Sth Australian bushfire tragedy

I guess it may seem surreal in the northern hemisphere with its unprecedented snowfalls,

or even for those living in Australia’s Northern Queensland states who are battling floods,

to contemplate the devastating bushfires in South Australia. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/09/2486545.htm}

Today, news of these fires (the worst in Australia’s history) has consumed much of our day Down Under. As I write, over 131 people have lost their lives, with the toll likely to be higher. Over 750 homes are gone. And an area 3 times the size of Hong Kong is now charred beyond recognition.

Record high temperatures (Melbourne recorded its highest ever temperature of 46.4degs C on Saturday, and even reaching 48 degs C in some parts!), tinder-dry conditions brought on by one of the country’s worst ever droughts on record, plus gale force winds meant that the fires spread faster than anyone would’ve imagined. Many of those who perished were found charred in their homes or in cars, trying to escape the wall of fire. 2 towns are now wiped off the map. Survivors from those areas talk about the speed of the approaching fires, giving no time for many to escape. It is an utter tragedy. But perhaps the most unbelievable tragedy of all, is the fact that arson may have been the cause of many of the fires. Incomprehensible.

As a nation, our hearts go out across the Tasman, to those for whom life will never be the same again.