Fires around Sydney

[MicCanberra]

They are still fighting those fires, the lions club is organising food for the 300 firies fighting it.

[GUT2407]

5 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

They are still fighting those fires, the lions club is organising food for the 300 firies fighting it.

Yep, typical great job, the Lions, the Men’s Shed and various shops and individuals digging deep in times of need, I believe the IGA gave a ton of food.

[MicCanberra]

28 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Yep, typical great job, the Lions, the Men’s Shed and various shops and individuals digging deep in times of need, I believe the IGA gave a ton of food.

Lots of food being cooked up and sent out for distribution.

[GUT2407]

500 meals by volunteers with donated food a massive effort for a small town, but no real surprise

[MicCanberra]

7 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

500 meals by volunteers with donated food a massive effort for a small town, but no real surprise

Very well done by the community.

[NoWhiners]

Hi mates

 

Back on the boards after an Amazon River cruise and coming back to the holidays.

 

My heart is breaking for all in Australia who have been so badly affected by these fires. I have been reading of all the damage, the close calls, and the losses.

 

I hope all of you are well and safe.

 

My very best regards.

[MicCanberra]

Welcome back, hope your cruise was great.

Yes, some are having a really tough time of it, a few that are normally on the boards are still out of contact but I am hoping that it may be more to do with priorities and having no internet/power rather than having lost everything.

[NoWhiners]

Thanks Mic. Cruise was incredible but not as consequential as the fires.

 

I am with you in hoping members who can't reply are safe.

 

My heart is truly with all of them. I wish I could do more than hope for the best.

 

Can you tell me--what is the Aussie supportive response  to this? Sing the national anthem? God save the queen? What?

 

I am serious and mean no disrespect.

 

[MicCanberra]

I am not sure what the official response is but I think we generally just do what we can where we can. It may include providing support where we can to individuals and providing money, food and goods to the groups (charities, organisations, etc) like the red cross, rural fire services, lions and rotary clubs, etc  who help the people in need when we cannot or we do both.

[NoWhiners]

Mic

 

Is there anything we Americans can do to provide monetary support? Any trusted charitable orgs we can contribute to? Our government is too busy trying to start a new war in the Middle East to actually help.

 

Thanks for any help.

[Docker123]

This is a huge challenge all around. Donations of food, good clothes and money are needed (plus lots of odd things like knitted things for animals that are injured).

 

This article lists a number of reputable agencies with active links for $ donations

https://www.theage.com.au/national/here-s-how-you-can-help-australia-s-bushfire-victims-20200104-p53ot2.html

 

This photo from a local fb page, people lining up to drop off at our Vic Food Bank just down the road.

 

 

And

 

 

Edited January 4, 2020 by Docker123

[MicCanberra]

15 minutes ago, NoWhiners said:

Mic

 

Is there anything we Americans can do to provide monetary support? Any trusted charitable orgs we can contribute to? Our government is too busy trying to start a new war in the Middle East to actually help.

 

Thanks for any help.

Here is a link to some of the charities and such, where you can pick which one you want to support if you wish to contribute. There are likely to be many more.

https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/bushfire-relief-how-you-can-help-those-in-need/news-story/a0476ac3538b8c373f281ea6be204421

Personally, I prefer the Australian Red Cross as they do such a good job and are not so specific to just one type of disaster.

[NoWhiners]

Thanks Mic. I should have thought of Australian Red Cross. They are good around the world.

 

I'll make a donation tomorrow.

 

Be strong Australia!

[MicCanberra]

20 minutes ago, NoWhiners said:

Thanks Mic. I should have thought of Australian Red Cross. They are good around the world.

 

I'll make a donation tomorrow.

 

Be strong Australia!

Cheers, I appreciate it and I am sure it will go where it is needed. There are a lot of people who are hurting and in need at the moment.

