‘WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE AND HOPE'
With lives lost and hundreds of homes destroyed in catastrophic bushfires, hope and heroism have shone through all the horror
It was our indomitable spirit of mateship and resilience that took centrestage last week as terrified residents fled their homes in the face of one of the biggest fire fronts in history while an army of volunteers fought the flames.
As the situation fast became a national disaster, firefighters from New Zealand and Victoria came to the aid of those in NSW and Queensland, and hundreds of schools were closed and entire towns evacuated in the two states.
The catastrophic bushfires burnt through a million hectares of bushland and stretched from Rockhampton in northern Queensland to Narooma on the NSW South Coast, taking three lives and destroying more than 170 homes.
“Catastrophic is off the conventional scale – we are talking about indices that go well beyond the old scale of 100,” warned Shane Fitzsimmons, the commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Services (RFS) last week as the fire front threatened Sydney.
GRIM FORECAST
It was a grim picture that only continued to get worse as the week wore on – and there’s little comfort in the dire predictions for the next month, with tinderbox-dry conditions in drought-stricken NSW and Queensland.
“The real challenge is we have an enormous amount of country that is still alight,” Shane warned two days later.
“They won’t have this out for days, weeks, months. Unfortunately, the forecast is nothing but above-average temperatures and belowaverage rainfall over the next few months and we’ve still got summer around the corner.”
The bleak prediction and heartbreaking images of exhausted firefighters, destroyed homes, burnt-out cars and injured wildlife and livestock have painted a picture of utter devastation – but the heroism and huge hearts of our Aussie communities are shining through.
There were countless reports of brave residents, like Kim Macdonald, 53, from Bobin on the NSW Mid North coast who sheltered in a creek with her dogs in her arms for three terrifying hours as fireballs flew overhead.
“It was really bloody scary,” says Kim, whose partner Gary Greene, 55, a RFS volunteer, was out trying to save their neighbours’ homes while his own burned to the
ground as Kim waded in the creek “hoping she wouldn’t die”.
Or self-professed “old codger” Owen Whalan, an 85-year-old hospital chaplain who broke down in tears on Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s shoulder as he waited to find out if his Koorainghat home of 50 years survived.
“The prime minister with an old codger that was in a bit of a state, and that was me,” smiled Owen after the heartbreaking image went around the globe.
He and wife Catherine, together with daughter Wendy and sonin-law Jamie and their 16-yearold grandson Lachlon were evacuated from their home of 50 years twice in three days, but felt blessed to survive, along with Owen’s four beloved border collies.
“We were praying together for strength for the fire people and strength for each and every one of us,” says Owen.
“The fire came through our site and it burnt just off our boundary and my son said it was as if God said to the fire you can go there but no further. It was an absolute answer to our prayer.”
Then there’s humble hero Tony Butterfield, 66, who together with a bunch of other retirees from North Arm in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, stood ready to help fight the flames that forced thousands to flee their homes, south of Noosa, last week.
RETIREES TO THE RESCUE
“Most of us are retirees who’ve finished our day jobs, but we’re not quite ready for the pipe and slippers just yet,” says Tony. “It’s a big team thing.
‘They won’t have this out for days, weeks, months’
It’s a community thing. You learn and just gain experience the more you go out.”
With Sydney shrouded in an orange haze from fires that threatened homes on the North Shore and western fringes, and blazes burning out of control up and down the coast, thousands of people opened their hearts – and homes – to help our brave volunteers.
One woman, Rachel, who had to evacuate her home in northern NSW, left a note telling the “amazing fireys” to help themselves to water, food and drinks. She left her back door unlocked with the kind invitation to help themselves to what they needed.
“Help yourself to food and drinks in the fridge... Thank you! You guys rock our world! Be safe,” she wrote.
LARRIKIN SPIRIT
The Aussie larrikin spirit was also alive and well, despite the devastation sweeping the east coast, with a Urunga firefighter leaving a humorous note for homeowner Paul Sekfy after saving his house in the Nambucca Valley. “It was our pleasure to save your house. Sorry that we could not save your sheds. P.S – we owe you some milk. Urunga RFS.” Paul reckons it was the “best note” he’s found on his kitchen bench since the morning after his wedding.
His home isn’t too far from Russell Crowe’s farm at Nana Glen, which survived despite an inferno that burnt his sheds, prompting the actor to tweet that he felt “very lucky”. Sadly, other residents near Coffs Harbour weren’t so fortunate.
The Liberation Trail fire west of Coffs Harbour saw 150,000 hectares burning last week with a fire front stretching more than 1000km, endangering the tiny townships scattered along the trail and wiping out entire communities of wildlife.
“The enormity of the task to bring these fires properly under
control, to consolidate them, to get around them and mop them up is enormous,” admits NSW RFS commissioner Shane.
On Thursday as homes around Noosa were evacuated, campground manager Leesa Downey summed up the thoughts of the nation after the fires forced her away from her property.
“We just have to wait and see and hope,” she said.
‘We were praying together for strength’