We Can Smell the Smoke

This morning when we the girls and I walked out the front door to go to school we could smell the smoke. It was 8:45 am and the wind was blowing from the northeast. The girls asked why they could smell smoke and I told them it was from the bushfires. They responded with an understanding "oh" and walked the rest of the way silently. Even at their ages they understand the signifigance of the fires.



Wine region north of Healesville (above)




Talk about the fires is everywhere. Why do people stay? Why wouldn't they leave? Everybody seems to have a connection to somebody who was affected. Even us. Why did so many people die in such a senseless manner. I think you need to be here to understand the full scope of things.

Last Friday evening we went for a drive up the Maroondah Highway. We drove for about 90 minutes through some beautiful areas. One of the small "highways" we drove on was so windy I thought I was going to get sick. The area was beautiful, trees hanging over the road, trimmed just enough to let a vehicle pass. On one side of the road the steep embankement seemed to go down forever. I was watching carefully to make sure Steve kept the truck far enough from the edge that I wouldn't have to grab the
wheel from him. We laughed as we saw a sign saying how many kilometres it was to get to the town of Alexandra. We saw signs stating the distance to small palces like Kinglake and Marysville. We drove through Healesville and stopped to get some fish and chips for dinner.

Kennedy in Healesville (below)

Saturday night Healesville, despite also being touched by fire, had become a refuge for people fleeing from their homes. Places like Kinglake and Marysville have been completely wiped out, families perishing. The town of Alexandra is under the threat of fire. People on the news are describing it as an apocolypse. Seeing the footage on the news, I have to agree.

Australia has a law that states you may "stay and defend or flee" when under the threat of bushfire. In reading the newspaper it is apparent that many stayed to defend their homes. It is easy to say that you would leave at the first whiff of smoke but if your home was something you had spent 50 years in and built it up to your "dream home" you may think differently. I think none of us may judge without being in the situation. Many stayed to defend their homes with water pumps, garden hoses, mops and buckets. Some were successful, many were not.

The country eleventh year of a drought. This means that any vegetation in the area is dry beyond belief. The grass in our yard is yellow and doesn't appear to grow at all. The temperature that day had reached an all time high of 46C. Nature's paracites have weakened a lot of the trees, which combined with winds that reached up to 120km/hr create blockades on the roads making them impossible to drive. Driving when under the duress of fleeing your home in a panic makes for a deadly combination. The fire was moving at a speed of 120km/hr. Embers, burning leaves and branches were being thrown up to 15km in front of the main fire. Eucalyptus trees have oil in them that ignites easily. It all adds up to devastation.

Alex and Rhiannon in Healesville

We have learned, over the last few days, the national pride that exudes from this country. This evening the amount of money donated to help the victims had exceeded 60 million dollars. Tonight there was the Victorian Bushfire Appeal, a fund raiser involving many celebrities to raise even more money. It is incredible to watch how people can come together in a time of crisis. I think we can learn something from this, as we did after 9/11. Let's not take things for granted. Tell people you love them. Hug your kids every day.