Bushfires in the news...

We're all fine, the bushfires are a couple of kilometres away from us and luckily for us the wind did not fan it this way. Although our resident firebugs favourite spot just up the road was checked on several times by the Emergency Service vehicles.

Sadly, 50 homes are apparently gone here in Bendigo along with the Spotlight store, Clark Rubber and a Motorbike shop that was next to them. Also, a primary school at California Gully and a badminton/leisure centre and one of the local pubs :-( Edited : From what I can gather without going to look, these structures are still standing but have been smoke/water damaged. They believe the fire was started by someone throwing a lit cigarette butt from a vehicle :-(

As the area the fire went through has a lot of natural bushland many native animals will also be injured or dead. Apparently there have been humans injured here as well. I don't know for sure how this fire started but I hope it wasn't lit deliberately.

Hubby wasn't home until late tonight and so I was a bit worried when the sky was full of dust and smoke from the fires and I couldn't work out exactly how far away they were. The house we are in atm is surrounded by bush and grass so it would not have taken much for it to get going. Kids and cats in the car and I would have been off. [ I'm not a panicky person but don't know the area well enough yet to judge the level of danger]

I'm used to cyclones and flooding. It's much worse with bushfires because at least you get warning with cyclones and floods, bushfires come from nowhere and take you by surprise.

I'm feeling sad tonight for all the people who lost their lives and their families and loved one's, along with all the devastation of losing homes and businesses especially with the economic climate.

Other area's have also been hit hard, some worse than here with a greater loss of life :-(

Hugs everyone. Stay safe. Send thanks & grateful vibes to those who are standing guard all night to protect us.