I have been sitting here for most of the day watching skynews give us updates of the Victorian Bushfires. It is so sad that so many people (latest count being 100)

have lost their lives and their homes (700). They must have been terrified as the fire-storm came rushing at them. We have lost whole towns. It's unbeleivable!! I have seen bushfires up close but nothing like this - for once I am speechless!! This is Australia's biggest tragedy in living history.

They are asking for clothes and money. I know money is something that not everyone has alot of, but every little bit helps. If you can please deposit any spare cash into the bank account below.

Seeing as so many of us are losing weight and growing out of our clothes, may I suggest that we donate what we can to the RedCross, St Vinnies etc.

Victoria Bushfire Relief Fund

BSB: 082-001

Account: 860 046 797

Red Cross - 1800 727 077, Australian Red Cross

State Inquiries Centre - 1800 727 077

Salvation Army - The Salvation Army

St Vincent de Paul - St Vincent de Paul Society Australia

And as for the pathetic people who started these fires.... I hope you suffer as much as the people affected by your mindless acts. Bring back capital punishment!!!

I'm glad you posted.

I saw an article in my local paper this AM. I'm so sorry about what everyone over there is going through. It must be so very frightening.

DH is a fireman here in the states so he's experienced some pretty big wildfires but I don't think we've lost whole towns to fires.

I hope you and your family and friends will be okay.

Take care!

What can you say. Our thoughts are with these people at these sad times. I am origanally from country Victoria and remember bushfires, obviously not as bad as these.

Condolances to all families that have lost loved ones.

Sunshine23

You and me both megsy, at every opportunity I am back watching...one of my work colleagues made it out of Kinglake, lost their home but all family ok. Other people I know still at risk in Broadford area and Alexandra areas.

It is absolutely HORRIFIC. And I don't think we'll know the full implications of these fires for weeks if not longer.

I am disgusted and so ANGRY at those who would deliberately set the fires.

And also for those in Melbourne or throughout Australia who can register to donate blood, they will need it for those burn victims you can go here.

Australian Red Cross Blood Service

I can't believe the death toll of 130 and we know that this will rise as horrifying as this is.

Heartfelt sympathy to those who have lost loved ones, their homes and possessions, pets and livestock.

I am currently waiting for the truck from St Vinnies to come and collect the yard full of furniture/clothes/linen/toys/food that people have dropped to my house. I just hope it all gets to the people that need it.

I can't beleive so many people are dead!!! One guy from my friends work says he thinks they are the only ones (he and his girlfriend) who got out, out of their whole street. I just cant even begin to imagine what they all went thru. heartbreaking.

After everything that has happened, 2 more fires were deliberately lit in Healesville overnight!!! What are these people thinking?? I hope they get charged with murder, all 183 counts of it!

We've got family friends in Healesville, we all grew up together as kids and our parents were great friends. Recently, their daughter bought the maze and tearooms in healesville. Her parents helped finance her by remortgaging their home in Blackburn, recently sold and moved to Healesville to be near her as she had 3 children, pregnant with a 4th and her husband is a surveyor, works 3 weeks on, one off up in Mt Isa. Her second son has just been diagnosed with Tourettes and her fourth was stillborn about 2 months ago. Now her parents new home has been lost to the fire as they were some way out of Healesville. Its so sad. I'm hoping like hell the maze doesnt go up because you dont just replant a maze. It must have been hard enough what with the drought, now this.

Boy, when they catch those who have lit fires they're going to have to hold the crowds back, they'd be torn apart.

Took this freaky shot of the Bushfire Moon over Victoria Tonight....

this breaks my heart. I saw on CNN here in the states, that they have found cars with numerous people crammed inside who were trying to escape and couldn't make it. I was so overcome with shock I couldn't speak. How very, very sad. We had excellent fire teams on duty last summer when California was burning. I wonder if the US has sent some of them over to help. Any news of that?

We have awesome firefighters and they are described amongst the best in the world but the conditions were abysmal, the fire moved too quickly and caught many by suprise, no matter how good the firefighters were they had no chance of stopping it. (Drought, strong winds and heat combined to produce Victoria fires | Herald Sun)

Many have described it like peeing on a bonfire and once started, it moved too quickly for any effective response to be formulated. The fires are also located over a large area and to get enough firefighters from other parts of the state to make a difference takes time. They have been working non stop and are exhausted so we have firefighters coming from interstate and overseas to help out, provide some relief and give us a hand.

There are some US firefighters coming over to help out like we helped out sending our firefighters when there were fires in the US. New Zealand are also sending some firefighters.

I feel so bad for our firefighters because I know many of them will feel guilty that they didn't save more lives but they couldn't have. It was fire at its worst.