Re: [Chrysler300] Australian bushfires & 300 members

["Don Warnaar" <300country@xxxxxxx>]

Hello Christopher,

Thanks for sharing your story of that terrible situation in Australia.  Most of us cannot even imagine the devastation that many in your country are going through.  We all treasure our 300s, but you are so right that life itself is so much more precious than material things.  Best wishes to you and others who are so vulnerable.  May you be safe and secure.

The Chrysler 300 Club International is truly international with the sharing of your story from so many miles away.

Don Warnaar
New Jersey
USA 


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: christopher beilby<mailto:thelastbestgenius@xxxxxxxxxxx> 
  To: chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
  Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 6:04 PM
  Subject: [Chrysler300] Australian bushfires & 300 members



  As it has been featured on overseas news and some 300 Members have contacted re 300 members here, I can give a very brief update re the tragic bushfires that claimed somewhere between 200 and 300 lives here on Saturday night.

  The fires mainly involve the south east corner of the nation, that where gum trees exist amongst hilled slopes, going up into forrest ridges/valleys, and also where sometimes the annual rainfall is not as low, as occurrs elsewhere over much of 'non tropical' parts of nation.

  I live in Adelaide, which has a gum range running up behind it, which then quickly fades out, rises again around Victoria's Capital Melbourne (pop 2.5m), and then continue/runs up behind the coast past Sydney in New South Wales. Bushfires are worst where gums and higher rainfall winters occur. This part of the nation has had drought for a now claimed near 10 years, and that has seen usual summer bush here, much drier than normal. And over the last two weeks leading up to Saturday, much of this south east corner of nation has also seen near record daily temps, 100 year records broken or equalled.

  Saturday morning I knew it was to be hot, it tipped 110 degrees, so at 9 am with it already 100 degrees, I walked 300m up to shops (to save using 300C for so short a trip), and when I got back 40 mins later, a searing hot north westerly wind had begun, and the temperature in the shade was now 47C, or 121 in old degrees!! All day, as I was out back of the house working on putting a motor in a car (a '67 GM convert 4 spd, nowhere as easy a '57 300C !!), I just hoped I did not smell smoke. Adelaide and all our State was lucky this time.

  But just before evening Victoria was not, saw maybe 12 major fires, some even on flat near treeless country 100 miles north of Melb, others just 30-50 miles from the centre of the City - it was Melbournes hottest day in history, and with this same terrible hot wind, heat that had been building trapped in the nation's red centre for weeks, waiting for the right wind to carry it south.

  Fire risk here is rated 'one to a hundred' - news said last night this day it was 325, triple off the scale!!! People who had stayed, had virtually no hope, two towns of hundreds of home that were beautiful late 1800s -1920s homes and large old guest houses saw a flame front of often 80 feet high come onto them at speeds faster than fleeing cars could travel. And many never even knew, no warning possible with so many fires travelling so fast, and if inside with airconditioners on !!?? It was a firestorm the like of never seen, worse that one in early 80s, and 1939.
  There are many terrible terrible stories, and many miracle escapes. As far as I know no 300 owners/members should have been lost, but with over 750 homes destroyed, plus 5000 homeless, this before those injured, this tragedy will touch so many over the whole nation.

  I sold my farm near 30 years ago when I nearly lost my home, cars, etc, when my header caught fire as I was on it. The force of my fire would have been nothing compared to what happened Saturday night - and warm weather is tipped again this weekend, with about 5 fires involving a potential maybe 20% of State still not yet fully controlled in Victoria. Please may this end better, and it makes one realise possessions, even 300s, are nothing without life first. So many that lived, lived because they just fled for their lives, did not try to save one thing other than themselves - but then they often still had to have a miracle as well. There is to be a Government Formal Inquiry, to try and see how to better advise, protect and guide people here if this type of so hot summer weather is to be the norm - some burnt brick homes shown on TV just exploded, bricks thrown 30-50 feet, all broken into pieces no larger than tennis balls - a bus left with it's alloy window frames as massed molten metal blobs all around what left of it.

  America has it's terrible tornados, other parts of world their problems, Australia is lucky we miss much of this, but this fire is our worst national disaster in our fairly brief 200+ years to date - may it never happen again. I have never kept all my cars in one place, my supercharged 300C has only been at my house for 2 days in 12 years I just realised - yet if one must go to these lengths to keep 300s, treasured belongings safe, it makes one wonder seeing all what has been on TV last days, is it time for any re-assessments.

  Take care, enjoy life, it is a great gift/treasure,

  Christopher
  __________________________________________________________
  Get rid of those unwanted christmas presents! Get what you want at ebay. 
  http://a.ninemsn.com.au/b.aspx?URL=http%3A%2F%2Frover%2Eebay%2Ecom%2Frover%2F1%2F705%2D10129%2D5668%2D323%2F4%3Fid%3D10&_t=763807330&_r=hotmailTAGLINES&_m=EXT<http://a.ninemsn.com.au/b.aspx?URL=http%3A%2F%2Frover%2Eebay%2Ecom%2Frover%2F1%2F705%2D10129%2D5668%2D323%2F4%3Fid%3D10&_t=763807330&_r=hotmailTAGLINES&_m=EXT>

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