Victoria's bushfires

The news here over the past week has been dominated by the bushfires in Victoria which have now become the worst natural disaster in Australia's history. The death toll increased daily from last weekend and is currently at over 180 with many people still missing and hundreds of homes destroyed and survivors left with nothing. There has been a big fundraising effort across the country to support those people from the small bush communities that were devastated.

It's difficult to imagine the scale and ferocity of the fires and it seems like it took everyone by surprise last week due to the conditions. People who live in the bush always face the risk of a bushfire and prior to last weekend most homeowners would decide whether to leave in advance of a fire or stay to protect their property by clearing any debris that would be a fire risk and hose down the house to prevent the embers from starting a fire. However, the apparent speed and heat of the fires in Victoria has raised questions about whether the latter option should still ever be considered and it seems the main advice would now be to always have a plan in place - what to take and when to leave.

Some say that with climate change these situations will occur more often and it once again highlights the power of nature through the regular regeneration of the bush through fire. These bushfires are usually caused by lightning strikes, although some have been considered arson, with the destroyed communities becoming crime scenes and the perpetrators being accused as mass murderers.