Hot Frightening and on Fire!!!

We have had the weekend of hell with plenty of emotions running through.

After last weeks 40+ heat wave Saturday we experience the hottest day ever in Victoria, 48 degree's and I tell you it was so dry and hot with a humitidy of only 5% which is dessert weather.

We have been in drought for while now and everything is so so dry.

With these conditions you can only guess there will be fires but nothing I could have imagined. I live in Officer / Beaconsfield which is where Ash Wednesday hit 25 years ago and even though I was a teenager at the time, I remember how terrible it was, but now living in that area you suddenly become very weiry and alert of every weather condition. It's the sounds of sirens and the eerky smoke coming across your home you start getting that worried feeling and its then you start stalking the CFA site and have the TV and radio on as long as you can. When the power goes off you know its not great and you hear that Pakenham (the next suburb) is on fire and there is nothing you can do but to be alert, be prepared and wait.

Hose at the ready, buckets filled just incase of spot fires but really I felt useless and looked around me and thought I am surround by dry arid land and if it goes then I go.

We were very very lucky and the fires in our local area, Pakenham, Koo Wee Rup and Narre Warren were controlled. At 1 stage I looked out the window and absolutely shit myself, then trying to get on to friends in the direct line and can't and the reports coming through just frighten the life out of you. I sat and watched the news in tears feeling helpless and it wasnt until my BF finally rang to say she was ok that I was an absolute emotional wreck. They were evacuted and have no idea even now if they have anything to go home to. I wish her the best and hope she and her family will be ok, as well as the other mates I have in the area. Been thinking of you all and can't wait to wrap my arms around you and know you are safe. We still have fires burning out of control and hope the CFA and volunteers get them controlled asap. I would never hope that anybody experience anything like it and to those poor poor people that have lost loved ones, oh my god my heart goes out to you. These pictures were taken Sunday night from my front door after the control, beautiful but very scary knowing why IYKWIM.

Take care everybody and look after each other......