[NoWhiners]

And I hope some will go to the animals. I have read that many thousands have been lost. It is hard to watch our human neighbors lose everything, but the animals (and the forests) suffer as well.

[MicCanberra]

7 minutes ago, NoWhiners said:

And I hope some will go to the animals. I have read that many thousands have been lost. It is hard to watch our human neighbors lose everything, but the animals (and the forests) suffer as well.

The animals and their habitat will be suffering as well.

[GUT2407]

2 hours ago, NoWhiners said:

Hi mates

 

Back on the boards after an Amazon River cruise and coming back to the holidays.

 

My heart is breaking for all in Australia who have been so badly affected by these fires. I have been reading of all the damage, the close calls, and the losses.

 

I hope all of you are well and safe.

 

My very best regards.

Sounds like a great cruise. 

[GUT2407]

1 hour ago, NoWhiners said:

Mic

 

Is there anything we Americans can do to provide monetary support? Any trusted charitable orgs we can contribute to? Our government is too busy trying to start a new war in the Middle East to actually help.

 

Thanks for any help.

America has been sending firefighters, just as we send ours when you have bad ones. It’s what mates do, for years we have had firefighting helicopters spend half the year there half here, even when they were all owned by America.

[GUT2407]

1 hour ago, Docker123 said:

This is a huge challenge all around. Donations of food, good clothes and money are needed (plus lots of odd things like knitted things for animals that are injured).

 

This article lists a number of reputable agencies with active links for $ donations

https://www.theage.com.au/national/here-s-how-you-can-help-australia-s-bushfire-victims-20200104-p53ot2.html

 

This photo from a local fb page, people lining up to drop off at our Vic Food Bank just down the road.

 

 

And

 

 

Amazing isn’t it, Wangi Men’s she’s has been feeding a few hundred every day, but have had to ask people to stop bringing food, and about an hour ago said “please no more water and ice” but have named a few other towns nearby that are struggling to get enough. Last night the Worker’s club had an open bar for any firefighter who had finished his/her shift.

[GUT2407]

@NoWhiners  you were in the Amazon when they had the fires that were world news they lost about 125,000 ha to fire so far since August Australia has lost over 6 million.

[MicCanberra]

12 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

@NoWhiners  you were in the Amazon when they had the fires that were world news they lost about 125,000 ha to fire so far since August Australia has lost over 6 million.

It has been devastating.

Authorities have said this season's fires are the worst in Australia's history and that the crisis is likely to last for months. Hundreds of fires are active across the nation with more than 12 million acres of land scorched.

By comparison, fires in Brazil's Amazon burned nearly 5 million acres in the first half of 2019. In Bolivia, officials estimate that nearly 6 million acres of land have been torched since August. In California, nearly 2 million acres burned in fires throughout 2018, according to the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

[ilikeanswers]

25 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

America has been sending firefighters, just as we send ours when you have bad ones. It’s what mates do, for years we have had firefighting helicopters spend half the year there half here, even when they were all owned by America.

 

Unfortunately they say this arrangement may no longer be sustainable as our fire season starts earlier every year and America's ends later. The overlap is too long and we will probably need to get more of our own equipment😟. That is what next year's fire work money should be spent on. 

[MicCanberra]

5 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Unfortunately they say this arrangement may no longer be sustainable as our fire season starts earlier every year and America's ends later. The overlap is too long and we will probably need to get more of our own equipment😟. That is what next year's fire work money should be spent on. 

The stupid thing is we had this discussion about the sharing of equipment and or getting our own back in 2003 and also 2011.

The subject just doesn't get the support after the events.

[Docker123]

Another point of interest from my daughter:

 

Air BnB have established a service where people can register available free space for evacuees, and for evacuees to register for needed accommodation.

 

[lyndarra]

Sad to see on news tonight that there has been loss of life on Kangaroo Island. KI also has a large population of koalas

There was also a report that singer Pink has pledged $500,000 to go directly to support the firefighters.