Since nobody else is covering this, I figured I would. For the past two days, major bushfires (wildfires) have been burning in New South Wales, Australia. As of an hour ago roughly 90 fires are burning with 20 of those out of control. So far; 80 homes have been lost, 1 man has been killed trying to save his home and over 9,000 hectares of land has been burnt.

 

News reports:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-bushfires-live-updates-20131018-2vqag.html

http://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/a/19433472/fire-authorities-issue-three-emergency-warnings/

 

Pictures:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-17/bushfires-storify-twitter-twitpic-instagram-facebook/5029766

 

Live map:

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/NSW-bushfires-map

 

 

Meanwhile in Scotland

 

 

Didn't this happen last year or is it pretty common?

Edited October 19, 201312 yr by CrazyPanda1234

Very interesting Go Pro footage from a firefighter today

Our country has been through hell in the past couple years.. Hopefully nobody else dies and everyone is safe:) It's a tragedy, and my prayers go out to the families that have lost their home and memories.. And i'm deeply sorry for the families who have a loved one that is seriously injured or who has passed because of this horrible situation.

It's going to get worst as the seasons goes on, and that we aren't in summer yet. And that in Tasmania It's been flipping cold and wet for the past week, but today it's been like 21°C

Didn't this happen last year or is it pretty common?

Bushfires happen all the time over here, so they are pretty common. However they don't normally occur this bad. 

 

Very interesting Go Pro footage from a firefighter today

Nice find, that smoke is damn thick. Glad they got out okay. 

 

Our country has been through hell in the past couple years.. Hopefully nobody else dies and everyone is safe:) It's a tragedy, and my prayers go out to the families that have lost their home and memories.. And i'm deeply sorry for the families who have a loved one that is seriously injured or who has passed because of this horrible situation.

Indeed it has, from cyclones to floods to bushfires, we've had it all. Let's hope nobody else gets hurt/killed and the RFS get this under control. 

dang hope you guys get that under control 

Update There are still 60 Fires around in NSW that is still going 

24/10/13 UPDATE.

 

Around 60 fires are still burning. Two eight year old boys have been detained after being caught trying to start a fire, however no chargers were laid due to their age. Two pilots, one a RFS (Rural Fire Service) pilot have been killed in separate aircraft accidents relating to the fires. The RFS pilot was a waterbombing assignment when reports say one of the wings on his aircraft broke off, before the aircraft plummeted into the ground.  Early today rescuers also found the wreckage of a Cessna that was carrying helicopter parts for use to campaign the fires, the pilot was found dead on scene. 

 

It also believed that the Lithgow bushfire, which destroyed 50,000 hectares of land and 3 homes was caused by an explosives training exercise held by the Defense Force.