Fire!

As more and more stories come in from Australia of those who survived, fought, sheltered, helped and (unfortunately) perished in the bushfires, it truly belies belief that they may have been deliberately lit and that some people are taking advantage of other's misery by looting. Our hearts go out to those touched by tragedy on the other side of the Tasman and hopefully the family and friends of Rodney residents have come through safely.

Here are some links through to pictures and stories so that the full impact of the disaster can be told.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/0a29629.html for pictures and stories
http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/factbox-history-fatal-bushfires-in-australia-2467464 for history on other fatal bush fires in Australia

And if you want to make a donation to help those left homeless go to the Red Cross Website http://www.redcross.org.nz/cms_display.php

As the fires continue to rage around Melbourne, it is important not to forget fire safety in New Zealand. http://www3.fire.org.nz/ is the website for the New Zealand Fire Service and has lots of information for Kiwis. Don't forget the smoke alarms, and make sure you have batteries in them. Be careful with open fires. Despite the rain this week, things are still pretty dry in Rodney and there is still a Fire Restriction in place. To obtain permits or find out if the fire ban has been lifted, visit the Rodney District Council website http://www.rodney.govt.nz/ServicesAtoZ/Pages/FireBansandPermits.aspx or phone them on 08004265169.

If you are looking for resources in the library regarding fires, fireman, fire engines and fire safety, a subject search in the Rodney Libraries catalogue revealed three pages (including childrens items and fiction). View this catalogue link.