Catastrophic Fires Claim 130+ Lives in Victoria

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000020 SENSITIVE Department for CA/OCS/ACS/EAP SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO SENV ENRG CASC AS SUBJECT: Catastrophic Fires Claim 130+ Lives in Victoria Ref: A) Melbourne 17, B) Canberra 100 MELBOURNE 00000020 001.2 OF 002 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Brush fires ignited by record temperatures on February 7 are being labeled as the "worst natural disaster in Australian history." At least 130 people have been killed, over 750 homes have been destroyed, and nearly one million acres have burned. Officials expect these numbers to jump sharply over the coming days as the true damage is assessed. Post has received no reports of U.S. citizens among the fire victims and remains in close contact with state emergency response authorities as they wrestle with ongoing fires. While accustomed to annual brush fires, the magnitude of this weekend's fires has left the state reeling. End Summary. Australia's "Worst Natural Disaster" -------------- ¶2. (SBU) At least 130 people have died and over 750 homes have been destroyed as the deadliest brush fire in memory continues to burn in Victoria. The state's Emergency Services Commissioner, Bruce Esplin told post on February 9 that the death toll and number of houses lost will likely rise "sharply" over the next day or two as emergency workers access more remote areas. Record temperatures of 115-120 degrees Fahrenheit combined with sustained winds of 60-80 MPH on February 7 led to as many as 385 separate fires during peak activity which have burned through approximately 940,000 acres of land. Dozens of local roads have been closed, rail lines have been burned and at least one water treatment plant has been damaged, further burdening already tight water supplies in one Melbourne suburb. Victorian Health Minister Daniel Andrews publicly stated on February 8 that about 80 patients with fire-related injuries had been admitted to major Melbourne hospitals, but that the trauma centers are "coping well." ¶3. (SBU) According to Bruce Esplin, there is a short/immediate term need for additional search and recovery personnel. He also noted that there will be substantial long-term assistance required to rebuild communities which have been "devastated." Key power lines to Melbourne remain intact but continue to be at risk as fires burn in the state's northeast. While current temperatures in the low 70's may ease the pressure on the more than 3,500 firefighters deployed throughout the state, wind speeds remain high. Fire crews from the neighboring states of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia were all deployed to Victoria. Australian Defence Forces bulldozers and other machinery have been released by the PM at the request of Premier Brumby to assist as needed. ¶4. (SBU) At least 26 fires continue to burn throughout the state with 12 reportedly out of control. Smaller towns such as Marysville (located approximately 75 kilometers northeast of Melbourne) and Kinglake (45 km. northeast of Melbourne) have been completely leveled by the fires. Prime Minister Rudd visited Victoria over the weekend and announced an A$10 million (US$6.75 million) emergency relief fund which provides payments to those affected by the fires. The PM suspended Parliament on February 9 to remain in Victoria to assist in the response. According to PM Rudd: "hell and all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria." The death toll in Victoria has already exceeded that of the Black Friday fires in 1939 which left 70 dead and the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 which killed 75 people. American Citizens -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Post has established regular contact with Victoria's State Emergency Service (SES),the Salvation Army, the Country Fire Authority (CFA),the Victoria Department of Human Services (Emergency Management and Public Health),the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner, and the Victoria Police to assess the impact of the fire on U.S. citizens residing in its consular district. As of 3:30 PM local time, post has received no reports of U.S. citizens among the fire victims and only one request for a welfare and whereabouts check. We believe that the two American citizens concerned were likely turned away at the New South Wales/Victoria border prior to entering the affected fire zone. Post's consular section has also reached out to local American clubs and the U.S. Veterans Association. We will continue to monitor the impact of the fires on the American citizen population within our consular district and will forward substantial developments septel. US/AUS Fire Cooperation -------------- MELBOURNE 00000020 002.2 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) Embassy's Mission Disaster Relief Officer (MDRO) and Consul General contacted Bodie Shaw, Deputy Director of the NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center, Bureau of Indian Affairs),who is on temporary duty as an exchange officer with the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE). According to Shaw, Victoria is finalizing the details of a request for assistance, which is likely to take the form of a fire meteorologist and burned areas rehabilitation teams. There is a possibility that Victoria could request aviation assistance with infrared capability. (Note: Shaw is in Australia to refine and improve the 2007 agreement between DOI and the Australian states on assistance in combating wildfires. More on the possibility of deploying other U.S. wildfire assets in Embassy septel. End note.) Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Although Australians are accustomed to annual brush fires, this weekend's blazes have left Victoria's people and state government reeling. Emotions are running high in Victoria as many people remain missing or displaced and there are already concerns that the financial impact of the fires will only further complicate the state's long list of infrastructure woes. While Victoria, in combination with some federal assistance, is wrestling with the impact of this weekend's fires, fire crews are stretched thin and many of our contacts agree that if the weather turns sour again, the state would be pushed beyond its capacity to respond. THURSTON