131 people are confirmed to have died in the bush fires as of now, and will go up with authorities warning it may reach 200.

Its very sad that people died and that they didn't have much of a chance to get away from it.

The fires were not close to where I live, but on that day, at around five pm, there was this moment when the winds were very strong, I looked outside, and the sky had this orange glow - it was a bit scary and I knew that something was wrong.

I only found out today that it was around that time, the fires were most intense. The news also said the sky was how it was because of the bush fires and that people as far away as New Zealand saw a similar thing.

I have visited a few of the towns that are now completely destroyed a few years ago... I didn't spend a lot of time in them, but I was familiar with the main streets and that. To see those streets in ruins on the news gives me an odd feeling.