There are still approx 30 fires "Ongoing" around Victoria but the community is now entering the "blame and recriminations" phase as well as the more productive recovery phase. These phases seem always to follow major disasters (and even some minor ones) and, despite some of the wobbly grip on facts, do serve to deal with emotional release at the community level.

Sandra's links give the good oil on the current state of understanding regarding arsonists and the suspicion of arson is one of the reasons why so much of the State is categorised as a "Crime Scene". Consequent restrictions on access by displaced residents who want to check on whether their house/ friends/ livestock etc have survived are causing some grief but many access roads are still blocked by fallen trees, overhanging dangerous trees, burned out vehicles etc so it will be a day or two before they're cleared.

Of major concern is whether the current policy of allowing residents to remain to defend a well-prepared house (many of the deaths might have been prevented if this policy had not been in place) should be replaced by one of forced removal. The Victorian Premier has flagged the establishment of a Royal Commission to investigate this and other aspects of the fires. I have some strong views (aka "bias", although well supported by evidence) so I'll be a close observer of its progress.

Victoria has a history of establishing Royal Commissions after major fires. The one after the 1939 fires resulted in the proper organisation of the volunteer firefighters as part of the statewide Country Fire Authority and the building of many dugouts in forested areas for fire protection of small groups of people. After the '62-63 fires in the Dandenongs (when taxi cabs were deployed to all the hilltops to provide radio communications between the firegrounds and Melbourne CBD) the Commission recommended proper radio nets be permanently established. After Ash Wednesday's fires the Commission made recommendations about planning requirements (many of which don't seem to have happened) but the main one I remember was because of the overrun of the Cockatoo Brigade's crew; on a narrow track they'd stopped and turned the motor off. When they found they were in the fire's path the petrol in the fuel lines had vapourised and they couldn't restart and were incinerated. Diesel was consequently mandated as the only fuel for firefighting appliances and brigade training was changed to prevent such occurrences.

The report this morning was that the Red Cross had raised $15 million in just 12 hours yesterday and all from private donors; institutional donations had brought the total to $30 million by this morning. The Blood Bank has been overwhelmed with donors. For those in the US, blood donors are volunteers with no payment involved; you don't even get a yeast-enriched beer (as you used to in Britain) - a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit ("cookie" to our American friends) is the go.

Cheers, Rowan