הטמפרטורות במלבורן הגיעו עד 46.4 מעלות סלזיוס - שיא שנרשם מאז שהחלו המדידות ב-1850. בשעה 3 בצהריים נרשם השיא כאשר אי אפשר היה לעמוד בשמש יותר מדקה, כאילו אתה בתוך תנור אפייה...

This story was published in the HeraldSun (Melbourne) by Patrick Carlyon February 09, 2009 12:00am

THEY were lost before we knew they were gone. Early on Saturday night, television news reports spoke of no deaths. Houses had been razed, properties scorched.

There were stories of great escapes and victims vowed to rebuild. But no one yet could know just how many gruesome revelations awaited.

Of six people dead in a car accident in Kinglake.

Of the badly burned Kinglake man kept alive for six hours by being submerged by friends in a pool.

Of the Marysville firefighter who lost his wife and daughter while fighting the blazes.

Of the motorcyclist burnt alive in St Andrews.

Of the woman who left fighting the fires to save her goats who was found dead by her son in a shed.

As Melburnians went to bed on Saturday night, and confusion reigned, some hoped that the worst of the news concerned properties lost. Perhaps deaths had been avoided.

No one knew that dozens were already dead.

First, there was talk of one death. Then six. About 10.30pm, Premier John Brumby announced 14. By Sunday morning, it was thought up to 40 were lost.

The estimates would rise to 100.

Twenty-six were confirmed dead at 11am yesterday. By 12.30pm, as firefighters battled seven major fronts, it was 35.

Saturday's inferno will take weeks or months to properly piece together.

It was worse than anyone dared imagine. A hellish vision of nature at its cruellest has emerged, of a conspiracy of drought, heat and winds.

It is the tale of the Perfect Fire Storm. Something like 26 fires would blaze through Victoria on Saturday.

As Melbourne awoke to what would be the hottest day ever, 46.4C, fires already raged in the Bunyip State Park.

They jumped containment lines in the late morning. Everyone, including firefighters, got out of its path.

The Kilmore East fire started just after 11am. Within an hour, it had jumped the Hume Highway and raced towards houses.

It appears it marched due east, through the Great Dividing Range, winds fanning it 30km through Wallan, Clonbinane, Wandong and Kinglake.

About 150 homes were lost in Wandong. At least four people died there.

At Kinglake, resident Peter Mitchell told ABC radio there was no time to do anything. "It came through in minutes," he said. The wind was like a blast furnace, ripping roofs from homes.

A badly burnt man and his daughter turned up at a property where Marie Jones was staying. He had skin hanging "off him everywhere".

The man told her: "Look, I've lost my wife, I've lost my other kid, I just need you to save (my daughter)."

לנו אין את הפרבילגיה לשבת בגינה ולתכנן צעדים מרחוק,האילומינאטי השטנים בוותיקאן אמיתיים,פעם אחרונה היה צבא של יוצאי צבא וביון בהמתנה,תתחילו לעבוד,אותי אישית אוסטרליה לא מטרידה יותר.