Black Saturday bushfire crisis over

AFTER the loss of more than 200 lives and almost a month of fear and grief, the Black Saturday bushfires have at last been tamed and the dark crisis is over.

But it has taken nature to overcome the overwhelming. Cooler weather offers enormous relief for communities and firefighters.

While four major fires remain burning, the forecasts for the next few weeks allowed firefighters breathing room, Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin said today.

"We see a very bright light at the end of the tunnel now, we see that this weather is over," he said.

"The pressure has been in existence for well over a month now and Victorian communities have been dealing with a major effort of heatwave, fire, and lately the windstorms."

People in the 78 affected communities are being told now is the time to go home.

"There's an opportunity for the communities of Victoria to start their process of grieving, start their process of rebuilding, without the ever-present threat of fire."

"A lot of people have had a yo-yo of going out of their communities and going back and going out.

"The community of Victoria is tired, the emergency services are tired, it's been a deeply distressing period."

Up to 30mm of rain fell over the state on Tuesday, helping to dampen, but not extinguish the fires.

Country Fire Authority (CFA) deputy chief fire officer Steve Warrington said the rain was "terrific" and if fires were going to break out, Tuesday was the day.

"Mother nature threw just about everything at Victoria yesterday," Mr Warrington said.

"We had winds, we had dust storms, we had rain, we had fires, just about everything possible."

“We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan,
In accents most forlorn,
Outside the church, ere Mass began,
One frosty Sunday morn.

The congregation stood about,
Coat-collars to the ears,
And talked of stock, and crops, and drought,
As it had done for years.

“It’s looking crook,” said Daniel Croke;
“Bedad, it’s cruke, me lad,
For never since the banks went broke
Has seasons been so bad.”

“It’s dry, all right,” said young O’Neil,
With which astute remark
He squatted down upon his heel
And chewed a piece of bark.

And so around the chorus ran
“It’s keepin’ dry, no doubt.”
“We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan,
“Before the year is out.”

“The crops are done; ye’ll have your work
To save one bag of grain;
From here way out to Back-o’-Bourke
They’re singin’ out for rain.

“They’re singin’ out for rain,” he said,
“And all the tanks are dry.”
The congregation scratched its head,
And gazed around the sky.

“There won’t be grass, in any case,
Enough to feed an ass;
There’s not a blade on Casey’s place
As I came down to Mass.”

“If rain don’t come this month,” said Dan,
And cleared his throat to speak -
“We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan,
“If rain don’t come this week.”

A heavy silence seemed to steal
On all at this remark;
And each man squatted on his heel,
And chewed a piece of bark.

“We want an inch of rain, we do,”
O’Neil observed at last;
But Croke “maintained” we wanted two
To put the danger past.

“If we don’t get three inches, man,
Or four to break this drought,
We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan,
“Before the year is out.”

In God’s good time down came the rain;
And all the afternoon
On iron roof and window-pane
It drummed a homely tune.

And through the night it pattered still,
And lightsome, gladsome elves
On dripping spout and window-sill
Kept talking to themselves.

It pelted, pelted all day long,
A-singing at its work,
Till every heart took up the song
Way out to Back-o’-Bourke.

And every creek a banker ran,
And dams filled overtop;
“We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan,
“If this rain doesn’t stop.”

And stop it did, in God’s good time;
And spring came in to fold
A mantle o’er the hills sublime
Of green and pink and gold.

And days went by on dancing feet,
With harvest-hopes immense,
And laughing eyes beheld the wheat
Nid-nodding o’er the fence.

And, oh, the smiles on every face,
As happy lad and lass
Through grass knee-deep on Casey’s place
Went riding down to Mass.

While round the church in clothes genteel
Discoursed the men of mark,
And each man squatted on his heel,
And chewed his piece of bark.

“There’ll be bush-fires for sure, me man,
There will, without a doubt;
We’ll all be rooned,” said Hanrahan,
“Before the year is out.”

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