One year on
Today is the anniversary of the terrible bushfires of 7th February, 2009. The fires left 173 people dead and over 400 injured.
Twelve months on there are still scars left on the land, throughout the towns that were directly affected, and in the hearts and minds of the people who experienced the ferocity of nature at its worst.
Maryborough, where we live, was fortunate. Although we didn’t have a single fire in the area that day, Lisa and I clearly remember the sense of dread that hung in the air. The weather bureau had been warning about the day being an extreme fire risk for some time. As soon as dawn broke we could sense in the heat and strength of the wind and by the look of the sky that the day would be every bit as bad as predicted.
Some of the things I’ve heard from various SES and CFA volunteers over the last 12 months have been grim. When you’re in the way of a 1300°C fire front that travels 32km in 8 minutes you simply don’t stand a chance. I cannot imaging how the people of Strathewen, Kinglake, Marysville and countless other towns and hamlets felt as their communities were decimated by an inferno that transformed day to night, turned homes to dust and tore apart families and friendships.
Lesson have certainly been learnt. Communities are rebuilding, emergency services are better prepared and people are more aware of how devastating, unpredictable and uncontrollable fires of that scale can be. Faced with another event of this magnitude, things will be different. People will leave homes much earlier, and those who bravely choose to stay and defend have a clearer picture of what they’ll be battling against.
As much as it will be sad to remember the events of 7th February 2009, the anniversary will also be a reminder that as a community we have moved forward, we have learnt and grown and we have emerged stronger than before.
We’ll certainly pause for a moment and remember the 173 people who died, but we’ll also take heart in knowing that their loss has done much to improve the way we’ll deal with similar events in the future.
Who said what?