All that remains
This is my home. Not simply the place I grew up in, or lived in for however many years. This was where I was most comfortable, where I could always be myself, and where I could always be free. Away from the pressures of life and a sanctuary of everything that made me who I am today. SeaView was so much more than just a house to all my family – it was our home. And now it’s gone.
Like all bushfire victims who have lost everything, that day will forever be etched into my memory. It was a 40+ degree day on the south coast of Australia, about 8 kms out of Merimbula. Winds were gusting above 80km/h and in combination with the extreme heat, conditions were terrible. All it would take was a spark and the bush was up in flames. Powerlines running adjacent to our property arced and ignited the bushland below. Had the shrubbery and undergrowth been regularly trimmed, as it is required to by the electrical company, the resulting devastation may never have occurred. Within minutes the fire was out of control and accelerating east – away from SeaView, but as the winds changed in the afternoon, it was headed directly towards our home. The fire was burning so hot and so intensely that the RFS couldn’t get near the property and could only move ahead of the flames. They moved onto other homes in the fire’s path and managed to save all homes from seemingly imminent destruction.
Ignite Change 2014 