Churchgoers mourn Australian wildfire victims

Australians mourned the victims of deadly wildfires at church services across the country Sunday as news emerged of a class action lawsuit against a power company over the cause of one of the blazes.

More than 180 people were killed and 1,800 homes destroyed when some 400 blazes tore across Victoria state on Feb. 7 in Australia’s worst-ever wildfire disaster. Police have arrested one man on arson charges connected to one fire and suspect foul play in at least one other.

A law firm lodged a suit in Victoria’s Supreme Court against power supplier SP AusNet alleging negligence for allowing an overhead power line to fall, starting a wildfire, The Age newspaper reported.

SP AusNet was not immediately available to comment on the report.
Residents of towns in the 1,500-square mile (3,900-square kilometer) fire zone gathered at church services Sunday to pray for the dead and seek comfort from each other. The scene was repeated at churches across the country, which has been deeply shocked by the tragedy.

At Whittlesea, a town about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the state capital of Melbourne, about 200 people attended the Whittlesea Christ Church for services led by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Philip Freier, and attended by Governor General Quentin Bryce.

“As a brigade and the community, a service like this brings everyone together,” Whittlesea volunteer firefighter Jeff Rowden said after the church service. “I think it’s good to be around people who shared the same thing and know what you’ve been through, so we can get back to our normal lives.”