Madhek
108419
3399
49
We're in the midst of some of the worst bushfires we've ever seen. Entire towns have been wiped from existence, many people are missing or dead, including firefighters.
The military has been deployed to assist with surveillance, firefighting and evacuations. The entire townspeople of Mallacoota were left standing in the ocean watching as their town was flattened by fire. The navy has deployed a response vessel to rescue them.
Firefighters from the US, Canada and NZ have arrived to help in both frontline and support roles. There's still 3 months left in the fire season.
The fires can be seen from space, the smoke is creating haze in New Zealand, and the air quality is now at 18 times the level considered hazardous for humans.
The skies are turning blood red as a result of the size of the fires. The vast majority of our firefighters are volunteers, myself included.
For scale, here's the size of the fires compared to other countries.
Over 90 percent of the Australian population lives on the coast, in the areas affected.
Please, even if it's a dollar, consider donating to the NSW rural fire service.
https://quickweb.westpac.com.au/OnlinePaymentServlet?cd_community=NSWRFS&cd_currency=AUD&cd_supplier_business=DONATIONS&action=EnterDetails
ballonknot
Wow, completely devastating. Stay safe, our prayers are with our buddies downunder.
YoungsterJoey19
This is terrible. We can loan you trump forever to talk to you about sweeping up your forest floors to ensure it never happens again
carefactor0percent
My in-laws are in Narooma at the moment. We have a spare bedroom ready as soon as the Princes highway reopens
kbr4262
At least you could have posted the images the right side up!
khora
Buy Australian wines everybody.
SlappedStupid
Like... yes, but those grapes drink a lot of water :p
khora
If you want you can take it as financial advise instead. Look for wine in your local shop from ruined producers.
DevouredYou
This is day time
AxisBond
Fucking hell.
butwhyisthenamegone
There's also a national donation option https://www.redcross.org.au/campaigns/disaster-relief-and-recovery-bushfires
Madhek
Thank you!
butwhyisthenamegone
...not saying don't donate to NSW or Vic firefighters, just giving the option.
thelyzardiam
Just moved here a year ago. For the last 3 weeks Melbourne area has been hazy. It pretty much doesn't go away. So much destruction .
beaverdog
We didn’t let it burn enough in previous years and now the fuel is overflowing and our trees are effectively designed to burn before they
beaverdog
Can produce effective regrowth. Adding that property costs have risen significantly many people have moved to outskirts and creating the
beaverdog
Perfect storm
ElakNov
"It's too late to leave" omg, that is brutal
valen00
Our fire alert system has 5 levels, the second lowest is "high" the reason for the too late to leave is people driving get burnt easier/
valen00
Than in a house (most houses)
HabaneroGrapefruit
Thank you for sharing this.
Israaa
Can we for reals donate and it goes to help them?
valen00
Yes
trumpypumpyinyourrumpy
The smoke blocked out the sun here in new Zealand all day. I could look directly at the sun
pakichtu
Yep the sun was weird shade of dim orange today.
Kittynomnoms
I'm not an expert, but I would recommend not doing that. I think while visible light may be blocked, harmful wavelengths may still make it.
mirrelle
Wow thats weird, I'm in tassie and whilst there is smoke there isnt THAT much in my area
SnivellusSnape
Wind does that.
Soma137
The place I was staying at for my holidays burnt down yesterday. I stayed overnight at an evacuation centre and then drove home this 1/2
thelyzardiam
Was headed to Buchan Caves the day before the entire area went up in flames. Decided to cancel.
Soma137
morning. There was a massive smoke blanket the entire 5 hour drive home and massive areas of burnt out bush. 2/3
Soma137
There area I left is currently without power and probably won’t get it back for a few days due. The affected area is huge. 3/3
AgentCatherine
Glad you made it out safe.
WilleeYam
I will always remember the firefighters that responded during the Carr and Camp Fire here in California. Losing everything sucks, I hope >
WilleeYam
You guys are able to rebuild and stay safe. I realize this is the equivalent of thoughts and prayers.. But it's all I can do.
