Australia wildfires killed millions of animals, survivors doomed to die in wasteland

[Barrett808]

The fire that hit Victoria on “Black Saturday” was one that had never been seen in Australia before. Victoria had gone through “Ash Wednesday” in 1983 and “Black Friday” in 1939. Australia’s capital city, Canberra, was badly damaged in 2004 by bushfires, with over 500 houses destroyed and four people killed. In 1994 Sydney was badly hit with 225 houses destroyed, 8000 square kilometres burnt out and four people killed.

However, those fires dwarfed into insignificance after the ferocious fireball hit Victoria, cutting a swath of destruction through the state. Over 200 people have been killed, 2000 houses destroyed and millions of animals and wildlife annihilated. This was a casualty rate never experienced before in Australia’s peacetime history. …

Mr Kevin Tolhurst, Melbourne University Senior Lecturer in Fire Ecology and Management, said the inferno was estimated to have been equal in power to 500 Hiroshima atomic bombs, generating 80,000 kilowatts per metre of flame front. Temperatures were said to be in excess of 1200 degrees. …

(more)

http://desdemonadespair.blogspot.com/2009/02/black-saturday-update-australia.html

[applegrove]

1. Just horrifying. I can't read anymore than 4 paragraphs.