cryptogon.com

Victoria state Premier John Brumby described the fire zone as “hell on earth” after touring devastated areas and meeting victims. The toll in lives and destruction was sure to rise further, officials said.

At least 700 homes were destroyed in Saturday’s inferno when searing temperatures and wind blasts produced a firestorm that swept across a swath of the country’s Victoria state, where all the deaths occurred.

Witnesses described seeing trees exploding and skies raining ash as temperatures of up 117 Fahrenheit combined with blasting winds to create furnace-like conditions.

On Sunday, temperatures in the area dropped to about 77 F but along with cooler conditions came wind changes that officials said could push fires in unpredictable directions.

Killed while fleeing
Residents were repeatedly advised on radio and television announcements to initiate their “fire plan” — whether it be staying in their homes to battle the blaze or to evacuate before the roads became too dangerous. But some of the deaths were people who were apparently caught by the fire as they fled in their cars or killed when charred tree limbs fell on their vehicles.

On Sunday, the scene in at least two regions — the town of Marysville and several hamlets in the Kinglake district, both about 50 miles north of the state capital of Melbourne — was utter devastation.

At least 18 of the deaths were from the Kinglake area, where residents said the fire hit with barely any notice.

Mandy Darkin said she was working at a restaurant “like nothing was going on” until they were suddenly told to go home.

“I looked outside the window and said: ‘Whoa, we are out of here, this is going to be bad,’ ” Darkin said. “I could see it coming. I just remember the blackness and you could hear it, it sounded like a train.”