‘THE FLAMES WERE THREE METRES FROM OUR HOME’
As the blistering inferno raged towards their Canungra home, Sarah Withecombe and her 9-year-old daughter Marley made panicked calls to friends and family to help evacuate their beloved animals.
“The fire was coming right down our mountain. It was coming towards our house. I was very scared,” says 42-year-old Sarah, who lives on 80ha.
Sarah’s property was engulfed in thick plumes of smoke and fiery embers. “The horses were panicking and running. Marley started going: ‘Mum, I’m so scared, we need to get out of here and get our animals out.’”
Sarah’s mother, her sister and her 5-year-old niece, who also live on the property in two separate houses, did everything they could to save their home. But when Sarah called triple-0, the fireys who arrived told her to evacuate.
“By the time I left, there were fire crews everywhere and the flames were about 3m away from the house.”
Sarah and her family spent five days in a caravan at Canungra Showgrounds. They didn’t expect to have a house to come home to. But incredibly, the herculean efforts of the Rural Fire Service saved their homes. Sarah is still in awe of the fireys’ bravery and determination, describing their efforts as “relentless”. “They are heroes 110 per cent.”
Sarah also wants to thank all those in the community who stepped in to help evacuate her horses, cats, dogs and chickens. People she’s never even met sheltered her animals to keep them safe.
“Our community is amazing. We got given clothes and food. The local hardware gave us chicken food and hay for my horses,” she says. “Everyone has helped us so much.”
The fire destroyed nearly 70ha of the family’s picturesque property.
“I used to look out of my window and see paddocks. This morning it’s just black. It looks like another world. Still, now, there are trees burning everywhere. You can hear them cracking and falling.”
And yet this mum of three is adamant she’s one of the lucky ones. “There are people so much worse off than us and my heart breaks for them.”