Its good to know you are OK Bill and the folks in UK from the Queen on down are deeply concerned for everybody we are universal shock and disbelief here. As a retired Forest Manager I know a little bit about forest fires, destruction of life and entire ecosystems and their overwhelming speed with a wind behind but never could anyone have a ghost of an inkling of what your situation must have been and still seems to be in several areas. If there is a God he needs to let it rain as it hasn't with you for many decades and soon. We wish we could send you our 60 cms of snow and - 19 C of last night, its all butt about face. At lunch time today we listed to a lengthy and measured interview on the BBC with the Victoria Premier who advised he has requested a Royal Commission to investigate this and it has no limit on powers to call for witness and information. He also mentions that the wild fire regions are now being treated as a gigantic crime scene. If arson is involved as he heavily hinted then these people are in a league of utter degradation to do such a terrible thing, even to contemplate it is mind boggling. I have a significant number of Brodie kinsmen in Victoria for whom we are very concerned including my second cousin and I hope to learn soon what there is to know and am dreading bad news given the vast nature of the destruction, one whole half of the state of Victoria. The State Premier made a hard note of comparison for us here in the Old Country which really puts it into context for us, i.e. Victoria's population of 5 million is exactly the same as that of Scotland, regardless of where they emigrated from, and many came from here, their / your losses are unimaginable to any of us used to safety and security from major natural or un-natural disasters. Thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Aus from around the whole world. It is a nothing at this time but should you or your fellow liliophiles loose your stock I am sure here in UK through the RHS Lily Group we will make sure you are supplied with anything and everything that we can do to help. Absolutely NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. I will raise this with our Chair later today and let you know, keep us posted please. I have no doubt our liliophile friends in North America will be totally up for it too, so just stay safe meantime and take care the healing effects of growing plants and crops is a well understood cathartic activity and from a distance we could do nothing less than offer support and what little comfort we can, and we will.. In response to the High Commissioner's offices in London being inundated with calls of concern and offers of support the State Premier and the Aus. Premier have told us we can make cash donations via the Red Cross and many people will certainly do so, he mentioned AUS $ 8 million had been raised during today already but you are going to need so much more for those whole towns and villages burned out and those poor people who died as they fled as we are seeing on the news bulletins every hour. Thank God for the Commonwealth;........ Aus. was always there for us in terrible times past, the folks at home will not be found wanting. Regards and deepest best wishes, Iain