Victoria Bush Fires

Radio 3AW presenter:  We have on the line Rhiannon from Kinglake.  So what's your situation Rhiannon?

Rhiannon: (very young but calm) Er..well.the property we've moved to is completely surrounded by fire and we're just waiting for it to hit.  Um..er..we've seen no emergency people and we really need help right now.  

P: How many of you are there Rhiannon?

R:  Well, there's eight kids, all under the age of ten.  Two elderly ladies.  Four adults.there's quite a lot of us.  And.

P: And how far is the front of the fire from you do you think?

R: Half a kilometre.  Not even.

P: And it's burning towards you at the moment?

R:  That's correct yes.

P:  And is there any capacity at that property in terms of water and pumps and. 

R: We have pumps and sprinklers going but.uh.I don't know if that's enough.   We really.we heard that there's a strikeforce or something, some fire engines being sent up Chum Creek Road, Heath Road.  And if they are there now we really need help.

P:  We'll see what we can do.  We'll see if we can get some action.  Unfortunately there.

R: It's only minutes away.

P:  We'll do what we can.  What you guys need to do is..er.if possible try and find somewhere in the house.

R: We're in a house.  And the idea that we're, we're putting into place is going to the centre of the house where there's a bathroom and just covering ourselves with wet towels and to stop the smoke or anything like that.

P: Absolutely.  And make sure you've got no synthetic clothing on.  It needs to be woollen.  If you have synthetic clothing then get rid of it.  Endeavour to fill the bath so that you have water there as much as you can.

R: Yep (shouting in the background)

P: How far are the flames away now Rhiannon?

R: I can't see, there's too much smoke now.

P: Rhiannon, we'll see what we can do.

R: (crying) Please send help.

P: You're ok.

R: What?

P: You're ok.

R: Well, yes for now.

P: What can you see?

R: Not a lot.  There's so much smoke  (dog starts barking). The house we were in is now engulfed in flames and..oh.there are still people in that house.

P: There are people still in the house that's on fire?

R: (upset) Yes, we're going to back for them.  Maybe cut through the paddock.

P:  Rhiannon, Mary's on the line who's in Heath Road and her husband's trying to come up with a tank of water on a trailer.  Can you speak to Mary?  She's on the line now.  Are you there Mary?

Mary: Yes I am.

P: Can you hear Mary, Rhiannon?

R:  Yes I can.

Line goes dead.

P: We've lost them.

Woman interviewed outside community centre:

We managed to save..um.the horses and neighbouring sheep and, I think, the cattle.  Um.but Pete lost his house and all his tools and everything.  While we were in a safe spot because the grass fire had gone through the open paddock and we'd parked everything down there.um.a  man came down with his daughter and they were really badly burnt..um.and he'd lost his wife and other children.    And we got separated because they came into town in the ambulance.with his daughter. I.er..(upset) She was only about two or three years old.

Man interviewed on the radio:

(North English accent).  We moved here because we wanted to live in paradise.  We lived in a caravan while we built our house.  Then we leant that caravan to new neighbours when they came and built their houses.  We were off the mountain because we went to pick up my daughter from the airport.  My house is gone.  It's only treasure, it's only junk.  But my neighbours, they're all in their houses.  They're all dead.  They're all dead.

Radio 3AW presenter a few hours later:

P: We have on the line Mark, Rhiannon's dad.

Mark: (crying) Oh man, yes I am.  

P: What's the situation Mark?

M: Rhiannon's safe.  Her brother saved her.

P: Oh fantastic.

M: (very upset) Oh mate, you've no idea.  You've got no idea how happy I am.

P: Oh Mark.  That's great, we're so happy to hear from you.

M: You ain't go no idea.  (crying).  Her brother, he's an absolute legend.  He's gone down through the burning paddock, cut his way through to the other house and got 'em all out on a little tractor with a little pump on the back of it.  And he's got 'em out of the house.  And I think the house is burnt.  He's got 'em all out, they're all safe.

P: And he did that single-handedly.

M: (crying) He's a legend.  With his brother, or his cousin, I'm not sure who it was.  It's a tiny little tractor and he's dragged them all out and put 'em all on it and got them back to safety.

P: How old is he Mark?

M:  He's 18.

P: And how old is Rhiannon?

M: It's her 21st next Sunday.  

P: Well, Mark, you give her our love and say (crying) we're very relieved here because.

M: You've no idea how happy I am.

P: (crying) It was so distressing.

M: Can I just say too please, I spoke to a woman at the fire brigade at Hillsow and she's a legend that woman.  She's done everything she possibly could and I.the CFA goes much further than firefighters.  This woman in the office, mate, she had everything under control and she organised it and I really take my hat off to those guys.  And also those guys working in the CFA office.  I just thank them so much.

The CFA is the Country Fire Association.  It's entirely voluntary.  There have been many reports of CFA firefighters protecting neighbours' home whilst watching their own burn.

So far, 171 dead bodies have been discovered.