Environment

Australia Bushfire Survivors Tell Stories of Heroism in Hell

by Tina Kells | February 9, 2009 at 01:03 pm

1523 views | 32 Recommendations | 7 comments

As the Australian bushfires continue to ravage the Southern part of the country, with some counts showing as many as 171 people dead, stories of heroism in the hell fires are starting to emerge. Survivors of the bushfires are telling extraordinary tales of survival in the face of certain death.

Huddled under a dampened blanket as Australia's deadly bushfires roared over her head "like a jet engine," Sonja Parkinson was convinced she and infant son Sam would die.

Instead, the flimsy shelter saved them from an inferno that claimed at least 32 lives in their town of Kinglake, one of many stories of heroism and miraculous escapes to emerge from the country's worst fire disaster.

"I thought we were going to die," she told The Australian newspaper, explaining how she ran for her life as her home in Australia's southeastern Victoria state was engulfed...

Further to the east, near Healesville, teenager Rhys Sund used a tiny tractor and trailer to save his sister Rhiannon and a group of frightened women and children from an isolated farmhouse in the path of the firestorm.

"I'm so proud of the young bloke," the 19-year-old's father Mark told Melbourne's Age newspaper. "He cut down the fences in his way and went in.

"Rhys hasn't been to bed yet. He's been fighting the fire all night."

Swimming pools, dams and even puddles became last-resort refuges for residents desperate to escape the flames, which sent showers of burning embers raining on homes.

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Maireid Sullivan

at 13:36 on February 9th, 2009

The fires have come within 7 miles of our house. We can see the smoke and flames from the shops, which are on higher ground.

We are surrounded by a reserve of eucalypts, and have 4 giant magnificent ghost gums in our garden. It is very dry after last week's extreme heat. We are on water restrictions, - only two days a week to water the garden, so everything is very dry. Today we have been watering since 6am.

Shaun Scott

at 15:19 on February 9th, 2009

This photo was taken in Dunedin, New Zealand. We experienced very high temperatures (for us) in the mid 30's celsius, with the sky an unusual hue all day. At about 8:30pm my son called us out to look at the sun, and this how it looked. An eerie beauty was very much tempered by the knowledge of what was happening in Australia, and that the colour of the sky was caused by smoke haze drifting over the Tasman sea.

Shaun Scott has contributed a photo to this story.

Pythiian1

at 19:45 on February 9th, 2009

The images are frightening, remind me of the annual fires in southern California.

Moana (not verified)

at 21:56 on February 25th, 2009

I do hope the fires are put out very soon. Our hearts go out to those affected by the fires. (Hope you're safe Daisy!)

love moana

rachel archer (not verified)

at 17:09 on March 1st, 2009

feel bad about it all

paige frazzetto (not verified)

at 21:48 on May 16th, 2009

well were i live there are some hills were the dandenongs are and when i look up there i can see all of this smoke we could watch it for hours to wait till it will stop!
it was scary!