WilleeYam
California remembers Aus and the Kiwis and the help you provided. Stay strong.
okguy32
Small donation, but if enough people will give a bit it will help
Hysteriic
Legend
Aussiearef
Good on you @OP!
RipOffTheBandAid
I would go (trained firefighter) but I can't work in Australia.. yet
valen00
Check it out mate, it's all volunteer so no work visa and for something like this there would be lots of help pushing applications through
RipOffTheBandAid
I'll speak to a friend about who and how, he's a kiwi medic over there now
kittydetonator
Have been smelling the smoke here in NZ all day and it’s blocking the sun out too. Thinking of you all
kebbitevoke
Will all of your sheep turn grey now?
KittensWonderment
The sky was such an ominous orange colour in otago today. Really spooky. So sad for our Aussie neighbours.
parkydiver
And yet people were still lighting up fireworks in backyards all over the place in these conditions. I get celebrating NYE, but really?
antman2988
Be safe out there, Aussies! My first thought was whether we, the U.S., was helping you guys and then I read we sent firefighters. We know
antman2988
How it is so I'm glad we can lend a helping hand. Hopefully, this gets extinguished ASAP. Y'all have enough things trying to kill you.
Kittynomnoms
Yeah I'm glad we're helping. I live in Cali and it felt like the fucking apocalypse a few times here in the last 2-3 years.
werenotreallystrangers
Thank you for the update and your service. Thoughts and prayers to you and the people of Australia
Pr3ach3r
God finally took your "Kill it with fire" advice. Because of the most dangerous species on Earth, you know? Humans.
redrubyslippers
As a fellow Australian and victim of a house fire, I feel for our poor country. Donate to the cause every time I get fuel from the servo 1/
redrubyslippers
2/ Not that my situation could ever compare to this. May this end soon
Sayagain
Have they tried turning Australia off and turning it back on again?
valen00
Wife did the first part mate, waiting on the second
SuprisedPikachuFace
Good idea I'll try that now
SuprisedPikachuFace
Can confirm has not worked
somethingawesomeandgreat
After these fires are down, I think you should cut paths into the forest where they are like squares or hexagons, fire cant spread. Finland
megaepicllama
We have plenty of fire breaks, but embers can travel many kms in front of the fire front and ignite several new fronts in pretty much minute
somethingawesomeandgreat
Finland has this type of a system made as a byproduct of forest maintenance
SlappedStupid
Yah, we do a version of this already. We light fires to clear patches so that larger fires can't spread, but this year we thought it would->
SlappedStupid
be fun to just let them burn & see what happens.
GadenKerensky
It was too dry to do safely.
SlappedStupid
If it was too dry to do it safely during the wet season then it was much too dry to safely not do it at all.
fartytowels
I’m in Newcastle. I saw footage of a fire truck driving through a wall of flame on the Central Coast. “Terrifying” doesn’t even cut it (1/2)
witchnn
I live in newy too, but down jervis bay at the basin on holidays. It’s bad down here at least mayfield is pretty safe.
fartytowels
Oh fuck, I hope you stay safe down there. And yeah, things are all good here for now. Take care.
fartytowels
as a descriptor. I think it’s now over 2 months since it got serious, but this is next level. Thanks for posting, stay safe my friends (2/2)
fartytowels
Correction: it was from the South Coast, not the Central Coast. Not posting the link as I don’t want to traumatise anyone any further.
FistingBabyYoda
You guys don't deserve pay or help, because you're happy to do it right?
bananaisntfriend
numbat
This is legit what our PM said
FistingBabyYoda
It's what our prime minister said.
bananaisntfriend
I know, I’m Aussie :) this is still my reaction because it just throws me each time I hear it.
FistingBabyYoda
Maybe you could fuck off to Hawaii for a week and people will forget all about it.
bananaisntfriend
Well we can’t disappoint the kiddies now can we? Or you know send them with the other freaking parent and stay?
