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Authorities fear the numbers of deaths from the Black Saturday bushfires could spiral to 230, as John Brumby called a royal commission into the devastating blazes and police hunted arsonists, labelled mass murderers by Kevin Rudd.

As the army was brought in to assist exhausted police in their search for more victims and help firefighters who continued to battle blazes threatening townships in northeast Victoria last night, federal and state leaders warned Australians to brace themselves for the official death toll of 173 to rise.

Describing the fire-affected regions as "hell on earth", the Victorian Premier said the royal commission would scrutinise all aspects of how the state fights fires and prepares for them, including the policy of encouraging fit and able residents to defend their properties.

"Whatever is necessary to examine will be examined so that the lessons can be learned and we can put in place for the community all of the policies, the resources, the stocks that we need to make sure that we never see this again," he said.

"Tragically, we will have more deaths later this week."

(via The Australian)


I just took all the money I was going to spend on more clothes and frivolities and useless things and donated. I don't need those things. These people do. Victorian Bushfire Appeal via The Red Cross.

"Australia has witnessed its greatest natural disaster. Worse than Black Friday. Worse than Ash Wednesday. Only in wartime has the toll of dead and wounded been greater."

"The number of dead may rise even further as blazes continue to ravage the state with more than 200,000 hectares affected as 3000 firefighters struggle to contain seven major firefronts. At least 640 homes have been destroyed.

The largest firefront is in the Kinglake area, where more than 120,000 hectares have been burnt and at least 12 people have been killed. More than 80,000 hectares have been burnt in Gippsland."

"Almost half of Victoria may be declared a crime scene, with arsonists believed responsible for several of the fires. Police said an ofender implicated in the fatal fires could be charged with the offence of arson causing death, a crime with a maximum penalty of 25 years in gaol."

(via SMH online, and in print)