[Ailist] Off Topic - Victorian bushfire update [long post]

[Lionel Boxer]

I was speaking with a doctor last night and some ploice and volunteer fire fighters yesterday.  About 400 local army reservists are also on duty - I have heard that some young chaps have found multiple dead bodies.

There was a truck load of people being driven away from danger by volunteer fire fighters passing people and horses on fire.  Because the truck was full the volunteer fire fighters could not help those on the side of the road.  Even if they had room, if they were to have stopped the people in the back of the truck would have caught fire.  The fireball was chasing them down the road.  As it was, those in the back of the truck were singed.

My doctor friend told me that the heat of the fire was hotter than a crematorium.  So, there is some cases there are parts of bodies that are not easily identified for several reasons: (1) dental records have been destroyed in the fires (2) the people were holding animals or other people - so DNA is difficult to identify.

I am fortunate, as the fire did not come close to me at all.  However, the smoke is thick in the centre of Melbourne today and I know people who have been displaced or lost everything.  So, we all are doing a lot of sharing.  Those in Australia should consider if you have extra clothes, soap, shampoo, sanitary products, etc (many shops are gone and resupply is not happening very well in some communities.)  

What is good? There is a lot of very positive sharing and support going on in the local, state and national community.

The body count is not being reported anymore, because it is quite difficult to know how many are dead (and the community is not prepared for the numbers).  I was told that it could be well over 500 (many missing people are not being found).

Australians are not normally exposed to this sort of thing.  So, there is a lot of trauma to deal with.

The situation was not sustainable - ironically, the environmentalists stopped people from clearing excessive "fuel" (trees, bushes, undergrowth).  Eucalyptus trees are full of oil that, when gaseous ignites like gasoline.  The leaves burn and the evaporating oil explodes into fire - even dry leaves on the ground.  So, sustainability is about acheiving a balance.

Lionel Boxer CD PhD MBA BTech(IndEng) - 0411267256
Associate of RMIT University - lionel.boxer at rmit.edu.au
Graduate School of Business
my "Assessment of Quality Systems with Positioning Theory" 
now in a googe book - see link at http://intergon.net