Devastating bushfires at the farm

Hello there dear readers.

Some of you may be wondering if we live in an area which is being impacted by the horrendous  bushfires in NSW.  We do.  In fact the edge of the fire as I write this is 1km away from our property.

A map of the fire zone.  The black shaded area is the fire ground, the red is the predicted burn area today.  Our property and home sit well within the red zone. 

As a result of horrendous weather predictions for today (Tuesday) we have evacuated into Wauchope.  We are grateful all our animals are safe with loving people in emergency care.  Aggie remains with us at the motel as does Bear who is not great with strangers and of course Squirtle the turtle, who is currently living in a rather unglamorous Tupperware container.

We are expecting a hot north-westerly which is going to swing the fire around.  This will mean the edge which is currently burning away from us is going to swing towards us, bringing the fire onto our property in no time.  The fire is predicted to burn hot, move fast and leave a wake of heartache and devastation behind it.

The firies have been working around the clock setting up containment lines and back burning in preparation.  They are amazing.

Frustratingly, we had extensive fire protection plans for the property.  We intended to get large galv header tanks, a big pump and install a substantial sprinkler system by next summer, but we didn’t have the funds to do it yet.  Our little yurt is in a large green clearing, with a good road in and out.  If there happens to be a truck in the right time our place it is defendable.  But the fire zone is huge and resources are stretched beyond capacity.  As a result, it is highly possible there will be no firies available for many of the properties under threat.  There are simply too many properties to defend and the fires are too big.  We know from the Pinery Fires in which we nearly lost Grant, just how bad things get and how fast conditions can change.

Like many others, we don’t know if we will have a home to return to tomorrow.

I feel sick to think we could lose it all again, whilst pregnant.  Again.  (There is a post here about the time we were displaced and lost everything in a flood when I was 34 weeks pregnant with Angus, you can search for it but I can’t easily link from my phone). We know that road and it is brutal, heartbreaking and exhausting.

But tonight as I sit wondering how the hell we are going to be able to piece back our family and our lives if the worst happens, I’m here ask you this; If you have a little spare cash, please donate to the NSW Rural Fire Service.  These men and women are legends, working huge days around the clock.  Literally fighting to save lives and homes.  Real life actual superhero’s.

If you are a person of faith please pray for the safety and protection of the brave men and women who risking it all for us.  Pray for the weather conditions to be milder than expected, for roads to remain clear and for the safety of the people, homes and animals in the fire ground.

Then act.  Please consider donating what you can, however big or small to the NSW Rural Fire Service or a charity that is helping with recovery.  The recovery process is going to be huge, complex and long.  It will take years.  Some people won’t ever fully recover both physically or mentally.

I ask you to please donate money over goods.  Money gives people back some choice and power to purchase items they want, rather than make do with whatever they get.  It may seem small, but when you have no choice about what has happened to your home and your future those little things like choosing a brand of toothpaste your kid actually likes and buying your favourite brand of coffee make a huge difference.  They begin to return a persons sense of control and autonomy over their lives which is something that is taken away when you lose your home to a natural disaster.

I’m not sure when I’ll be back in this space.

Much love,
Emma
Xx

PS please excuse my typos, this post has been written on my phone as I’m currently unsure where my laptop is among our belongings gathered together in a hurry. The dark, poorly taken phone photo is the edge of the fire from our place the night before we evacuated.  It was still this night and the fire was burning more slowly.


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