This weekend – today, in fact – marks 150 years since the Maryborough Fire Brigade came into being. They were one of the first fire brigades in Victoria and were formed when Freemason’s Hotel (the site of the current Albion Hotel) burnt to the ground. Today they’re part of the state-wide Country Fire Authority and vital part of the volunteer emergency service fabric of the state.
Last night the SES Controller and I had the pleasure of attending their formal dinner, and enjoyed good food and excellent company. We got to see and hear a lot of history relating to the brigade – some of which we knew, but a lot of was new to us.
Today the fire station had an open day with a BBQ, so the kids and I wandered down to say hello and have a look over the fire appliances.
The official number of lives lost so far is 108. Not all of the 750 destroyed homes have been search yet, so that number is bound to rise.
I spent yesterday dressed in orange over at Bendigo helping with traffic management (separating emergency vehicles and legitimate residents from sightseers.) The loss of homes was shocking. Whole streets have completely disappeared. It’s distressing to see family after family picking over burnt remains looking for anything that connects them to life before Saturday afternoon. It’s even worse knowing that the Bendigo fires (along with some others) were almost certainly deliberately lit. What kind of person does that?
Maryborough escaped the carnage. We were very lucky. Lots of people here know people affected though, but of course the magnitude of this fire event is such that everyone in Victoria will know someone who has been impacted. Lisa, the Kids and I are fine, and we’re so thankful for that.
If we can do anything for anyone affected by the fires, call me on 0448 358 208. We’ve got land that can house a horse or three (with water and shedding) and we’ll do anything else we can to help out.
Who said what?