The Australian and here.
I just looked at the dead tree issue of The Australian.
It's so much closer when those we have lost have names and faces....
More pictures.
news.com.au
Something that I didn't tell you when I posted the pictures of the koalas drinking water is that koalas rarely drink water. They get all the moisture they need from eating gum leaves.
When you read the stories of heroism, of close escapes, remember the stories that won't be told.
Update:
Commenter Anonymous has some strange ideas about the cause of the deaths in the bushfires. I suppose that these two were greedy and that's why they perished?
Penny and Melanie Chambers, 22 and 21.
9 comments:
Kae, the real tragedy is that these deaths could have been prevented by sensible forestry management - especially in relation to prescribed burning. The Greenies have blood on their hands.
Check out these articles:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,25031389-24636,00.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,25032972-5006785,00.html
Hi Ubique
Many years ago (in the 1970s), in Sydney my family had a friend who was involved in looking after a small park/recreation reserve on the banks of the Georges' River near Milperra.
He firmly believed that burning off was a bad idea. The believed that the leaf litter and debris would be better off left to nourish the soild and that it would break down and not be a fire hazard. He was wrong.
I've known about bushfire hazards for a very long time, but was made more aware of them when my parents and brother travelled to Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains in the early 80s to help a friend save his property which was in the National Park. He couldn't get any contents insurance against fire as National Parks and Wildlife would not allow him to clear around his house and removal combustible materials.
My brother has always called NPW National Sparks and Wildfire.
The bushfire victims are negligent in not putting a fire warning in place. Mobiles, land line links, hardwired alarms and others methods in case one or more failed.They all should have known this a long time ago, bush fires are nothing new. And the fraud is, all these donations will rebuild better homes than they had before despite them having insurance. Enough money wasted on these people just like tsunami victims, warning systems and useless pensioner cash handouts.
They died of greed. Brain Naylor, a reporter for so long, should have known better, should have fled rather than greedily defending his home. All that money he made is insignificant compared to the cost of rebuilding. The survivors want time to mourn, bushfire tourists upset their healing process, yet they form vigilante groups and make threats of death and decapitation to looters. You hill billies, leave the policing to the police.
I don't think you know the meaning of the word "greed" anonymous.
greed n. An excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth
Link: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/greed
How about you leave a name if you chose to comment again.
Reading all I have about the fires there was no time for many to escape, very little warning. And I really don't believe it is greedy to try to protect your property which you may have an emotional connection with, or a financial tie.
I lock my windows and doors before I leave my home to protect from being burgled. Is this greedy? Should I just leave it all open for thieves to help themselves?
Kae
Thanks for drawing attention to those rather incredible anonymous comments. I think you should have them framed.
It's all well and good to say in hindsight that they should have evacuated hours beforehand, but did anonymous foresee this disaster in the making, and personally take it upon themself to warn all the residents that they should leave?
The thing is, those living in the bush face fires on a regular basis. I've worked on plenty of farms, and they always have a ute or truck or two with a pump and tank on the back, plus knapsacks for fighting small fires. Hell, I was doing it at age 13. The great majority of fires are put out without it making it into the paper. Should people split for every fire, when they could quite easily protect their property if they stayed?
Anonymous seems to think that this is the only fire that these areas have encountered in the last 50 years, because they haven't read about the dozens of small fires per year in The Age.
As I commented a few days ago, the terrain in many of these areas prevents you from making a rapid escape. The nature of the fires, with fireballs jumping miles ahead of the fire and starting new fronts, meant that you might evacuate and drive straight into a fresh fire that has started right behind you.
I suppose, Anonymous, that these two were greedy, too.
Penny and Melanie Chambers, 22 and 21.
anonimous2 said - I am sick of these bushfires, so much of it on the tv, I had to hire video's. Some media idiots are saying muslim fundamentalists are rejoicing over it. What a soap box.No doubt the arsonists will be one of our own, ausie ausie ausie oi oi oi, go aussie. If you choose to live in the bush then be aware of the consequences, it's time the public stop donating and left the money part and help to the government and insurance giants. The tsunami survivors owe us, their government should send us money. It is clear there is still an abundance of money in the economy. Another stock market crash should fix that, hope you all loose your superanuation mom and pop investors, it is you, with your greed for money investing in shares that have forced companies to cut their workforce in order to satisfy the share holders. Biting the hand that feeds, I think so. I am also tired of the retarded way of thinking that allows people to hunt sharks that bite humans, just stay out of the water. All these idiots, it is such people that light fires, donate without thinking so insurance companies can have it easy while they screw the rest of us. Pitty that the rest of the country must fight insurance companies after a fire, what is so special about these people ? Nothing. There is just a lot of them so they get the attention. It is the ultimate in discrimination. Why not slap a .5% tax on everyone so we can do away with all insurance and then everyone would be looked after equally.
Geez, Anonymous you have really thought that one through, haven't you? Where's your compassion? How would you react if it were you in their situation? You'd have to be one cold hard bastard!
Matt.
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