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Hi Darius/Thomas/Edmond
We are all safe here in Ballarat - about 1 1/2 hours away from where some of the fires started. Below is the latest news on our VOA website. It is not very good - but all members of the o-ing community have been touched by these loses. But some have fought the flames and survived because they were well prepared.We pray that they will soon be put out - and that we will get some rain! Pass this message along to our friends in Europe.

Cheers
Blake and Dale


Bushfire update
Thursday, 12 February 2009



Bushfire toll rises within the orienteering community

Tragedy strikes orienteering family for a second time

Tasmanian orienteers, Miriam and John Whittington have confirmed that John's parents (David & Kate) who lived in Marysville have almost certainly died in the recent bushfires. Miriam, current Orienteering Tasmania president, is the daughter of the late Irena and Dexter Palmer who also died as a result of an accident (motor vehicle) some years ago.

In Miriam's words: "We are sad, exhausted and resigned to yet another devastating tragedy for our family... We cannot comprehend the magnitude of the tragedy but live each day in their memory and knowing how precious and short life can be."

On behalf of the Board and all the members of Orienteering Victoria we extend our heartfelt condolences to John, Miriam and their family.

Orienteering loses a mountain bike rider in the fires

With regret we advise that Rob Davey has died in the Kinglake fires along with his wife and 2 children.

Rob was a regular Mountain Bike orienteer, competing in the Summer series, State League events and was enticed by Ralph Koch to make the trip to NE Victoria to Shelley to ride in the MTBO championships. Rob was a wine merchant, so loved his wines and food and found that the riding was helping him get fitter. Ralph had introduced him to orienteering a few years ago and they had planned to ride in the Summer Series this Saturday at Eltham.

Courtesy Peta Whitford Further information: The Age A (photo) The Age B

Street orienteer another victim of fires

Melbourne Northern Series competitor Carolyn O'Gorman has also been lost as the fire toll increases. Although she had not competed in the current series, Carolyn attended previous Summer Series events performing well in the Power Walker division.

Further information: HeraldSun online 11 Feb



Silva DuO Series Race 2, Gembrook Sat 21 February 2009 POSTPONED DUE TO BUSH FIRES
Further information in separate news item (below) and check for updates in the weekly O-Bulletin

If any members have further information regarding any orienteers or family directly affected by the bushfires could you please email or contact me on (03) 9878 9168 or 0419 316 843.

As advised previously, after an intense period of firefighting on the weekend, the Whitfords' at Steels Creek are all OK.

"We had fires on 2 fronts – NW and SE (unimaginable but true) and then spot fires with instantaneous combustion – it was a gargantuan challenge but one which we managed and not only personally survived but we saved our house, sheds and vehicles. Many, many thanks for all the messages from fellow orienteers."

Peta advises that Ralph Koch is also OK.

Hania Lada and Quentin survived the harrowing Kinglake fire and defended their house.

In Bendigo, Maiden Gully was affected but in the area east of the Barr/Flynn residence and they are all OK.

As far as Blair knows (although not exactly top of his priority list to be sure), none of the major Victorian foot-O maps have been affected at this time. Almost all of the forest on the east of the Hume Highway between the Yarra Valley and the Goulburn River has been burnt. There are no maps in this area that are in current use for state-level events, but a few (Strath Creek, Mount Robertson, maybe Christmas Hills) that get used for club events occasionally, and/or MTBO. Mount Hickey and Warrigul Rocks, neither of which have been used for years, are in the NW corner of this forest, which might (or might not) have been missed.

The Bendigo fire went through some of the area used for the Easter prologue in 2006. From descriptions of where the Beechworth fire has gone, it has burnt the Stanley MTBO map but missed all the foot-O maps in the region. The Darlimurla MTBO map was burnt out by a fire the previous week.

Remarkably, there appear to have been no significant fires in the forests north-west of Melbourne in the Ballarat-Daylesford-Castlemaine-Bendigo corridor, where most of Victoria's mapped areas are.

Victorian Bushfire Fund - 1800 811 700
Concerned about family or friends? 1800 727 077
The Age online Condolence Book - Share your sorrow over the tragedy
Latest updates from the CFA