GekkoFyre

Even though Victoria's Ash Wednesday firestorm of 1983 occurred prior to my birth, there are currently events raging near my home right at this moment making me think back to it. There is a bushfire burning out of control in Bunyip State Forest and adjacent townships have been put on high alert as a result, and if predictions turn out to be true then the town where I live will soon fall into the path of this inferno. My aunt and uncle are already fighting against the fires which are right next to their property and home in an attempt to save everything. My parents have been trying to contact them since to make sure if everything is okay along with their children (the aunt's and uncle's). Any attempt thus far to bring only the children to safety has already proven impossible as most roads are now completely blocked off, along with all of Gippsland's rail services to/from Melbourne. Honestly, I wish that I were back in Victoria so that I may help my family prepare for what could be the worst, instead of only being able to look on from here in Sydney.

I mentioned Ash Wednesday because from everything that I have heard and read, all the conditions are currently there to cause another repeat. High temperatures (46 °C in Melbourne!), extremely low humidity, high winds and even a dust storm which had preceded these fires just like last time. We've been in a heatwave for over a week now so everything is far drier than it should be. I have a gut feeling that my home will be alright in the end but you can never tell what may just happen in these circumstances, and I worry for others who have already been affected.

The Age has some nice photos of these events, including ones from the town of Warragul which I visit often.

[1]: Victoria's Bushfires.
[2]: Reader pictures.

Update (9 PM): It seems that my aunt and uncle are okay now. They had a number of firetrucks over at their house to help and the fire has recently passed. Some of the towns nearby to mine have been evacuated though and more have been put on high alert, with the main freeway towards Melbourne now completely closed also. Smallish spot fires are currently occurring all around the towns of Warragul and Darnum.

Update (midnight): It appears that the wildfire nearby the town where I live (Drouin) is changing direction away from it, due to the new north-easterly winds. An urgent threat message has been advised for the nearby towns of Warragul, Nilma, Darnum, Neerim, Tarago and Jindivick, while the main freeway is still apparently blocked off. Gippsland rail lines to/from Melbourne will be closed until mid-Sunday at the very earliest. So a little good news at last and my parents feel safe enough to finally get some sleep tonight =)

Further photo galleries which I have found are listed below. I have also attached a map to help readers who aren't local to this area (click on the 'Read more' link).

[3]: ABC - Bushfires.
[4]: The Age - Aftermath.
[5]: The Age - Bushfire Recovery.
[6]: The Age - Our Darkest Day (Video + Audio).