VZCZCXRO0982
RR RUEHCHI RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHPB
DE RUEHBN #0025/01 0440559
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130559Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL MELBOURNE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4879
INFO RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 1529

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000025 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
Department for CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, White House for NSC Bader 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID SENV CASC AS
SUBJECT: FIRES: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FRONT; US FIREFIGHTERS EN 
ROUTE 
 
Ref: A) Melbourne 24, B) Melbourne 23, C) Melbourne 21, D) Melbourne 
20, E) Melbourne 17, F) Canberra 134, G) Canberra 100 
 
MELBOURNE 00000025  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Consul General traveled to the Whittlesea staging ground 
northeast of Melbourne on February 13.  According to firefighters, 
the weekend will be critical as favorable weather conditions will 
continue to assist crews facing ongoing fires, none of which appear 
to be immediately life-threatening, though some of which may 
threaten Melbourne's water supply.  The death toll from the fires 
stands at 181, but is expected to rise as emergency crews continue 
to go through burned-out areas.  Sixty U.S. wildfire experts are 
expected to arrive on February 15 to assist in fire suppression and 
land rehabilitation.  Post has not received any reports of U.S. 
citizens injured or killed in the blazes.  We will discontinue daily 
sitreps, but will provide spot reporting as events arise.  Weekend 
forecasts for Victoria appear favorable, but both South and Western 
Australia are anticipating warm weather.  End Summary. 
 
Observations from the Front 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Consul General (CG) traveled with lead USG/Australia 
firefighting liaison, Bodie Shaw (Deputy Director of the NIFC -- 
National Interagency Fire Center, Bureau of Indian Affairs) on 
February 13 to the staging ground for firefighting and relief 
operations in Whittlesea, located 35 kilometers northeast of 
Melbourne.  Emergency personnel there told CG that ongoing fires in 
Victoria are by no means under control, though none appear to be 
immediately life-threatening.  Efforts over the next two to three 
days will be crucial before anticipated warmer, windier weather sets 
in next week.  Fire crews have focused efforts on protecting 
Melbourne's water catchment areas, and note that some are still 
threatened by ongoing fires.  Firefighters will conduct a controlled 
burn on one of the catchment areas which was already 75 percent 
burned in order to protect the town of Healesville (50 km east of 
Melbourne) as well as to prevent the fires from spreading to 
Melbourne's eastern suburbs.  While the death toll for the fires 
stands at 181, people who are only now coming out of the burned 
areas report that more bodies remain.  Sixty U.S. wildfire experts 
and 15 Canadian firefighters are scheduled to arrive separately over 
the weekend. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to emergency personnel, the initial rush of 
displaced persons to Whittlesea following Saturday's fires was 
handled effectively as most found lodging with friends and family. 
Philanthropic citizens even offered displaced persons lodging in 
spare rooms and vacation homes.  A tent city set up to accommodate 
displaced persons continues to operate in Yea (located 75 kilometers 
northeast of Melbourne), but only housed 30 people on the night of 
February 12.  Many residents of the fire affected areas (now treated 
as crime scenes) were prevented from returning to their homes as 
police continued to search for evidence of arson, though many of 
these areas have recently reopened.  Insurance companies have set up 
tents at the staging center northeast of Melbourne and locals say 
that claims are being processed smoothly. 
 
American Citizens 
----------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) As of 4:30 PM local time, post had not received any reports 
of U.S. citizens injured or killed in the fires.  We verified the 
well-being of one of two outstanding welfare and whereabouts (W&W) 
requests.  Post received biographic information for the second W&W 
case from Senator Mark Pryor's (AR) office on February 13.  The 
concerned U.S. citizen is resident in Sydney.  ConGen Sydney is now 
following up on the two outstanding Congressional W&W cases 
mentioned in Ref. A. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The fires are far from over.  Fire crews have prioritized 
protecting Melbourne's water catchment areas as well as preventing 
the fires from spreading to the metropolis' eastern suburbs. 
Officials, however, are worried about the longer term impacts of the 
fire as one of Melbourne's water catchment areas is nearly burned 
out and two of the remaining three are threatened by the fires. 
Meteorologists anticipate favorable weather to continue through the 
weekend in Victoria which will continue to aid firefighting efforts. 
 
MELBOURNE 00000025  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 Post will monitor conditions in South Australia where the fire 
danger remains elevated. 
 
THURSTON