Thanks for all the hugs and thoughts everyone, I will let you know if I find out anyone needs anything. There are still fires burning out there, including Kinglake still so no one is out of the woods yet. The wind has picked up too which is not good, but looking at the CFA site everything seems to either be on the small side or non threatening in this local area. It is worrying when you see big plumes of smoke on the top of the surrounding hills though. There is another big fire burning up near Beechworth which is the one they are concentrating on today.

They have asked people to stop donating goods, they can't cope... they would prefer money so that people can go and buy their own clothes, to enable them to feel some sort of sense of control over their lives. I believe there is going to be a telethon on Thursday night... It's just so tragic...

Bec - none of us can donate blood anyway, not until our babies are at least 9 months old. I looked in to it because I have a rare blood type, but they won't accept your blood until babies are 9 months old and they are mostly weaned off you, so if you are b/f they don't want you to donate either. But yeah, they are scared of the English blood because of the mad cows disease.

MM - I'm local, but thankfully was never under threat. It just makes it extra hard when you know the places so well, and you know people living there, and they aren't ok but you are IYKWIM. I feel guilty in a completely irrational way. And I guess because Kinglake is in a bushfire overlay (so are we mind you in Diamond Creek) people are prepared and we all tend to be a bit blase about the whole thing. There is usually some sort of fire every few years up there and it is always an emergency, but lives and houses are usually saved, not counted. But this just took EVERYONE by surprise that people just didn't stand a chance. And I think that is what is most tragic about it. It wasn't people being stupid, it wasn't people that couldn't help themselves, it was literally everyone who was there.