www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Bush Fires and floods in Australia.

Please remember the people of eastern Australia who are either flooded out in the NE or dealing with the worst bush fires in the SE. Temperatures in the affected areas are 45C+ (approx 115F)with strong winds. The numbers of homes destroyed and the death toll (includes children) is mounting. Across the nation special TV programs have replaced normal programing. Sadly most of the fires were deliberately lit.

Prayers...looks exactly like L.A. last year

This lot of fires is the worst in the nations history with the death toll mounting, whole towns and suburbs are 'gone'. It is incredible at the speed the fires move at. Survivors describe the sound as like a freight train coming their way. One second there was no fire and the next everything was burning with flames leaping high into the sky. Offers of assistance have come in from countries all over the world.

My prayers for all those involved. My prayers also that justice is served.

Obama offers his prayers for the nation
10th February 2009, 13:15 WST

US President Barack Obama has telephoned Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to offer his prayers for the people of Victoria, and the nation, suffering from Australia’s deadliest bushfires on record.

Mr Rudd has taken phone calls from a long list of world leaders, who have offered their condolences, and some with offers of assistance.

“President Obama said that we should know in Australia that the prayers of himself, his wife Michelle, their family and of the American people are with the people of Victoria, people of Australia,” he told parliament.

The US, along with New Zealand and Britain, is willing to lend a hand and about 35 American firefighting operation chiefs, aviation managers, planning section chiefs and specialists in land rehabilitation are waiting for final orders to help bolster the effort to control the blazes.

Mr Rudd said the sympathetic response from international friends was “an expression of our common humanity”.

Since the scale of destruction from the Victoria bushfires became apparent, Mr Rudd has also taken calls from:

* British Prime Minister Gordon Brown,
* New Zealand Prime Minister John Key,
* European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso,
* United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and
* Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Countries as far flung as the tiny European principality of Andorra, Pakistan, France, Brazil, Cuba and Nauru have sent messages of support as Australia reels from the tragedy, which has claimed at least 173 lives.

“Expressions of sympathy have also been accompanied by offers of practical help," Mr Rudd said.

France and Japan had made urgent inquiries as to what assistance they may offer. Thailand was proposing a financial donation to the bushfire victims.

Indonesia had offered assistance with disaster victim identification.

New Zealand had offered 100 firefighters. Singapore has offered to deploy Super Puma helicopters.

“The United States Department of the Interior is in discussions with the government of Victoria on the provision of personnel and assistance.,” Mr Rudd said.

Australia welcomed each of the offers of support and expressions of sympathy from around the world, he said.

“It is good that they have come.

“All Victorians and all Australians should know that in this darkest hour they are not alone.”

AAP

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has managed to claim that:

1. the fires "prove" global warming, and

2. the fires are set by arsonists!

Somehow these two pronouncements do not seem consistent with each other.

Fr. Serge

Fr Serge,
we have noticed that the fires burn more strongly and hotly over the last few years--increasing gently over the last 20 years.
Our methods for fighting them are changing (unfortunately more slowly than the fires change). It might be to this fact that Kevin Rudd refers.

Some of the fires--but by no means all--appear to have been lit by arsonists. In high summer we can receive over 60,000 lightning strikes in an hour. When the lightning map shows few or no lightning strikes in an area, and the heat-sensing satellites and aircraft aimed with infra-red cameras detect the origin of a fire, the evidence starts to build towards there not being a natural cause.

Today though, those fires grow faster than ever and burn more strongly than ever, whatever the cause. We must catch them much earlier than before or they become very difficult, if not impossible, to control.

Dear Father,

I'm not sure why you think the two pronouncements are inconsistent. Friends of mine who have spent many summers in the area have noticed that the vegetation, including trees and shrubs, have been much dryer than when they first began vacationing in the area over two generations ago. The change has been progressive over the years. A month ago, when they had their annual camp, they were not permitted to have any fires because of the potential danger to the area. Nonetheless, they enjoyed themselves as usual. Unfortunately, some lunatic(s) set fire to the dry vegetation which the wind fanned and caused a fire unsean in modern Australian history.

Ukrainian Youth summer camp pictures a month ago:
http://www.cym.org/au/melbourne/archives/2008/tabir0809.asp

Ukrainian Youth summer camp pictures this week:
http://www.cym.org/au/melbourne/archives/oselya_fire_feb09.asp

I.F.

I find the two pronouncements inconsistent because it seems unlikely that the fires would have two quite different origins. Arsonists have set fires in Australia before at this time of the year. Is Kevin Rudd suggesting that the global warming has gone to their heads, and moved them to set "fires unsean"?

Fr. Serge

Ah!
Father it must be the way they are reported overseas.
We have over 100 completely separate and unrelated fires burning at the moment.
Some started by lightning strikes, some started by mechanical accident or inattention (flying sparks from machinery), and some started by some little darlings who need their heads read.

What a very mild way of describing the folk who seem to enjoy pyromania

It is not particularly unusual for children to find fire fascinating. This is among the many reasons why parents are expected to supervise their children and keep them far away from certain things.

Fr. Serge

It seems the police are looking for adults who have started these fires. Some children have started some fires but it seems most of the arsonists are male and early 20s to early 40s. 2 men have been charged so far and one of those was a fireman.

http://www.adelaidereview.com.au/ar...0530865&start_from=&ucat=16&
This is an article on the profile of an arsonist.

"We are joined together in prayer with all residents in Victoria, especially those who suffered in the horrific fires on Feb 7 and subsequent days. We especially pray for our parishioners who suffered the loss of loved ones or property in this tragedy. Of special mention in our prayers we include the following parishioners who lost their homes or farm/country properties: Lydia and Andrew Foskett/Lysenko, Michael Shevchuk and his family, Peter Malanczyn’s family, Tony Buc family and many others of whom we do not have details at this time! We ask you to pray for the nephews/nieces of Evhen Rahman’s family who died in Traralgon area. The CYM ground was also destroyed by these fires. Consequently we pray for all CYM members and friends for whom this place was like a second home."

From the UGCC Eparchy of Melbourne Internet site.
http://www.catholicukes.org.au/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=711

OSELYA KARPATY DESTROYED BY FIRE.

http://www.cym.org/au/melbourne/archives/oselya_fire_feb09.asp