Whoa

I write to you somberly now as we have just been through the worst day in Victorian history. From the heatwave that came yesterday there have been massive fires across the state and most of it has been declared a disaster zone.

I'm watching the late news at the moment, there are now 84 confirmed dead and there are many townships that they have not yet been able to access, so that number will increase. More than 750 homes have been destroyed and at least two towns have completely disappeared in the 61 fires that are burning. The news is showing pictures of cars burned out on the road from where people tried to outrun the flames, but got caught. Whole families have been wiped out and peoples lives have been shattered. Most of the people being interviewed on the telly have literally lost everything that they own and only have the clothes they are wearing left.

You might remember a couple of weeks a go I talked about the trip we took out to Mount Dandenong and Kinglake on Australia Day. The area where we drove is now just a blackened smouldering ruin. We have friends up there and there is a congregation in Marysville about 20 minutes away from there. We have heard that our friends are safe, but have not heard about the congregation and its members. We are sure that if anything had happened we would have heard about it, so we are hopeful, but Marysville is one of the towns that has been wiped out. Here is an aerial pic of the town:

It is quite simply carnage. Our friends were saying that they were in a mini convoy trying to get away from the fire when the highway became blocked with trees and flames. In their words, the flames where "licking at their car" as they turned around and headed off to find another way out. Scary. They eventually made it to another town and stayed the night with other residents at an emergency centre set up at a local football ground by the emergency services. Last we heard at about lunchtime today, they were making their way to here to stay with their mum and plan what to do from here. They don't even know if they will have a house to go back to.

To those who have sent text messages to us, thanks very much. We are fine and on the other side of Melbourne City from where it is all happening so are in no danger. I know that some of my texts haven't been going out or coming through properly. Sorry for that, I guess something must be messed up somewhere with the network.

Here is a link to some news articles, pictures and video of what has gone down today: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25023335-1243,00.html

Phew.