Google maps Australia's bushfires to help emergency services

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The death toll from wildfires in Victoria State, Southern Australia has reached at least 108, the worst in the country's history. Entire towns in Victoria state were destroyed as fires were fanned by extreme temperatures and wind. Thousands of firefighters, aided by the army, are battling the bush fires.

Timely help comes from the Google's Australian engineers who have created a Flash map to keep track of the deadly bushfires and help take off the traffic load to web sites coordinating emergency services. The maps contain real-time information about the fire locations and their status from the State of Victoria's Country Fire Authority (CFA) website via an RSS feed with address search functionality. The numbers on the map markers indicate the number of fires at that location and the colors represent the containment status of that site.

The Flash map is also available as a Google Gadget and If you want to embed the gadget containing this map on your website, you can do so by clicking here

Neowin offers its deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragedy and thanks to Google for coming up with this Flash map so that the people are updated constantly regarding these bushfires

#1 +Steeley on 09 Feb 2009 - 00:29

Well done to Google! I've always thought of them growing into "big brother" but now I guess I had better shut up.

#2 Tikitiki on 09 Feb 2009 - 00:36

This is the real beauty of Google

#3 Osiris on 09 Feb 2009 - 00:46

cheers google nice work, every bit helps

#4 non.sequitur2 on 09 Feb 2009 - 00:47

One step closer to world domination for Google. Yay!

#5 +Smigit on 09 Feb 2009 - 01:05

Yeah pretty tragic events. An ex lives there and her current BF's lost his place apparently as has other members of her family. Hopefully not too many more people, if any, lose their life over this.

#6 mrfluffy on 09 Feb 2009 - 02:37

Good on Google . The CFA site wants people who dont need to use their site to stay off it . Thanks to Google we have an alternative . I'm am in the other end of the country ( Far North Queensland) and many towns like mine are isolated because of flooding . Things can only get better. : (

#7 +what on 09 Feb 2009 - 12:47

So how exactly does this help anyone?

#8 Alaemon on 09 Feb 2009 - 20:01

It helps as it give people the heads up if there a fire around them, around here fire can run 2km in like 10 mins (if not faster) so if you see smoke think it off a bit I'll be right but before you know it, its at your door. With the map you can look it up it say a address for the fire and then you know that not far off better get the wife and kids out now.

I have family all over the east side of the state lost on one thanks god but they have had to leave.

Right now in Victoria we have 166 die and 24 fire out of control.

#9 PatrynXX on 09 Feb 2009 - 21:03

Should check Marysville in streetview. 90 % of it was burned to the ground

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