The fires still burn....

I can't believe it is a month since 'Black Saturday', the day of the worst fires in Australian history, and four fires are still burning. The weather, though, is turning and the CFA (or fireys as they are known here) are on the offensive for the first time.

I spent 9 days in Melbourne, mainly doing what I do in Tas. I was training spontaneous volunteers - people who had come forward in the week since the fires began. I was mainly training social workers and psychologists who would then be placed out in the field to give to support to Red Cross volunteers and staff. As you can imagine they were an interesting participant group and we had some in-depth and sometimes random discussions during sessions! I spent one day out in the field. I went to Taralgon, Churchill and Boolara, all about 2 hours east of Melbourne. I saw faces that showed vividly the experiences that some had been through and other survivors smiling and laughing and promising to rebuild. I can't describe the destruction or the contrary way the fire took one house and not it's neighbour; how a wood was completely burnt but the grass at it's edge was still green and unmarked. So to give you a clearer idea I have attached two web links to photos on YouTube. The first shows pictures from the fire and the second the work of the Red Cross since 'Black Saturday'

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAp26V7bI_s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqBKO4o5_Hk

When you see the photos it is astounding to think that whilst driving through an affected area I was on a road where to the left were just a few houses standing with everything around them burnt and to the right was a cricket pitch with guys playing cricket only 7 days after the fire started. What is called here 'the Aussie battler spirit' has been very apparent in those I've spoken to and in the media. Life goes on.

In the last week I've been working in what is known as the State Inquiry Centre (SIC). This is the free phone number that people call to let us know that they are safe when they have evacuated and where friends and family call for news of their loved ones. Red Cross manages this service on behalf of the Australian Police. It's currently being run on a shift basis in 3 states with Tas answering the phones from 8am - 2pm. I'm off today, but co-ordinating the SIC again tomorrow. Although really busy on Monday and Tuesday as another severe weather front was predicted and many people evacuated, the fires were contained and the number of calls we're receiving has dropped and the last Tas shift maybe tomorrow......