Officially the worst bushfires in the State's history

There are currently 22 fires burning out of control across the state. 25 people are confirmed dead so far and there are plenty of areas where firefighters and rescue workers haven't been able to reach yet. Approximately 400 homes have been lost in the last 24 hours. Kinglake, at the western end of the Yarra Valley, has been extremely hard hit; Marysville, a bit further north, is reported to have been wiped out. The Kilmore fire, north west of Melbourne (and the source of the Kinglake/Yarra Valley fires) is still raging out of control. In Gippsland, in the east of the state, the Bunyip and Churchill fires are still out of control. Many communities are threatened by these fires. In the north east, a large fire is threatening Beechworth and other major centres. Bendigo, a major city in the state's centre, has seen extensive property loss. The list goes on. And on.

Mum and Dad, and Paula and Phil, appear to be okay in Seville. However, there is a fire burning on the south side of the highway at Warburton - as long as it doesn't jump the river I think Clare's place will be safe.

The cool change hasn't helped either - the winds have been so strong that, instead of bringing relief, they've just fanned the flames and sent them off in different directions.

God only knows what the wildlife toll will be.

Praying for rain....