Nalianna
By the same reasoning, we should cut politicians salaries to 20k. Surely they do it for the love of the job?
FistingBabyYoda
You've got a great point there.
playswithf1re
And make them claim it through Centrelink. "It appears you only sat 33 days in Parliament, your payment is cut off"
Nalianna
*phone ringing* Ahhh, fucking robodebt
algoritham
Gotta wonder, silver lining is that with everything thats burned....fires won't be bad for years to come?
SlappedStupid
It depends on the rain. One good winter is enough to get shit growing like crazy. Maybe that summer is not so bad (maybe), but by the next->
SlappedStupid
we are back in full tinderbox mode. Genuinely massively catastrophic fires happen once a decade, but it doesn't take a decade for ->
SlappedStupid
conditions to be ripe for another catastrophe.
MyName4Wine
Can Europeans provide financial support the Australian fire troops?
Madhek
Should be no reason you can't! If the donation link I posted doesn't work, you can go to the NSW RFS website and they have alternative links
MyName4Wine
Found it https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/support-your-local-brigade Thanks for the name
Kuvajainen
Thank you for doing the legwork! I donated!
NecroticWords
Just a fuckwit question but, how did it get so bad?
messinHero
5g cant go true forest burn it smal free city averybody is not under control cctv burn it beems light it from sky skynet like see and know a
NepLeet
https://www.vox.com/2019/12/30/21039298/40-celsius-australia-fires-2019-heatwave-climate-change
butwhyisthenamegone
It literally is a question of fuckwits: a bunch of fuckwits voted in climate-change-denying fuckwits to run the place.
c00lbeans69
No one raked the forests in Australia
fontaneous
Cuz they didn't rake the leaves. Bad joke....
FreddyBarnsniffer
Arson https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-bushfires-arson-blamed-for-destructive-fires-crime/5dcb394e-684e-43ae-ad18-e0a13847890e
RobertGrubb
Drought. We haven't had much rain. Plus there's a heap of dry fuel in our forests etc that is crazy flammable.
Jess105804
Fire hawks don’t help any
manolyk23
They don't rake enough.
RoboGirlSyd
Severe long term drought + extreme heat + high winds
Aussiearef
No rain and extremely high UV dries out the bush so they start burning
ElberethGilthoniel
I know in South Australia it was our second driest Spring on record, everything is in 'perfect' burning condition.
JeffGoldbum
The perfect storm of a string of fuckwit political leaders + what appears to be climate change.
Samsawnoff
The build up of fuel loads in forests has combined with a long drought to create the perfect conditions for fire. Climate change
Bonsaipanda
Climate change. And it's going to get worse. Much, much worse.
ScorBun
Bellend PM with coal buddies and his party sat on a report warning to prepare for it because it mentioned climate change as a factor.
Sickpup666
Well these scientist guys told us that climate change was going to make fires more intense and we didn't listen
gregthegrug
The climate isn’t changing. It has changed.
Shpadoinkleman
Do you think it's not going to change any more after today?
ZOMGNO
And continues to. So... it is changing, and this is an aspect of the change that has occurred.
gregthegrug
Yes. I should have mention that too. And humans are the leading cause.
wheresthetone
Out aborigines have >100,000 yrs land management experience, inc. controlled burning, we white dickheads arrested the ‘arsonists’, now look.
ChilledOutEntertainer
Didnt Australia vote in a climate change denying prime minister?
Aussiearef
Australia did not vote. Oh oxygen waster corrupt politicians did
khold90
We don't vote for the PM we vote for the party. The party then assigns the PM.
joot
OK, so they voted for the PARTY of climate change denying assholes.
