The Good News and The Bad News

The good news arrived today that my friend John and his family are okay. They survived Cyclone Yasi with no injuries to themselves, little structural damage to their house, just the rainforest their house sits in is shredded - John says it is like a logging coupe - there is nothing left of any height at all. Given that the eye of the cyclone passed right over them, they are so lucky. I am so relieved.

The bad news - is that friends of mine, friends of my children, even teachers from when they were at high school, have lost everything in the fires that raged here yesterday afternoon. It came from nowhere, fuelled by our dry bush and the howling easterly wind.

The toll just heard on the radio was 59 houses totally destroyed and another 28 with significant damage. Most people just got out with their lives (and some with their pets). Most did not have time to save much else. The fire is still not totally contained although less dangerous than before.

The first sign of trouble, pic taken by my daughter who lives 2 blocks from us.

Yesterday our house, our whole suburb was encased in smoke, with the noise of helitankers flying overhead to refill at the lake virtually next to our house. Hour upon hour these pilots worked, flying so low - over houses and past power lines. Hour upon hour our fire brigades, regular and volunteers, the staff of the department I work in (Environment and Conservation) stood face to face with the flames and the heat and the smoke. They are still there moping up hots spots.

So much lost, the only good news ... no one lost their lives or were seriously injured (possibly some pets died which is a shame). For some people the fire was upon them with no warning - they fled. For hundreds of others the forward warning SMS system moved out of their homes to safety. What could have been just like the Black Saturday of Victoria just 2 years ago with so many lives lost was avoided. It certainly was Black Sunday for many, but thankfully they have their lives.