Victorian Fires

[Sarah]

2019 Christmas was so scary here in Victoria. Just as we set off to go to my mother-in-laws farm, the fires hit. They were so brutal and fierce we had to quickly divert to Lakes Entrance. All we could do was watch the burning spread. Our family could not get out as the roads had closed and they stayed to fight alongside the CFA. We were lucky in that the fires hit the ridge just above the farms and stopped. The photos they took showed the whole area was orange and grey, with a flaming horizon.The fires come past the farm frequently up there and my mother-in-law always is ready to go when summer hits. However the speed that the bushfires gather and the storm it creates can surprise everyone, no matter how well prepared you are. Summer approaches again and with it the anxiety of a possible fire outbreak. My MIL shrugs her shoulders and views it as part of farm life. They made them strong back then ! I wonder how others have managed?

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[onlinecommunity]

@Sarah thanks for sharing your experience. The first anniversary of the 19/20 fires will certainly evoke a lot of scary memories and difficult emotions for those directly caught up in the fires and also family members who were forced to wait for news on loved ones, homes, businesses, animals, possessions…how are other community members feeling as anniversaries of the fires in Victoria and different parts of the country come and go?

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