28 years ago today...SA and Vic burnt.......lives lost...homes destroyed.....Have we learnt anything??

I remember it well - living in Somerville, Vic - had a Tupperware party booked, as usual asked everyone I met - unfortunately they all turned up!!! Stinking hot day, small house, small air cooler (not air conditioner), pregnant women etc, etc, - north wind making it almost unbearable. We could smell smoke, the sky was a strange colour - Somerville is about 50k from the Dandenong Ranges - watched newscast on TV - horrified at the news - as people were leaving my house - there were burnt leaves blowing in the air - all the way from the Dandenongs. I kept those leaves for years - but someone who will be nameless, threw them out during house move. Of course, the TV coverage was not as intense as during the last lot of fires that hit Victoria, but the air was full of smoke etc., for days and days. You never forget these things, do you?

Yes, remember that day. Doubt that much has been learned since... although theres been lotsa talk about fire prevention. Hope some of it will make a difference.

I remember them both very well too. I was still living in NZ then. My daughter had just been born before the fires and we could see the strange glow in the sky as it tried to reach across the tasman. We used to go out to the beach and watch the strange sunsets. The duststorm did blow all the way over to NZ.

I remember it well too. Was in Adelaide, watching the fire coming over the hills in my direction. Fortunately for me it did,t get that far but was wondering what to do with two small children and no car. Was devastated to hear about the people killed in their cars on the main road up to the Adelaide hills (Can't remember the name anymore) As was usual in adelaide we had no electricity so no air conditioning and the hot winds were really bad.

Hey Guys N Gals, Damn has it been 28 years already.......time is travellin so fast. Not much has been learnt I fear, aside from the new fire fighting techniques and equipment... otherwise you still see people tossing cigarette buts out the window as they cruise down the highways between pine and bluegum plantations here on the Limestone Coast of SA & on into Victoria plantations. The thing is some of these people are driving logging and forestry vehicles, shurely they of all people should know better. Hoo Roo Happy Days Grumpster

It seems like only yesterday.......though I was at Uni at the time.