It is hard to believe that it was three months ago to the day that our region was ravaged by bushfires. In that time, we’ve also seen floods; such is life in Australia! But, just when we thought we couldn’t possibly endure any more, COVID-19 shows up and now we’re in the grips of a pandemic with no immediate end in sight. The reason I’m posting my account of the bushfires, which occurred on the South Coast of New South Wales on 31st December 2019, is because the world is changing so rapidly and I didn’t want this to get lost or overlooked. I felt this was my final opportunity to share what I wrote about the fires before we become completely immersed in this new emergency sweeping the globe.
Although my article was published on January 10 in The Beagle, and January 15, 2020 in The Area News and The Bay Post, it has taken me some time to get to the stage where I could post it on my blog. In the meantime, I have been allowing myself and my family time to return to a ‘new normal’ after the bushfires. I acknowledge that I too needed help to recover from the trauma, particularly from the events of Tuesday 31 December 2019 and the days that followed.
So where possible, I have been open to receiving free Reiki treatments from my gorgeous friends Angela Stewart and Chery Austen. I attended a Trauma Informed Yoga session courtesy of Soul Tribe Studio and Chris Thompson-Lang of Frontline Yoga. I also participated in a trauma/tension release session with Karen Austen. I’m so thankful to the people who have given selflessly in recognition of the need for these services in our community while we are still healing. Even the Fire Fight concert dedicated to the Australian bushfires of Black Summer formed part of my healing.
My contribution to the healing process for my community was to write this article. While it was cathartic for me to capture my thoughts and feelings, it was my belief that it would provide a voice for those who couldn’t articulate what they were going through…and in some small way mend hearts, bring comfort and provide a pathway to peace.
If you’d prefer to tune in rather than read the article, you can jump over to the episode NSW South Coast Bushfires on iTunes, which features on my podcast Kris and Shaz in The Mother of All Roles.
For the follow-up episode, “Reflection and Healing from the Bushfires” click here.
Click here for the Spotify versions.
From the fire front: “The sky was a hellish red.”
May I start with my sincere condolences to the families and friends who have lost loved ones in the NSW bushfires. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in your darkest hours. People’s lives and livelihoods have been lost and sections of our towns and villages decimated.
When you see natural disasters on television and social media, your heart breaks for those people affected. Now it seems, it is the people of the South Coast whose hearts are breaking. At a time when we usually see an influx of visitors, we saw a mass exodus unlike anything this country has experienced.
At the moment, it is day to day. On January 4, when conditions deteriorated and the threat loomed, it was hour by hour. On New Year’s Eve, it was a case of minute by minute, as I tried to keep my mother and children safe while not worrying about my husband, our home, and all the people I love.
I look out my front door, the smoke ever-present, as it has been for many across our country, and I see a blackened carpet of burnt landscape. Further in the distance I see bushland with occasional plumes of smoke, the after effects of the fire which now leaves rubble for houses and a smouldering forest floor. Unfortunately, when I now see nature, I also see fuel. I’m not sure we will have a two-year supply of firewood ever again! It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Not too far from my back door, I can see where the fire taunted our fence. I can also see where the distance of an Olympic sized swimming pool is all that separates us from the closest house that didn’t survive the inferno. It sits in ruins and is a reminder of that life-changing day.
Unfortunately, this is a story that could easily have been shared from any one of my neighbours. There are many right across our shire and beyond who could tell the same tale of fiery close calls.
Even metal couldn’t withstand the heat of the bushfire
Power was restored to my neighbourhood of Surf Beach after being out for 10 consecutive days. For those who haven’t experienced a power outage for that length of time, it probably seems hard to fathom. Despite all of the technological advancement the world has seen, it seems primitive in this day and age that this can even happen.
Those computers we walk around with in our pockets became about as useful as paperweights, with no service, no internet access and no power. At one stage I couldn’t even call triple zero when some logs in a vacant lot near our house flared up on New Year’s Day!
I can’t help but think that our equipment, systems and processes no longer withstand emergencies like this, and unfortunately emergencies like this are no longer few and far between. They are happening more frequently and I would like to see positive changes and lessons learned, sooner rather than later, surely in my lifetime. As I hold a better vision for our world I cannot help but feel like a radical dreamer.
Even though the situation has eased somewhat and is not as dire as it was a few weeks ago, it is certainly taking its toll on people mentally, physically and emotionally. I suspect it is far from over with plenty of summer still to come. We’ll face worsening conditions again in the next few days. The dangerous cocktail of soaring temperatures, dry winds and low humidity has everyone on edge. We saw how real that threat can be when more homes were destroyed and another life was lost near Moruya last week.
I want to thank the people I asked to pray for all of us at the height of the crisis around midday on New Year’s Eve, when the sky changed to a hellish red, the smoke was choking, and visibility was so low that it was dangerous to drive. To anyone who messaged me and I was unable to respond because of no service or low battery, we are OK now.
I owe a great deal of gratitude to my husband Steve, who spent five hours defending our home, mostly from the roof, with an abrasion on his eye that he sustained that morning when the black leaves and ash rained down. I am also forever grateful to the firies who descended on our street at just the right time and who saved people and property across our region. I will never be able to say thank you in person, but I hope each one of you know how much of a difference you make. As does the agencies and the volunteers who do all they can to support people who are doing it tough.
OUR HEROES: I hate to think what could have been if these guys didn’t turn up when they did.
There are a lot of those who are doing it tough. Everyone knows people who have lost their home, or who have been badly affected and displaced by these fires. There are countless others who are traumatised. It might be some time before we see the full effects. There are people right now who are hurting; even the strong ones have their limits. Some people are still in shock, all of us are in a state of disbelief. For the ones who have lost their homes and precious possessions, like one of my best mates, they are trying to piece together what’s left and where they go from here.
The sounds of sirens and choppers have subsided, but keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe, hydrated, fed, calm and pre-occupied is now what consumes us. To those who have already donated, from the celebrities to the men and women on the street, your generosity does not go unnoticed.
The people that have been impacted by these bushfires are a resilient bunch, and yes, they will rise again, but right now they will have to receive with open arms if they are to give themselves a chance to heal their hearts and get back on their feet.
You will hear a lot about the Australian spirit, as you so often do in these times. Right now that spirit is required to continue supporting communities and individuals who are hurting beyond measure.
The article was published in The Area News, where I was former columnist, “Ask Sharon.”
If you are in need of help or someone to talk to, there is information and support available. Reach out to these services.
Lifeline
Specifically for 24-hour crisis support.
13 11 14
Beyond Blue
The team at Beyond Blue are all about helping you achieve your best mental health, regardless of your age.
1300 22 4636
Black Dog Institute
Visit their site for a depression self-test. It’s quick and might be a good starting point.
(02) 9382 4530
Headspace
Providing health advice, support and information to young Australians aged 12 to 25.
(03) 9027 0100
Kids Helpline
Free 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.
1800 55 1800
Mission Australia
The heart of their work is early intervention and prevention, but they offer a wide range of services from safe and affordable housing to supporting disadvantaged families.
Quest for Life Foundation
Offer a whole-person, recovery-orientated approach that provides evidence-based practical strategies and tools to help heal the past, build resilience for the future and live in the present. Quest for Life runs a range of programs to help those impacted by trauma including the bushfires.
1300 941 488 or (02) 4883 6599
ReachOut
ReachOut is Australia’s leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents.
Stride
Offering mental health services to support kids, young people, adults, families and carers.
1300 00 1907
Suicide Call Back Service
Provides immediate telephone counselling and support in a crisis for ages 15+.
1300 65 9467
