Here are a few points on what is happening over the last five days
On NY eve alone … seven lives were lost! …. 381 more homes gone!!
one eleven year old led his family to safety;
a dummy sucking child accepted his father’s bravery medal … fire fighting dad is gone;
one elderly neighbour picked up two families from his local caravan park as he watched his home of 50 years burn … he managed to pack 17 people and two dogs into a six person dinghy and get them into the safety of the water;
navy evacuated a thousand people from beach resort areas as roads are not usable.
Survivorship guilt is already strong when some homes survive and others are left with nothing
Today is expected to be the worst yet … many were evacuated the elderly are choosing to stay and one refugee family is staying put to aid them with buckets as hoses don’t work .. they are grateful for being been given safety so want to help
PS please don’t tell me to be safe, these fires are a very long way from me but around where I grew up … an area I know well and I’m glad Mum has gone as she would be very distressed
Hoping for lots of rain… and soon! It is very saddening to see all that’s going on from the distance. 😦
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this will take a lot more than rain Cyranny … the fires are joining and creating their own wild weather … turning over fire trucks and ramming them into the ground like an angry child, you can see why they died … 😦
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So very sorry to read this. Thank you for updating.
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Heartbreaking, egregious, horrifying … there just aren’t sufficient words. The world’s leaders simply MUST shake off the greed/need to appease (get money from) lobbyists and provide misinformation/lies to keep voters on side. Greed and stupidity are winning. 😥
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yes we need common sense to prevail but I think it also left on holidays …
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Thinking of you all and sending up prayers for a swift end to this
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it wont be swift, still got 18 missing and rebuilding whole communities will take years, then there is the trauma … thanks so much 🙂
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So sad. The blip about the firefighters son accepting his award breaks my heart. 🙁🙁
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and mine, the picture tells a thousand stories … poor kid is too young to understand Dad wont be returning home!
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we also have them often but nothing close to the scale of these … they are monsters!
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Unfathomable the destruction. Thanks for the update.
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We are watching the news reports on the BBC everyday. The images are horrendous.
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This is the second day our paper has shown photos of the fires there…
Today the beaches were filled with those who fled or were told to evacuate.
We who are just witness need to find a way to support our own folks who have befallen some disaster or other – A terrorist of unsound mind walked into a home and left a well respected community member who was 79 with a very sad chance of recovery. May we also find a way to support the brave your way who have lost homes and loved ones.
I put in an inquiry to one of my son’s who is a firefighter here to see if any of the paid departments he works for or volunteers for have set up some kind of fund. If I had a brick and mortar address of one of your local fire stations… perhaps I could make a direct donation?
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ok NSW rural Fire Service are legit and oversee our volunteers … we had 40 of your firies join us a couple of days ago … every bit counts!
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don’t deal with amazon at all … this link is super legit and secure … https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/
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That scam happens all over… I read in the paper just last month of an elderly person who got scammed out of savings. And one of the bank machines the next county over they found a card reader! So they warned everyone who used it over the last month to get a new card! Those folks need some Justice Jedi!
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Thank you for these heartfelt updates Kate
https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2020/01/04/heel-we-need-to-heal/
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Reblogged this on Ivor.Plumber/Poet and commented:
Thank you for these heartfelt updates Kate
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😥😥😥😥😥
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Very tragic!
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I don’t know what to say, this is just too tragic.
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Thank you for the updates, Kate. Adding the latest: ADF reserves have just been called up.
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This is just too sad. At least there are some heroes that have risen to the challenge. That is a bright spot… I’m not clear on the government’s responsibility for the fires but then again I’m worried about our own government disaster happening and now all the saber rattling on top of it all. It is making it hard to sleep at night…
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govt is not responsible for starting them but by gove they should have stepped up earlier to resolve them! Aren’t they meant to protect us?
Well they all left on holidays and didn’t make any decisions until too late ….
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Praying for you from Tennessee! 🙏🏼
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I have seen this in a paper last night about it and the frustrated people who feel nothing is being done.
I also read that unless you get rain, these fires could go on for some more months. It’s horrifying to think that this could happen, knowing how long they have bern going now, from learning from you about it on your blog.
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Thank you for sharing these updates.
So tragic. So sad. 😦
We continue to pray. And send our love. Wish we could do more.
It is always wonderful to hear about people helping people during these horrific tragedies.
(((HUGS)))
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yes the real heroes step up and shine … great ad for the guys boats too! That is still floated with that load 🙂
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I read your updates via Ivor and commented that In the U.K. the plight of Australia is the most important news item in every bulletin and program. We watch and listen in horror and with deep sympathy.
Thank you, Kate.
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Thank you for the update Kate. I have been looking at the pictures since yesterday. It has devastated a lot. Hope it ceases soon.
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yes it’s way out of control coz our PM didn’t act … now that he finally has he is advertising the fact enraging the victims even more … they say it’s like “being sold to at a funeral” he is crass with the emotional maturity of a dead dog ..
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Humans have no humanity left.
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well said!
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Sorry state Australia is in now. Prayers to those who are in dire need of help
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wanna give you a hug Kate.. 😦
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Keeping you constant in my prayers…for your people, for your land. You are in our hearts! Thank you for the updates…may better news be coming soon.Until then, we pray without ceasing.
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Today, it is only in our newspapers that they report drought and fire tragedies in Australia. The drought is due to the warming of the climate, but the spread is borne by the government, which too late and improperly took action, and the prime minister was on vacation. It’s sad that ordinary people and animals suffer from it. Keep telling me because I read that the next heat wave is coming, so the tragedy will not end soon. I feel sadness when I look at destruction …
Greetings to all
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thanks Ultra, the destruction is continuing and our crass PM incurs only wrath … he’s finally stepped up too late and is now advertising the fact making people even angrier!
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So sad, scary and heartbreaking. 😦 Don’t really know what to say, but just wanted to show some kind of support.
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thanks so much … we really can’t do much 🙂
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Horrible! I feel so helpless, halfway around the world….
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we all do Ann even us who are closer … donations are always welcome but they need to be made to a legitimate organisation … scammers have already picked up on this one!
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Somewhere my previous comment has passed. It’s hard.
Thank you for updating the situation in the country. We are all worried, Regards
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