Hi there, Aussie chiming in.
I am in the north and now where near the bushfires but OMG the news coverage is just too much for me to watch, the carnage is unimaginable to me.
Hopefully we don't have any borard members who are in affected regions but if we do I don't think that they will be able to chime in as there is not really any electricity or phone conection.
As an australian you do get used to bushfires but you never exepct anything like this to happen, our emergency fire crews are amazing they have saved my grandmothers house taht borders on a national forrest a couple of times.
It is so so sad, my heart goes out to everyone affected.