I arrived home from work, on Saturday February 7, at midday. On my way home I noticed that the temperature was already 40 degrees and that it was extremely windy. I once lived in St Andrews for eight years and I was a member of the local fire brigade.
I learnt so much about bushfire behaviour and I felt well prepared and confident in defending my home in the event of a bush fire. My neighbours and I were on a fire phone tree. The phone tree was activated when there were fires in the local district. I often found neighbours ringing me on ‘bad days’ as I had good views across the Kinglake Ranges.
I have not lived in St Andrews for six years but I still have strong connections to the community through my friends and my research work with the St Andrews/Queenstown Historical Society. In summer, I often log onto the CFA website and read the incident/summary report to see if there is fire activity in the local area. On Black Saturday I would log onto the CFA website every hour from 1pm. I would also go outside and check my surroundings.
Around 3pm, I saw on the screen that there was a large fire in Kilmore East. I looked up this location on my Vic Roads Map, and I remember thinking if they don’t contain this, it will rip through Kinglake. At this stage, I went outside and I could smell smoke and the sky was a dirty brown colour. This made me feel uneasy.
At 5pm, I was nervously logging onto the CFA site and to my dismay I saw the names of roads in St Andrews, Kinglake, Arthurs Creek, Humevale, Strathewen, Steeles Creek and Yarra Glen where fires were present. I just stared at the screen, frozen in time for those few seconds, thinking this is really bad and they’ve gone. I then read that there was possible ember attack in Doreen, there was also a grass fire at Doreen and at Hawkestowe Park in South Morang……..my daughter lives in Doreen. She answered my call very quickly, and she had her car packed ready to leave. Which she did.
I then tuned into the ABC radio and my fears for these townships were answered. This devastating fire was feeding on the dry forests and grasses and was engulfing everything that was in its path. I also found out about the other uncontrolled fires in other parts of Victoria. I felt numb and I was safe. I was totally appalled with the Channel 9 6pm. News service. They had very little information about the enormity of these fires. I remember thinking, don’t they listen to the ABC radio or look at the CFA website.
I didn’t sleep much, I was thinking of my friends in St Andrews and hoping that all CFA crews were safe.
I went to work, the next morning and all the staff were talking about these fires. By midday I messaged my friend, who is a member of St Andrews CFA…’R U safe’ She quickly rang me and then my heart sank as she named all the roads where homes, were destroyed, thankfully most people that I knew, got out just in time. …she had to go as she was busy on the back of a tanker or at the fire station…… I must ask her one day when we have time… the last part of our conversation was ‘Gaye, the fire was so fast’.
By Monday, the death toll of these fires were rising and they were having a profound effect on myself and my work colleagues. Some people at work had close family members that died and some of us were touched by the death of a wine sales rep(also his wife and two young daughters) who lived in Kinglake. Some of our staff live in Whittlesea and Arthurs Creek. I rang my neighbour to see how she was, as she use to live in Strathewen, she was crying. She had learnt of many people she knew who were missing – now pronounced dead. The house she once lived in with her husband and young daughter had burnt to the ground.
I had a call from my old neighbour in St Andrews, a quick hello and are you okay. They were wanting a contact at the CFA to see if there was anyone organising any relief for the community rather than going to Diamond Creek. They were also organising a casual get together at St Andrews Hotel with a few locals. I rang my friend at the CFA to relay this message. We exchanged a quick few words. I rang my St Andrews neighbour back, he was in a hurry – word had got out via the phone tree that there was a fire within1.5km north of them, his wife was outside activating the pumps and hoses. I reassured him that this was not the case, as far as I knew, I had been in contact, moments before with the centre of St Andrews..the CFA.
I felt a little peculiar, I was still on the phone tree, but I did not live in St Andrews. I had numerous phone calls and emails to see if I was okay…. Many people were interested in my welfare, I was a little surprised and most grateful of their concern.
The fire was notoriously hungry and it had devoured so many people, animals, habitats and homes.
I found out later that a report on a radio station said that Diamond Creek was under ember attack. Fortunately, that was not the case as the wind changed, that change saved the township of St Andrews and possibly many other towns.
By Gaye Ponting 25 February 2009
