In an effort to help people understand what is happening and how to help, let me explain something. Just like an army fighting a war, the key is logistics. The logistics determine what is possible and when it can be delivered, many commentators and the public don't understand this and get frustrated when things don't happen fast enough or their well meaning offers of help are rejected.
On my PC I have a copy of one shift plan for one major fire. It's 36 pages long. It details how the CFA is going to try to fight ONE fire for ONE twelve hour shift. It HAS to cover things like missions and priorities for individual five or six tanker strike teams, the composition of each team, where they will go, where they can get fuel and water, where they can get medical help, who is going to relieve them, who and where will mechanical support (mechanics, tyres,etc.) be provided, then there is a radio communications plan, the plan for refugees, and all THAT is for each of perhaps five strike teams. Then on top of that there is the air wing plan, the bulldozer, grader and heavy equipment plan, the refugee plan the communications plan both operational and to the public, then there is the fire fighter personnel plan - where are fire fighters going to be rested, fed and returned? Then there is the fuel plan ,the water plan, etc. Then of course we have the Bureau of Meteorology and their highly specialised forecasts and the fire behaviour specialists and mappers who try and predict what will happen. Then there are the police, electricity, roads and communications plans.
Now add interstate coordination, defence department coordination ( they have mostly separate logistics) and such things as legal requirements
Do you now understand how complex it is to deal with this emergency? Do you also understand that the recovery plan will need to be just as complicated and detailed?
Our team went in on New Years Eve. We were called at 0717 and assembled and rolling North at 0900. Thats how fast this fire developed. The base at Tallangatta football oval was just setting up when we arrived - this is remote country. At the fire ground there was no fuel, no power, no communications and very little water - at about 0200 on New Years Day approximately forty tankers rolled in, with their own fuel tankers and auxiliary staff and we stood down. We got on a bus home later New years morning. That's pretty fast work by anyone's standards. Our trucks are still up North, but we were provided a replacement one back at base from Western Victoria. Just the logistics of managing the vehicles is mind boggling.
This is a long and complex battle which isn't over. Do you now understand why except at the very local level, your help isn't perhaps useful because you aren't integrated into the logistics plan? We don't have fuel, food or radios for you. We don't know your training and experience levels. We don't know how safe you are or what you can and cannot do.
Of course there will be mistakes and SNAFUs they can't be avoided, but give the authorities some slack.
Lessons we learned - buy a three phase diesel generator for our station - the ones near Corryong were dark. Don't leave behind a brand new $2000+ set of Milwaukee power tools in the truck when you hand it over, we will be lucky if another poorer brigade doesn't 'borrow" them.