Last week we had 3 days of 43˚+ [110˚F] which dried out everything that hadn’t already been dried out by our 12 year drought. On Saturday the temperature reached 47˚C [~115˚F] and the winds were as fierce as I’ve ever seen. The perfect recipe for bushfires.

The fires at the moment have destroyed around 250,000 hectares [about 620,000 acres or 1,000 sq miles] and has destroyed entire towns. 750 homes have been lost.

Because the winds were so fierce, and changed direction, the fire spread extremely quickly and unpredictably. People were trapped before they could activate their fire plans.

Many of the places affected by the fires are small towns, places no one would otherwise know about. But a lot of them are larger areas, places people visit on holidays and the like.

Marysville, a town that has been completely destroyed, was a popular town amongst our family and friends for holidays when we were younger. Kinglake, where the majority of the homes have been lost, was where Habo had its camp last year. Healesville, which has not been terribly hit but still badly affected, is a popular tourist spot, often travelled to with Melbournians that have friends visiting Melbourne. I’ve been through Koo Wee Rup a dozen times on the way to various camps and holidays.

It’s absolutely terrifying.

At last count, the official death toll stands at 108. It started at 25 at lunch time yesterday [about 18 hours ago] and watching it go up by the hour was just devastating.

About 30-40 people have died in their cars on the side of the road as they tried to flee. There are scores of paddocks full of dead livestock. Trees are blackened, having exploded upon catching fire. Houses are decimated. People’s entire lives have been destroyed. The footage on the news and photos online are just awful.

They’re the worst bushfires here in history, surpassing Ash Wednesday in 1983 and Black Friday in 1939.

If you’re interested in reading more, the best news coverage is from ABC News and The Age.

Update: 173 have now been confirmed dead, with the highest estimate being 300. The total area affected is now around 300,000 ha – approximately one third of the state.

The Big Picture has some excellent photos of the devastation.