Sympathies for Arizona
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Melbourne, Victoria Australia
Posts: 1,202
Sympathies for Arizona
This is completely off topic here on SR. But given there are so many American members, and surely some in Arizona, I felt it important to mark my condolences for those who lost their lives fighting the Arizona fires the other day.
We in Australia, many of us, have been affected by our own notorious wildfires, including Black Saturday 2009 among so many others down the generations. Indeed, I remember some American wildfire experts flying over to assist in the aftermath of Black Saturday.
This kind of tragedy hits extremely hard, in families, local communities and rippling out beyond the immediate area. And the longer term effects, of bushfire / wildfire, people losing their homes and their lives, go on for many many years.
My rather feeble agnostic prayers to all involved and affected.
We in Australia, many of us, have been affected by our own notorious wildfires, including Black Saturday 2009 among so many others down the generations. Indeed, I remember some American wildfire experts flying over to assist in the aftermath of Black Saturday.
This kind of tragedy hits extremely hard, in families, local communities and rippling out beyond the immediate area. And the longer term effects, of bushfire / wildfire, people losing their homes and their lives, go on for many many years.
My rather feeble agnostic prayers to all involved and affected.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Melbourne, Victoria Australia
Posts: 1,202
Quite right, freefall - well put. Caring is never off topic here, indeed.
It may sound weird, but I've often thought about and felt for those who are addicted to alcohol / drugs who are then also going through various disasters - fires, floods, tsunamis, outbreaks of war, 9/11, all the rest of these things which come upon us. Similarly, for those who at the time of such nightmares, are - addicts or not - ill, infirm, already suffering from earlier psychological or other traumas, or just plain frail.
Most, not all, but most media coverage at such times focuses on the strong, the survivors, the heroes who rise above, etc. And of course on those who've died, been seriously injured, lost their homes and / or their 'families' (in a generic sense). But the invisible ones, the 'weak', we never hear about. They suffer through it, and beyond, with only few knowing about them.
And suki: bless you! A lovely idea, having robots to do the firefighting work............we wish. Alas, from what I've read recently about advances in robotics, and from my years in the bush especially: tough rocky or mountainous terrain is still way beyond what robots are capable of yet.
Maybe one day, who knows? Meantime, yes, it's real human beings of the ilk of these firefighters, especially those who go into the most difficult terrain, who are exposed.
It may sound weird, but I've often thought about and felt for those who are addicted to alcohol / drugs who are then also going through various disasters - fires, floods, tsunamis, outbreaks of war, 9/11, all the rest of these things which come upon us. Similarly, for those who at the time of such nightmares, are - addicts or not - ill, infirm, already suffering from earlier psychological or other traumas, or just plain frail.
Most, not all, but most media coverage at such times focuses on the strong, the survivors, the heroes who rise above, etc. And of course on those who've died, been seriously injured, lost their homes and / or their 'families' (in a generic sense). But the invisible ones, the 'weak', we never hear about. They suffer through it, and beyond, with only few knowing about them.
And suki: bless you! A lovely idea, having robots to do the firefighting work............we wish. Alas, from what I've read recently about advances in robotics, and from my years in the bush especially: tough rocky or mountainous terrain is still way beyond what robots are capable of yet.
Maybe one day, who knows? Meantime, yes, it's real human beings of the ilk of these firefighters, especially those who go into the most difficult terrain, who are exposed.
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 480
I'm in AZ - it was a huge shock. Our HotShots are so well trained and do so much firefighting here (so dry so much of the time, winds, monsoons, etc.) that it was a huge shock to pretty much everyone.
Flags were half-mast and most folks drove with their lights on yesterday to honor the loss and show respect for the families' grief. Such a tragedy.
Thanks for the thread, Bemyself, and to everyone who posted - it's inspiring to realize that people from all over know and care about the people lost and their families and communities.
Flags were half-mast and most folks drove with their lights on yesterday to honor the loss and show respect for the families' grief. Such a tragedy.
Thanks for the thread, Bemyself, and to everyone who posted - it's inspiring to realize that people from all over know and care about the people lost and their families and communities.
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