To Our Australian Forum Members...

rambos_ride

To any of Our Australian Forum Members

We hope you are all safe and sound and far away from the terrible fires we are reading about here today.

Please keep us updated to how you are doing down there.

Dan & Rambo

Huddy42

G'Day Dan,



Have not heard any reports from our Victorian members, spoke to a couple last evening, they left their home at 1.00pm on Saturday as the fires came close, they had not been back as of last evening, so not sure if their home and cars are safe, if I hear anything I'll post it here. Thanks for your thoughts.



I'm in Sydney, we have fires here as well, but, nowhere near as severe as Victoria.



Our thoughts and prayers go out to all down there.

Unknown

reminds me of our terrible year of fires here in calif in 08 they are terrible, just terrible, wish you all well bill albright

[Deleted User]

i am well, my family are well despite some VERY close calls- my uncle's house was one of two left standing in his street in flowerdale, part of the "kinglake complex" fire, which is now burning on a 100km front. the other house left in his street belonged to my mother when she lived in flowerdale. on the hottest day in victorian history, i had chills thinking of it all. my family in wandong were close but safe, wandong is directly down the highway from the ignition point, fire swept through there, picked up some momentum and then the wind swung to a SW and pushed the fire into mt disappointment, from there it was off and running. sadly i have lost one friend in gippsland, at the churchill fire.

for a list of fire calls statewide, online in real time http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/incident_summary.htm



for a more detailed summary of each fire http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/incident_updates.htm#1476819980889



to put it into perspective for those of you in america, the area burnt by the fires is larger than the state of maine. the death toll is up to 131 as of 6pm monday night. sadly, it is suspected that the fires were deliberately lit.

Huddy42

Glad you and the family are safe Half baked, we also have Hudson friends in Windang, rang them on their mobile as they had left Saturday @ 1.00pm, they are not sure if their house and Hudsons are safe, have not yet been back to check.

Look after your selves and we wish you all the luck, you guys deserve it and much more.



Les.P.

[Deleted User]

a lot of wandong still stands, a relatively small amount of houses were destroyed there, it is fairly open country compared to the worst affected areas over the hill. there are still flare ups around the town but nothing major, my dad's cousin and his mother returned to their homes on sunday morning

Hudsonrules

:eek:To all of you in Austrailia, You are all in my hearts and prayers during this tragic time. We live in the high desert, and have witnessed some fire storms. They are frightening. Because of the winds, there is little time to know if what one is doing, is the right thing to do.

It is sad to here so many have lost their lives and property. In a way I am at a loss for words. I wish all of you the best of health and be safe. Our families and homes are more important than our cars. Arnie in Nevada

[Deleted User]

All Our friends Down Under are in our prayers.
Bob and Judy

Huddy42

Thanks guys for all your kinds thoughts and prayers, even though I am in New South Wales well away from the Victorian fires we do have Hudson friends down South, we have fires here as well, but no where near the magnitude of Vic, looking forward to 2009 National.

Les.P. Sydney Australia.

hudsontech

Among disasters I think forest fires are the worst. Unless you have been thru one you cannot begin to imagine the impact the experience has on you.



I was 10 years old, in 1947, when we went thru the great fires in Maine. In comparison to the Aussie fires ours was merely a small bon fire - but we had 4 or 5 going at one time - all but one in Southern Maine where I lived. The fire, at the same time, at Bar Harbor got most of the press because of the millionaires summer "cottages" and the world famous Jackson Research Laboratory wiped out. It was the end of the millionaire cottage period - most were not rebuilt, or if they were the new summer cottages did not match the splendor of the 1930's homes.



Even now, 60 years later, it is easy to spot those of us who went thru this - we're the ones, during a long spell of dry weather, you see looking at the sky, perhaps digging up a bit of ground to see how dry it is, with a thoughtful look on our faces. It is hard to describe, but it leaves a scar on your memory, especially if you've been burned out.



An excellent book on the Maine fires of 1947 is Joyce Butlers "The Week Maine Burned" - I pick it up sometimes, but still find it hard to read all these years later.



So, we are keeping all you Aussies in our thoughts and prayers and pray your ordeal will be over soon. Always remember what's important - that you come thru it. Most "things" can be replaced - lives cannot.



Hudsonly,

Memphis, TN

Spencer Yarrow

Floods in the north, fires in the south & we are between the two west of Brisbane. We all thank you for your thoughts & prayers.

Spencer & Wendy Yarrow

HET Queensland.

[Deleted User]

hudsontech wrote:

...and the world famous Jackson Research Laboratory wiped out...

Alex, good job making a Hudson connection!! Here's a quick link about how the Jackson Laboratory got it's name. http://ellsworthmaine.com/site/index.php/2008030613248/Lab-Report/Whats-in-a-Name.html

hudsontech

royer wrote:

Alex, good job making a Hudson connection!! Here's a quick link about how the Jackson Laboratory got it's name. http://ellsworthmaine.com/site/index.php/2008030613248/Lab-Report/Whats-in-a-Name.html

Yeah, Matt. I wrote an article about the Jackson Lab back in the 1970's for the New England Chapter newsletter.



Can't remember now if it ever got published.



Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

[Deleted User]

Spoke to our our Wandong Hudsonite last night and he is back home safe and sound with home intact. Him and his wife left on Saturday when 60 foot high flames were in the town. Everyone knows someone who is affected. A bloke I know has to provide his dad's dental records. It's awful.



On a more cheerful note, to show how we all unite in times of crisis, my brother in law received a phone call from his good friend who survived the Strathewen fire (90% of houses destroyed and 30 people dead in a population of a couple of hundred people). He refuses to leave the area because if you go, the police won't let you back in. He said he had plenty of food and water but had run out of beer and was desperate! My brother in law closed his business, bought some beer (plus scotch and coke-the works) and took it up to the police road block. They refused to let him into the area but when my brother in law explained the situation, the copper undertook to have the "emergency supplies" delivered and they were!

[Deleted User]

our state police motto is "uphold the right" upholding the right to have a beer after a hard job well done

hudsontech

Sort of reminds me of that motto I've seen on a bill board as you enter Pennsylvania - "You Have A Friend In Pennsylvania!!"



Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN