Then All was Gone . . .
It’s hard to describe the extent of the devastation right now – both that of the land in the wake of the flames and that which we’re feeling right now as the images and stories come to hand. I rang my parents this afternoon and the whole family were despondent: my sister in tears, Mum on the verge of them, and Dad sounding very flat and depressed. They’re donating their caravan to the homeless, and Dad’s four-wheel drive club will probably assist with recovery and rebuilding over the next year, but for us here in Melbourne there’s an overwhelming feeling of helplessness and grief. And while my heart goes out to everyone affected – human or animal – seeing Marysville razed just broke my heart.
You might remember I posted about going for a drive to Marysville a few months ago and visiting Bruno’s Art and Sculpture Garden. I’ve heard reports today that it is now, like the rest of the town, gone. I can only hope Bruno and his family are safe and in time they can rebuild again, but if anyone has any photos from Marysville or any of the places now razed, I urge you to put them up on the web so they’ll never be forgotten. Seeing the blacken, sparse trunks flashed across the news, you could almost forget the dense, flourishing cold-climate rainforest that once stood there and with the climate getting warmer and drier here in Victoria, what grows back may never be the same.
So in this spirit, here are my photos from Bruno’s place again. They were only taken with my phone camera, but hopefully they will give you some idea of what a magical place it was.
Victoria’s Burning . . .
Photo courtesy of The Age
Big news here – we’ve had record breaking heat and fire conditions today and half the state is on fire. There have been fourteen confirmed fatalities so far and they’re saying it could go as high as forty. The temperature has dropped considerably from the 46.4ºC (114.8ºF) we got earlier but the wind is still crazy so conditions are still volatile with so many fire fronts across the state. My heart goes out to all those who’ve lost, to the wildlife who’ve suffered and the livestock destroyed, and my hat goes off to all the firies doing it tough out there – sure, we live in a country where bushfires are natural, but there is nothing natural about the conditions out there and without their efforts things could be far, far worse.
DSE fire map here and CFA updates here.
Offers for assistance can be made here or here, or consider donating to Wildlife Victoria or WSPA’s emergency funds.