Messingwithyou
Yes and we're so fucking sorry
GadenKerensky
A lot of older Australians were duped into believing reworks to franking credits was actually going to be a 'tax' of sorts when franking >
GadenKerensky
credits were something of a loophole that needed to be closed up anyways. Plus people in coal country afraid for their future.
playswithf1re
worse - they voted in a climate change denying Hillsong member who believes in the rapture and wants this drought and these fires. :(
nomieroo
Our politicians
shaftofbread
It didn't The @op is exaggerating the situation for fake internet points. Every statement in this post is embellished. Yes, it's really >
Nalianna
Hey SCOMO, how are you today?
Jan024
You are a deadset numpty! IT IS THAT BAD so much of the country is on fire and you think op is playing it down. research for yourself
shaftofbread
bad, very VERY bad, but it's not as bad as the @op makes it out to be.
Goldmarble
Then prove it. Sources? Or is this just like, your opinion?
GreenKiwi08
We’ve got a red haze over the sun in NZ. I’ve never seen that before from Aussie fires, so I’d say OP is pretty spot on.
ohmissnova
You are the biggest muppet known to man. It is EXACTLY like @op said. Do you even live here?!?!?!? Muppet.
TankTrain
Where in Aust are you? Because here in the Blue Mountains it is that bad. Just like the rest of NSW.
ZOMGNO
Aw, my Aunty is from Blue Mountains. She got evacuated last week, but some of her mates couldn't get out in time and had to go to a shelter
bananaisntfriend
Depends where you live. I think the people I know in Mallacoota/Mogo/Narooma/Bega/etc would disagree.
Dotheyhangtoolowinthemorning
You, are a cunt of the highest order. Fuck. You.
AgentCatherine
Odd, everything he has said has been verified by all the other media I’ve seen. Seems legit to me.
valen00
C4zador
Well, good wishes to you sir. Stay safe
Dotheyhangtoolowinthemorning
Stay safe mate. If it gets dicey, fucking leg it.
valen00
I scomoed out today, family down there, don't need another mouth to feed. Took some valuables and offered to take pets.
YougotthetouchYougotthepower
They have been getting progressively worse. The weather is changing too. Drier and hotter earlier.
Windharp
But as you know, climate change isn't real, so how could this possibly be?
smush1337
Earth’s climate has changed constantly over billions of years, this will continue until the earth is no more.
sverebom
Yeah, but not that drastically over the course of decades unless something big happened.
YougotthetouchYougotthepower
Climate what? Never heard of him
Dotheyhangtoolowinthemorning
Neither has our fuckwit of a prime minister, the useless fucken cunt waffle he is.
YougotthetouchYougotthepower
Aren't they all fuck nuckles?
Fairdinkums
For NSW it's Gladys Berejiklian who massively cut funding to the fireys and park rangers, she is responsible for the fires because they---
Fairdinkums
Didn't have to tools to prevent it and now have to fight the worse fires they've ever seen.
scottmWatcher
Boom. Said it. Cut funds equals no back burning and no maintenance.
bomacca
So Daniel Andrews and Annastacia Palaszczuk are responsible for Vic and Qld fires?
FistingBabyYoda
#KoalaKiller
HalstenTorqThorkelson
Couple of reasons. Australia's road infrastructure isn't that great. Fires in remote areas get big before we can deal with them 1/?
BESTtaylorINAUSTRALIA
Fuck off Road infrastructure. Some of these blazes are in the Alpines you flog Helicopters wouldn't know where to begin.
somethingawesomeandgreat
Have you asked the international community for the help? I guess this should count as a national crisis.
SlappedStupid
Apparently Canada has been sending Canadians, but they forgot to pack snow.
HalstenTorqThorkelson
Secondly, weather conditions this year are particularly bad. Climate change has affected this, but isn't the direct cause 2/?
PigsWeGetWhatPigsDeserve
This is caused by climate change, what are you talking about?
HalstenTorqThorkelson
Third, some councils have stopped allowing private property owners from conducting their own backburning for safety reasons 3/?
VAPOR85
Wait really that's super dumb like asking for the fires to get worse
CheeseB0t
the NSW gov canned the backburning they usually do because climate change? pfft.
