Fire Storm

Bush fires near the township of Tonimbuk, 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of Melbourne, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. Image by Associated Press

Although there has been a lot of TV coverage of the Australian bush fires, it is a photograph that really captures the ferocity of a bushfire. Looking at the fire in the photograph above you could almost believe that the flames were in fact a hot liquid smothering the trees and shrubs.

So far the death toll has been around 200 but the numbers are bound to go up as the true extent of the fires becomes clear. More images documenting the stories of people involved in this terrible event can be found HERE.