14 dead in Victorian inferno

[Crunch]

My girlfriend is down in Sydney working the phones tonight on the donations hotline... So if any of you Aussies make a donation and speak to an Ashlee, Ask if Andrew's her boyfriend

Good girl she is, worked all day since 8am, drove straight down there, will be home about 2am, then back to work at 8...

 

[<simon>]

Good on her! Its people like her who truely show the Australian spirit...

Over $66,000,000 raised so far... Generousity is incredible!!!!

 

[Heinz]

The Australian Spirit is alive and well. One of the reasons I love this country so much.

Going to do a fundrasier at work by sounds of it on Monday.

 

[Heinz]

Just heard about this.

Baxter is literally so close to my house its not funny.

Police chase alleged paddock arsonist - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Victorian police are hunting for an alleged arsonist who set fire to a paddock at Baxter, south-east of Melbourne last night.

Police were called to the scene at around 11:00pm (AEDT) last night, during a telethon to raise money for victims of the weekend bushfires.

Units from the Country Fire Authority extinguished the blaze, which police say had the potential to become a major fire.

 

[109ROAMING]

Bloody hell ,Bastard

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

They got one of them..........

FOXNews.com - Man Charged With Arson in Deadly Australian Fire, Child Porn Possession - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News


YEA, Australia — A 39-year-old man has been charged with lighting a fatal bushfire and possessing child pornography.

The Herald Sun reports the suspect, who cannot be named, was charged at Morewell Magistrates' Court with one count of arson causing death and one count of intentionally lighting a bushfire.

The arson charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years, with the bushfire charge carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years.

Both charges relate to incidents that occurred Saturday.

He has also been charged with possessing images of child pornography.

The suspect was arrested in Churchill Thursday as part of Operation Winston, the local arm of the police's Phoenix taskforce, set up to investigate Victoria's bushfires.

Det Sen-Sgt Adam Shoesmith of the Arson Squad said the suspect was arrested in a public place and "went without a fight."

 

[109ROAMING]

Good to hear .Sounds like a person who is completly f**ked

 

[Heinz]

Thanks Soundbreaker, he's suspected of lighting the Churchill fire which is to the east of Melbourne. Assuming he gets convicted I say leave him there for life!

Currently there is still 100km front of fire in Gippsland( again east of Melbourne).

 

[Crunch]

How's the weather going down there? It's almost embarassing in NSW at the moment, we've had almost 2 weeks of rain. It's so wet that the ground cannot take any more rain.

****, We don't need it, you guys do

 

[parsifal]

A friend sent me these images. I have fought my share of fires....I have never seen anything like this though...

 

[parsifal]

Some more

 

[parsifal]

And finally

 

[Heinz]

Very,very windy at the moment Crunch which is not helping. Another fire flared up in the Dandenongs today near Belgrave, not sure what the current situation is on that.

Good friend of mine went up today with the local CFA unit, going up to relieve some of those blokes. Steve Warrington who is has been coordinating most the fire fronts is actually is a long time school friends father. I don't envy his job, safe to say he looks buggered.

Amazing shots there Parsifal

 

[109ROAMING]

Amazing shots Parsifal

 

[Heinz]

A sad update,189 now confirmed dead.

 

[109ROAMING]

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

A sad update,189 now confirmed dead.

Damn

 

[Marcel]

A sad update,189 now confirmed dead.

Very sad

But I think, seeing the devastation, you guys are very lucky that it isn't a lot more.

 

[GrauGeist]

Here's some interesting news about that arsonist...they've released the asshat's name to the public...Brendan Sokaluk.

Not only is the idiot a firebug, he's into child porn too.

His attorney is concerned for his safety...

"Defence lawyer Helen Spowart argued her client was at risk even in custody"

They shouldn't waste taxpayers money on sticking this freak in prision. They should either hang him or let him loose in the streets so the people can have a go at him...

Here's the story: BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Australian arson suspect named

 

[109ROAMING]

Tie him to a pole in a street somewhere

I agree to an extent that a life in prison is somewhat worse than simply dying

but I don't think taxpayers money should be wasted on this scum ,It should be added to the money going to fire victims