Social media has dramatically improved how we report and document devastating events like the weekend's Victorian bushfires. But it still doesn't reduce the tragedy, the destruction or human's ability to control the most devastating element of all. Fires have raged across the Australian continent for eons - Aboriginal people knew that fire was part of the cycle of life and it was actually a cleansing force, sparking renewed growth on the landscape.

So after two years of drought, a fortnight of extreme temperatures and telling wind changes that caught residents and firefighters off guard, we have one of Australia's worst disasters. Not that it is anyone's fault (except in the case of deliberate arson) but the age old threat of bushfire is one that those who live in these heavily forested areas will always have to counter.

The most devastating fires are still burning as I write - a Channel Nine news special is showing the areas still under threat. About the only thing I can do from my comfortable lounge perch here in Adelaide is to post this badge and encourage anyone who feels moved to click and donate. (Thanks KerryJ).