blessed day. Bonesy

Hello everyone,
Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts. We had a scare yesterday with the fires. A number of new fires flared up and one was a bit close for comfort. We first heard about it around 3.00 PM and within 10 minutes it had grown from 4 hectares to about 20 hectares(a hectare is about two and a half acres). The fire was heading toward a town just up the road from us when a sudden wind shift turned it toward a number of more heavily populated towns. If the wind shift had been more easterley it would have headed straight toward us. We kept monitoring the fire for a while and decided about 6.00 PM to pack our two autos and drive down the road to Emerald 2 miles away. We parked in the parking lot next to the town sports ground and kept monitoring the situation using the radio. Thankfully the fire didn't turn in our direction and we made the decision to return home about 9.30 PM. The firefighters have been fighting it through the night and as I type this the fire is almost out with firefighters cleaning up the spot fires. This episode has brought home to us just how unpredictable these fires are and how vigilant we need to be. At it's height the fire covered 350 hectares with more than 100 fire crews involved. The authorities are advising that Friday is looking to be another day of danger and we have to be on our guard.
The death toll has been upgraded to 210 with the passing of one of the more seriously burnt people. I was reflecting earlier on the total area of land burnt these past three weeks and I believe that it must be in the order of 450,000 hectares(1,000,000 acres) or there abouts. The loss of wildlife can only be imagined.
Please pray for safety this Friday.
Your brother in Christ,
Rob.

Thanks for the update Rob. Thats good news in that the fire didn't affect you even as bad as it is. I've never experienced anything like that here In North Carolina although we are under a red flag warning. We normally get 4" of rain in Feburary and this year have had only 1" and it is windy also. You keep your eyes and ears open and we will keep praying.

Don

Great to have this update, Rob!

I'm so happy that you're alright.  And we're still praying for you at this time.  It's so sad about the folks that have passed away. 

I have been listening to the news reports and have been praying.  May God be with you as you make decisions. 

Photobro, I am so sorry.  What devastation.  It is so sad.
Father in Heaven, I lift up to you everyone affected by these fires.  Please put your hand upon these people who have been injured, and the people who have lost loved ones.  Be with them and comfort their hearts.  Ease the pain of those who have been injured & severely burned.  Please put your hand upon the emergency teams, the firefighters, paramedics, policemen, rescue teams, etc and also the medical teams taking care of the people in the hospitals.  Let these fires cease, Lord.  Let there be rain and precipitation.  Send down your rain.  I pray and thank you and give you praise and thanksgiving.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

Thank you everyone for your prayers. It is such a comfort to know our fellow brothers and sisters are holding us up to the Lord. Tommorrow is looking like another day of danger and we are all waiting anxiously. I was just reading your last posts and I am glad that you were praying for rain as well. We need rain desperately. Normally we recieve about 3 3/4 inches of rain for January/February(December/January/February are our summer months). This year we have recieved about 1/8 of an inch, the driest for this period since records began. I mentioned in one of my previous posts that we had been in the grips of drought for about seven years. A friend of mine reminded me yesterday that in fact the last year we recieved average rainfall was 1996, so you can see our state here of Victoria is really "Tinder dry". It only takes a cigarette butt or carelessness with work tools and we could have the fires all over again. Please pray for safety tommorrow.
Your brother in Christ,
Rob.

I'm praying Rob!

Don

Photobro - Rob:  Your posts on the bush fires are just so sad.  My prayers to you and all afflicted by this frightful event.