by Myra Ting

Created on: February 17, 2009

It is ten days since Black Saturday and the February Dragon still flits around the state of Victoria causing havoc wherever it touches down in Australia.

The number of people who died in the fires around and through King Lake, Marysville and Narbethong rose past two hundred today as army and police personnel found the remains of more people in King Lake township.

One young couple and two small children escaped. They huddled together under a wet woolen blanket between two large rainwater tanks. The tight fit proved to be to their advantage.

The blistering heat and flames came out of the trees across the road from their driveway. Roaring over the four souls under their thin protective cover, the heat threatened suffocation. The air, although searing, had a strange calm as the fire crossed to the next row of gum trees.

The father emerged from under the blanket and quickly tucked it back around and under his precious, but terrified family. He looked around to see the remains of his car. Only moments before that was part of their escape plan.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> The only visible part of any building was the roofing of the house and wall iron of the sheds.
Everything else was ash.

I was getting all burned up!' This whispered by the little boy ducking out from under the blanket.
Following him, his older sister asked, Why didn't we die?'
Their mother gathered them back to safety, away from the flying embers.
'We were lucky,' she tells them then guides them back under the newly wet blanket.
A young voice sings, 'Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water'

Four days ago, Healesville, just outside of Melbourne, was under major threat and the local TV newscasts reported the town to be on the path of the fire. Most of the residents advised to leave, moved to the nearest refugee center.

As the water bombers, like giant bugs in the clouds of smoke, dumped their cargo, the people made their choices.

The CFA, CFS, and the growing number of fire fighting crews in the air but, mostly on the ground whether volunteers or professionals, are tired but do not weaken.

Relief comes as each new group of firefighters from State and country fire departments continue to arrive from all over Australia. Nobody has to ask; they people are waiting their turn.

The United States and Canada sent their fire fighters last weekend. Their expertise in forests of their own countries is and will prove invaluable. They also give their best efforts

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>