Update on the 2009 Victorian bushfires.

[moonvoice]

Death toll has reached 108; still climbing. This stands as Australia's deadliest natural disaster since records began

All the fire areas where people have died have been declared crime scenes by the arson squad :/ The police have already said that they will try and charge any arsonists with murder, and if they can't get murder on the table; then manslaughter.

Comments

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

This is all just horrifying. I've been watching from your blog and a few others and I just can't imagine how bad it must be there. I hope they will be able to convict -- this is just too egregious a crime to let arsonists walk away from all that death and destruction.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Arson is a shocking problem in Australia. A few weeks ago Western Australia had some bad fires (no fatalities, thankfully) that were all pretty much arson caused.

And this week firefighters in WA are on standby because now we know we have at least one serial arsonist, and the temps are going to be in the 100F region, and extremely dry. I hate arsonists. :(

And yeah the Victorian fires... it's just so sad. Sad that they haven't even gotten into some of the townships yet to count bodies. Sad that the fires aren't contained yet. It's very full on.

[sunvenus.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, that is horrid. WTF is wrong with people here? I know arson happens everywhere, but people here seem to have a love for it that I didn't see back in the states. :-( I think maybe we ned to get behind urging the courts to stay on this and pprosecute the offenders to the fullest extent of the law. Make an exmaple of them, as well as getting them off the streets so they won't kill any others.

I was offered a job in Marysville about three years ago as a raptor rehabber at a private wildlife reserve; am kind of glad now I didn't take it. Bush fires really scare me. I hope that the animal preserve survived, but I am not holding out much hope.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

It's escalated so much in Perth that the arson squad now put up big reward signs everywhere on a site after it's been burnt down. They never used to do that. :(

[weishaupt.livejournal.com]

Hopefully the arsonists are feeling both pretty damn bad, and like complete nitwits, eh?

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Actually probably not. The kind of thing that motivates these sorts of arsonists (who are usually not doing it for insurance purposes or anything) can definitely stretch to the murder and death of animals and people.

After all, arson and pyromania, along with bedwetting and animal cruelty fall into the triad of sociopathy - it's a great serial killer maker.

[lupabitch.livejournal.com]

Wow. To think that someone would do this deliberately just blows my mind.

[flyingfluff.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's just horrible. My thoughts are with you and everyone else in Victoria.

[dynxsilverwolf.livejournal.com]

There's no way I can put myself in the headspace of a person who would do that. No way.

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

I think it's stupid how they may not be able to charge them with murder (if the buggers are caught). You don't light a fire in the bush on a 46 degree day and expect no-one to get hurt or killed. Not to mention all the environmental and property damage. Charge 'em for the lot of it I say.

I'm fascinated by fire, I love watching things burn, and you don't see me doing pathetic things like this, there are better, more controlled ways to get a flame fix.

[x-raeya-x.livejournal.com]

Most of the fires we had here in the Hills last year were arsonist lit. It's just disgusting. We've been very lucky this year *fingers crossed it stays that way* but the season isn't over yet :(

I have a lot of family in Victoria, though most of them are out of the danger zones thankfully.

[paleo.livejournal.com]

That's what scares me about fire. Individual humans can't create hurricanes or earthquakes. But fires? Just one simple match strike and you can create a death toll for shits and giggles. :-(

[thekalgirl.livejournal.com]

do u mean the hills of perth?
there were 24 fires lit in the mundaring area over one weekend in december last year
lucky they were all contained

[thekalgirl.livejournal.com]

bedwetting?

[thekalgirl.livejournal.com]

soso true
humans can't be trusted with such a finite and easily obtained destructive force

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Yup, bedwetting. Not normal child stuff; but bedwetting that goes up all the way up to adolescence / adulthood.

Not all people who bedwet as teens / adults have anything wrong with them, there are biological and other psychological causes.

But most serial killers are / were chronic bedwetters. Enough that it's considered a possible indicator along with pyromania and animal cruelty.

[thekalgirl.livejournal.com]

ahh yes that makes more sense
i'd heard of the animal cruelty as an indictor

[x-raeya-x.livejournal.com]

Nope, I meant the Adelaide Hills. Sorry, I should have been more specific *blush*

[mirrorred-star.livejournal.com]

I hope they get charged with murder... I can't believe that someone would deliberately start a fire on a 45+ degree day.

[jet-ski.livejournal.com]

very tempted to go arsonist hunting with a paintball gun... I would do worse but don't want to end up in prison!

[belenen.livejournal.com]

someone might have done this on purpose? that just seems beyond understanding.

[dibeartach.livejournal.com]

It's just unbelievable, isn't it.
Though, to be cynical, I do wonder how much evidence they have for arson. I know the huge firestorms here in 2006 that burned down hundreds of hectares of the national parklands that cover the Mountains, the media immediately jumped on the "Oh it's arson! Headline!" bandwagon and it turned out to be mostly lightning strike and hot, dry winds creating natural sparks.
I'd be a little more suspicious in a rural or residential area. The bushlands here are notoriously prone to firestorms, but rural Victoria? Eck.
I hope, if it is arson, they end up convicted mass-murderers by the end of the week. Not just because of the human cost, either. I saw footage on the news of heaps and heaps of wildlife, some small, slow animals like possums without much of a chance, running for their lives, becoming confused and running into the flames. And though the bushland is able to deal with fire mostly, and regenerate, it cant be pleasant for their spirits to endure that intensity of firesong.
/rant.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Though, to be cynical, I do wonder how much evidence they have for arson.

They've made two arrests already.

[aleia-kali.livejournal.com]

This is just beyond horrific to think that these fires could have caused by arson.
*hugs*

[dibeartach.livejournal.com]

:-( It really is disgusting, isn't it. I hope they get their murder charge if they are convicted and that arson truly started this - it's animal and environmental cruelty as well as human cruelty.

xoxox

[heathwitch.livejournal.com]

OMG. This is horrific. :(

[sidheblessed.livejournal.com]

It's all so terrible. So many lives have been ruined by this. I'm with Rudd about this - those responsible have essentially committed mass murder.

I can't believe we're in the middle of Australia's worst peace-time disaster.

I had a friend from my old job move to Bendigo start of last year, thankfully I heard from her today. So many tohers haven't heard though and I can't imagine what they're feeling.