Social Media networks fired-up as people swarmed across their social networks to keep eachother up to date on the Fire's progress and recovery efforts.

Networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Flckr were a vital source of information for many people as the devastation unfolded.

Even the mainstream media organizations jumped onboard the social networking sites to help keep readers informed using their vast news resources.

Google created a special mapping site using its Google maps tool to display graphically the location and status of fires, as did Aus-emaps.com.

Read more: Social Media Covers Victorian Bushfires

Just in case you have ever wanted to know your friends’ precise movements–every location, every right turn, every trip to Starbucks–Google has launched Latitude, a new feature for Google Maps that runs on your PC and mobile device. Latitude is more evidence that social networking tools will increasingly be layered on top of existing apps.

Link Google Maps Latitude up with Twitter and Facebook in some mashup and I’ll be able to tell when my friends hit a public bathroom in Grand Central. Great isn’t it?

Read more: Google Latitude launches; Social networking meets maps