‘It’s changed my whole life’
Former Port Williams resident living on alert in Australia during devastating bushfires
Jenni (Coldwell) Hammond, formerly of Port Williams, adored the clear beaches, lush forestry and diverse wildlife she saw while visiting the southern coast of Australia in April.
firm in Brisbane City. She stressed that she’s thankful for the firefighting efforts that have protected her community from the utter devastation experienced elsewhere in Australia.
But some signs of the distant flames are still too close for comfort.
“Since September, we have had weeks of constant smoke haze impact our air quality. The skies are mostly always grey, instead of the bright blue we're used to, and we went months without any significant rain.”
Residents are asked to do their part by adhering to fire bans, drought restrictions and heat wave advisories.
“There have been days and days of having to stay inside because of how unsafe the air quality is outside, especially for young babies,” said Hammond, herself a mother of an infant and a toddler.
She reiterates that she’s among the fortunate ones.
“None of this is a complaint because these are all small inconveniences compared to what thousands of other Australians across this country are having to live with right now,” she said.
“Learning on Facebook that friends are having to evacuate their homes, and praying they will have homes to go back to, is just so tragic,” she said.
She points to the southeastern Australian state of New South Wales as an area that’s changed drastically since she last visited in April.
“That place is so special. The wildlife and the landscape were unreal. We absolutely adored the abundance of wildlife that we saw. There were pristine beaches, with crystal clear ocean on one side and thick forestry or farmland on the other side all the way up and down the highway — exactly where the fires have desecrated and continue to do so,” she said.
“It is just devastating.”
The fires have claimed the lives of humans and animals alike. In the worse-off areas, towns and habitats have been reduced to shambles.
Hammond sees it as a real-life nightmare.
“(There are) thousands of brave and courageous people on the frontline risking their lives to protect us, the animals, and our land. It's all too much to handle, really,” she said.
“It's always in the back of my mind, if not in the forefront.”
She said there are little things people from near and far can do to help Australia, such as taking steps to minimize one’s carbon footprint, or supporting relief efforts with donations of time or money.
“I have once again been shown how incredible and resilient the Australian people are,” she said. “It's as if you can feel us all hugging each other in support.”