In this year of severe weather Australia is again facing extreme fire danger. There have already been a number of large fires in NSW, and a massive blaze (actually a cluster of fires) in eastern Victoria is currently threatening an area of approx 1,500sq miles (600,000 hectares or 1,500,000 acres). That's an area about the size of Mississippi state, or not much smaller than the Netherlands. This weekend we anticipate temperatures over 100F and the worst fire conditions since 1939 - a horror year in Victoria. The link-up of many small fires has produced a "mega-fire" that is throwing fireballs forward many kilometres to start new fires.
The speed and extent of the fire(s) is alarming. Even having experienced the fires of 83 (Adelaide), 92-93 (Blue Mtns) and 05-06 (Western Victoria) I am awed by the size and ferocity of this fire threat.
Many of the volunteer firefighters who are battling these fires are exhausted already. It is forcast that the fires will burn all through summer as they are so extensive, and in such rough country, they simply do not have any way to combat them. Teams of fire fighters will have to fall back to each township and wait for the fire to come to them, and then fight to protect homes and townships.
Volunteer teams have arrived from New Zealand and interstate to help this weekend, and others from our local brigades in the west of the state are heading east to help for as long as they can even though the danger here is also extreme.
I am not a traditionally religious person, but I do ask for your prayers to protect the men and women who will continue to fight these fires for many weeks to come as we all wait for a change in the weather.