Swansea fire battle goes on
More than 400 join Dunalley bushfire court bid
ABOUT 80 firefighters, contractors and incident management personnel continue to fight a fire at Swansea.
The fire, which was started by a lightning strike on November 30, has so far burnt about 4500ha, TFS incident controller Mark Dobson said.
“Ahead of elevated fire weather conditions expected for the rest of the week, firefighters from Tasmania Fire Service, Parks and Wildlife Service and Sustainable Timber Tasmania are working to consolidate containment lines and extinguish hot spots near the fires edge,” Mr Dobson said. “These firefighters are supported by aircraft and heavy machinery.”
Although about 60 per cent of the fire is considered “contained”, there is still an uncontained active fire on the western sector of the blaze.
THE GRASS FIRE … SPREAD EAST ACROSS THE PROPERTY TO A BUSHLAND AREA ON ITS EASTERN BOUNDARY, THEN ESCAPED THE PROPERTY AND BECAME A BUSHFIRE
MORE than 400 people have joined a class action against two people they say were responsible for a bushfire that destroyed 193 homes in Dunalley and surrounding areas.
In a statement of claim filed with the Supreme Court in Hobart this month, the plaintiffs argue a man and a woman were responsible for a campfire in a tree stump on their Forcett property that was lit on December 28, 2012, and not properly extinguished.
The plaintiffs argue that between December 28 and January 3, 2013, the fire continued in the tree stump and in its roots, as a smouldering burn.
They argue the woman saw steam coming from the tree stump on the morning of January 1 but “did not … take any adequate step to investigate, extinguish or attempt to extinguish the smouldering burn within the tree stump and its root system”.
“At around 2pm on 3 January 2013, the smouldering burn in the tree stump and its root system ignited grass on the surface of the ground in the immediate area around the tree stump,” the statement reads.
“The grass fire … spread east across the property to a bushland area on its eastern boundary, then escaped the property and became a bushfire.” The Forcett bushfire burnt for 14 days.
The plaintiffs argue the woman lit or observed fires lit in the tree stump on previous occasions that had “proven difficult to extinguish”.
On January 3, a total fire ban was declared due to hot, windy conditions and the Tasmania Fire Service rated the fire danger that day as very high to severe.
Some 445 people have joined the class action, which is expected to come before the court in March.
The defendants have each filed a defence but those documents are not available to be viewed from the court.
BLAIR RICHARDS
A NEW school and hall, and modern homes lining the streets – on the surface Dunalley looks like a resurgent regional town.
Most of the residents in Dunalley and Boomer Bay who spoke to the Mercury said they had been surprised by news of the class action over the cause of the bushfire that devastated the region in 2013.
Everyone has coped differently and been shaped to varying degrees by the fire of almost seven years ago.
Tim and Tammy Holmes have rebuilt their home at their property in Dunalley and are not part of the class action.
The memorable image of Mrs Holmes and her grandchildren sheltering under a jetty during the firestorm was published around the world.
“We’ve put it in the past,” Mr Holmes said.
“We’ve re-established ourselves and we’re quite happy about the way things are ... there are some people for whom it’s been hard to progress and may still be suffering.” The wellbeing of some was linked to whether they had the insurance or financial ability to rebuild.
Local artist and furniture maker Gay Hawkes, who was burnt out of Dunalley and who is not part of the class action, said she was still struggling mentally and physically.
“I was very fit before the fire and I’ve had nothing but health problems ever since which are ongoing, and I’m living in a little tin shed,” she said.
Ms Hawkes said she believed her health issues were
related to stress, and that many others were suffering in a similar way.
“A lot of people have had health problems since the fires, it’s quite devastating what actually happens afterwards.
“People have had things like shingles, and heart attacks, cancer, and I’ve had lots of things wrong.”
Ms Hawkes said soaring property prices had made it harder for some to find a new home.
“It happened at a time when property values started to skyrocket and they’ve increased at a rapid rate ... which has made it difficult for me,” she said.
“I still feel like I”m wearing someone else’s clothes a lot of the time.”
The Dunalley Tasman Neighbourhood House continues to be a hub for the community, offering programs for people of all ages, an op shop, a garden and a food co-op.
Manager Jeddah Barwick said there was some confusion about the purpose of the class action.
She was concerned it was bringing up painful memories for people.
“There are a lot of people who function very well but who are very affected ... something will happen that will remind them, such as the smell of smoke or seeing fires on the news, it really brings it back for people. That’s really PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). That sort of thing doesn’t go away quickly,” she said.
Boomer Bay farmer Tony Daly said he had struggled to get back on his feet after the fire, finding he was underinsured for lost fencing, sheds and equipment.
Fifteen kilometres of burnt fences replaced by volunteers were washed away in a flood soon after the fires, with volunteers returning to replace them again.
Years of drought have followed.
“It’s been tough because it’s been dry,” he said.
Mr Daly said he was extremely grateful for all the help provided by individuals and groups including Blaze Aid and Aussie Farmers.
A resident in Boomer Bay, who was burnt out and has rebuilt a large new home, said he had not heard anything about the class action until speaking to the Mercury.
“We don’t find it distressing. We just get on with it, it’s in the past,” he said.