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SA Bushfire alert,and yes its personal! :(


Jacaranda

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I have just returned from town,and logged into FB.I received a devastating pm from my older sister,to inform me of bushfires,in and around Freeling SA,which is where my two brothers and niece live.My eldest brothers house,out houses,and sheds have been burnt to the ground,and so has their car.My youngest brother lives next door,and was putting out spot fires on his own property.I am so upset right now,thank god my brother and his partner got out alive,as did the rest of my family. This is too close to home for me.I've spent a lot of time in Freeling over the years,and I cannot even imagine how my family members are feeling right now. Hope everyone manages to stay safe.Also bushfires in Inglewood I believe,east of Adelaide in the hills.

 

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/premier-jay-weatherill-announces-loss-of-lives-from-deadly-sa-bushfires/story-fnl1ee8j-1227623145573#itm=newscomau%7Chome%7Cnca-homepage-masthead-feature%7C7%7Cheading%7Chomepage%7Chomepage&itmt=1448466044310

Edited by Jacaranda
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Oh Jacaranda, that is awful, such a devastating loss. They are okay which is the main thing but I can't imagine losing everything like that, and pets - some things insurance simply cannot replace.

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Oh so sorry Jacaranda! I do know how you are feeling as DS lost the house he had built in the bush earlier last year - they hadn't lived in it for long and it wouldn't have passed any building regs but it took him a couple of years to do it on his own. They lost pretty much everything - they're still finding things they have lost (if you see what I mean) nearly 2 years later but, as you say, they are all OK and I guess that's the bottom line - with a life you can do anything, lose that and you have nothing. I hope they are well supported by F&F (as, I hope, are you!) - they will be numb for a while but then all the other stuff will flood in. You do feel very impotent when you are on the other side of the world though so (((hugs))) to you all!

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Thankyou for all your support and kind words.As they live in a small community,I am sure they will receive lots of support and help re building their lives.My brother is near retirement age,and I can only hope they had insurance!I've always felt a lot of empathy towards those affected by bushfires,but boy this is hitting home right now. I've been listening to talkback radio via my laptop of a radio show in SA,and atm,authorities are trying to find out what caused the bushfire.They (and myself)are hoping it wasn't deliberately lit. My sons girlfriends family are also near that area,and as yet I haven't heard if they are ok.

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It was an awful day yesterday. I live in the North Eastern suburbs of Adelaide, not far from Inglewood, and it was hot and dry with really strong winds yesterday - apparently at one stage the fire was moving at 80 km/hr! So sad for your family @Jacaranda and everyone affected. The one bright side is that the community spirit in these areas is fantastic, so hopefully your family are getting plenty of support. If there is anything I can do to help at all (I'm in Highbury) let me know.

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I have just returned from town,and logged into FB.I received a devastating pm from my older sister,to inform me of bushfires,in and around Freeling SA,which is where my two brothers and niece live.My eldest brothers house,out houses,and sheds have been burnt to the ground,and so has their car.My youngest brother lives next door,and was putting out spot fires on his own property.I am so upset right now,thank god my brother and his partner got out alive,as did the rest of my family. This is too close to home for me.I've spent a lot of time in Freeling over the years,and I cannot even imagine how my family members are feeling right now. Hope everyone manages to stay safe.Also bushfires in Inglewood I believe,east of Adelaide in the hills.

 

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/premier-jay-weatherill-announces-loss-of-lives-from-deadly-sa-bushfires/story-fnl1ee8j-1227623145573#itm=newscomau%7Chome%7Cnca-homepage-masthead-feature%7C7%7Cheading%7Chomepage%7Chomepage&itmt=1448466044310

 

I am so sorry to hear that ...

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Thanks again all for your kind words and support.Diane thankyou so much for your offer of help,you are such a sweetheart!I hope the Inglewood fires have been brought under control.I will check the CFS website in a sec.Well I didn't sleep well last night.I went into work at 6am,and asked my boss for an emergency days annual leave which they kindly granted.The only way I can keep contact right now with whats happening,is via my sisters as the phone lines are down in my brothers town.All I know right now is that,thank god they are all safe.

For anyone in the Wasleys Freeling area,here is the CFS link which has been updated....

http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/warnings_and_incidents/pinery_fire_information.jsp

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That 's terrible, you feel so utterly helpless as I know well from personal experience. No doubt the locals will rally round, they always do, but nothing replaces all those memories and it is all so sudden. We are going to cut one of our trees back tomorrow, it has reminded us of how fast these awful fires move.

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They are saying on the radio that they think they will have it under control tomorrow - they have 60% under control at the moment and the weather conditions have improved a lot. There are some horrendous pictures of sheep who are completely blackened and yet still walking around... The Salvos are saying the best thing people can do is make monetary donations which I have done today. They are getting the phone lines and power back on gradually.

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Thanks Diane.Yes I also saw those poor sheep.Truly awful! I've received a message on my FB wall this morning.The town has started a fund raising group(Knew they would,such nice people in that town)and I know those affected will be looked after.No news from my actual brothers as yet.Phone lines are out,as is the electricity.I've just heard news from both sisters.I am just glad both my brothers got out alive.After losing Mum last year,another death in the family would be too hard to take.

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Not to mention all the native animals.

 

I saw a report yesterday that on the Gold Coast lots of snakes are invading people's gardens after a fire destroyed the bush where they normally live.

A lot of the snakes survive the fire by going down a hole but when the fire has passed and they come out they have to move somewhere else if all the terrain is burnt.

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When there was a fire at Venus Bay years ago the residents went down to the beach- and so did the snakes.

LOL, just made me remember after the Canberra fires we reached out to a school in Canada which was affected a few months later - they had bears down in the playground so had to ban peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from school so none got put into rubbish bins! We tend to forget these things!

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