Thatannoyinggit
"Me not read words so good"
BESTtaylorINAUSTRALIA
They've been denying climate change
Codedependent
Which councils? I keep hearing this claim, but as far as I can tell this is bullshit-beyond putting safety limitations on when you can burn.
HalstenTorqThorkelson
My understanding is it's a few councils on the north coast of NSW. The lack of govt funding to firies is the main problem though.
HalstenTorqThorkelson
This is understandable, but has exacerbated the problem because of the next and final point. 4/?
HalstenTorqThorkelson
Finally, and most importantly, state and federal conservative governments have slashed funding to national parks and fire services. 5/?
NecroticWords
Has controlled detonation been used to create firebreaks of deadlines?
valen00
There's 20,000km of fire front last I looked
BL4UPUNKT
With the area affected, this would cost too much, we are barely funding the EMS, we wouldn't fund explosives when we won't even backburn.
NecroticWords
Eesh.
asm80dfa8sdfj
Legit question from a stupid person - would carpet bombing help?
valen00
Help start more fire perhaps
NecroticWords
It's feasible. But it looks like the fireline is too wild now, but like someone said, the pressure wave could make it worse. >
here4mischief
Cultural burning was replaced with badly mismanaged government back burning. Add in prolonged drought, cigarette butts, arsonists
ErniesWidow
Climate Change
JollyGreen1026
If the Aussies treated their wilderness anything like the US, it's due to a century of fire suppression.
MisterPeachum
We didn't
SuprisedPikachuFace
We have more bushland than any other country in the world, it is not a simple task to prevent the fires, & certainly can't be compared to US
bananaisntfriend
We don’t. We’re taught about the necessity of regular safe back burning. Plus no offence but we have a shitload of scrub and a small 1/?
bananaisntfriend
Population comparatively to the US. So the work that gets done by our local firies is impressive to say the least. They work their asses off
Jess105804
https://www.google.com/amp/s/relay.nationalgeographic.com/proxy/distribution/public/amp/news/2018/01/wildfires-birds-animals-australia
SlappedStupid
Nice. Thank you.
NecroticWords
Holy shit.
Prapsschnalinen
I have another (probably stupid) question: what is back burning? Is it literally people burning land? Why did it help the bush fires?
Lvaneede
Im no expert, but if you can do a controlled burn of an area, it cleans up the area so bush fires cant happen so easily
florajessie
It’s basically starting small fires to make a firebreak for the big fires. It reduces the amount of stuff to burn later
Nalianna
lack of doing it, is what helped these huge fires. - Conservative government cut the funding to do it, blamed the greens
Nalianna
Climate change reduced the number of days that it was safe to back-burn, also.
Phthaloh
Technically it is not backburning, it is called hazard reduction burning.
Oriandthemildlyinterestingname
Burning any dead undergrowth that helps contribute to the spread of fires.
notyourusualsaturdaynight
They do fuck all prescribed burns over east. Also helps if the government stops pissing money up the walls on bullshit
SoooooOriginal
It's been so dry that the safe window to do the burns has gotten really small.
Soma137
Supposedly only 1% of the controlled back burning that was meant to happen actually occurred. Then you have very dry conditions and 1/2
drunkill
This is primarily due to the winter months being too warm ¬ wet enough to do controlled burning safely This means only smallareas getdone
Soma137
vast amounts of remote bushland. So once you get a spark on the right day, i.e a hot day with a bit of wind- Bam massive fire 2/2
bomacca
Plus almost 170 deliberately lit
Messingwithyou
Anti green no backburning argument=BS peddled by Murdoch /government that couldn't organise a fuck in a brothel, unless it was for a mate
SheepySleepySmuggler
The scale of the fires is largely down to the available fuel levels which backburning is supposed to control, or at least create fire breaks
SheepySleepySmuggler
However, the root causes are more complex - the expansion of residential areas has made back burning very difficult and opportunities to...