Aussie media reflects on country's 'darkest day' (+ links, map)

A farm house destroyed by wildfires in Whittlesea. Photo / AP

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Special coverage of the fires from the Australian media:
Melbourne Age
Herald Sun
The Australian
Ninemsn
ABC
Sydney Morning Herald

Around the web:
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KEY POINTS:

The Australian media is beginning to reflect on what one headline calls "Our Darkest Day".

As the death toll climbs towards 200 and police begin to investigate the cause of the fires, the Australian media has begun to look at what the next steps will be in fire ravaged-Victoria.

Authorities are now re-visiting the policy of allowing people to try and protect their houses as wild fires approach, reports The

Sydney Morning Herald

.

Victorian Premier John Brumby has announced a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the bushfires, the paper reports.

"We want to make sure that every single issue, every single factor, everything in relation to the horrific weekend, to the horrific fires on Saturday, is investigated and uncovered," Mr Brumby said.

He said the policy of "leave early or stay and defend property" would be included in the inquiry.

Melbourne's

Herald Sun

newspaper quotes Mr Brumby pledging to re-build the lost towns, some of which have been burnt off the map.

Mr Brumby has visited Marysville and said the town appeared to have been hit by "a mixture of fire, hurricane and cyclone".

"But whatever steps are necessary to rebuild the town, we will rebuild it."

The paper also quotes Prime Minister Kevin Rudd lending his support to those who have lost everything.

Mr Rudd said Victoria had the full support of the Government.

"These communities will be rebuilt," Mr Rudd said.

The

Melbourne Age

reports that police are closing in on the arsonists who they believe are responsible for some of the fires.

The paper reports that the police will soon be releasing identikit pictures of people they want to speak to.

Detective Sergeant Brett Kahan said they also want to reach an anonymous emailer who claimed to have overheard a conversation about the bushfires.

"That person actually named... people who were talking about the fires in a way that suggests they may have been involved," Sergeant Kahan said.

The Australian

newspaper has a scathing article accusing forest managers of failing to learn lessons from the past.

Monash University climate researcher David Packham said governments had shied away from their responsibility when it comes to forest management.

"Due to terribly ill-informed and pretty well outrageous concepts of conservation, we have failed to manage our fuel and our forests," Mr Packham told the paper.

"They have become unhealthy, and dangerous," he said.

The environment has also been looked at in a blog on the

Crikey

website.

Under a headline: "Bushfires: Don't mention the c word", Clive Hamilton looks at the broader issue of how the fires and recent heatwave is an example of climate change.

"The bushfires and the extreme heatwave, whose death toll when tallied will probably be in the hundreds and exceed that of the fires, are global warming made manifest in the daily lives of ordinary people.

"Over the last ten days we have seen the future. The question is: will we face up to it or pretend they are one-off events?"

- NZ HERALD STAFF

DONATIONS

New Zealand's Red Cross and Salvation Army are accepting donations for those affected by the fires in Victoria.

Red Cross:

Donations can be made by visiting

redcross.org.nz

, calling 0900 33 200 to make an automatic $20 donation, sending a cheque to

Australian Bushfire Appeal, Red Cross House, PO Box 12140, Thorndon, Wellington, 6144

, or by visiting any Red Cross service centre.

Salvation Army:

Donate online at

salvationarmy.org.nz

or post to

The Salvation Army, PO Box 27001, Marion Square, Wellington, 6164

.