I've seen reports of some people trapped in the water for up to 5 and 6 hours. One image stuck in my mind is that of a boat, still on it's trailer backed into the water and pushed out a few yards. The car is still on the ramp, half in the water - above the waterline is burnt out. There was no trees, bushes or other sources of fuel for a dozen yards.
The fires were hot, REAL hot. The ash is about as fine as you'll ever see and there's absolutely nothing left in most areas - usually you'll see some grass stubble under the ash, but in this case it's burnt right down to, and even into the dirt.
A couple of days ago Australia broke it's own record for highest average maximum temperature (all maximums across the country averaged). It peaked at 40.33C (104.594F) on Monday the 7th.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/q...-1226549755617
Remember, that's averaged across the
entire continent!
Temps have dropped in the last couple of days, giving the fire fighters a small reprieve in which to back burn and create fire breaks, but are expected to climb again during the weekend.