The Currowan Fire / Part 1

What became known as the Currowan Fire impacted the area between Batemans Bay and Ulladulla and west to the great dividing range. After travelling west for a few days, gusty hot dry westerly winds turned it around and drove it east towards the coast.
We knew then we could be in trouble.

 

We prepared the house as best as possible and, when we got four phone calls from Emergency Services in quick succession on the Sunday afternoon, we took their advice and evacuated to a motel in town.
All the coastal villages from Bawley Point to North Durras were also told to leave.
Late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning our property was impacted.
Our neighbours who stayed took the four pictures below as the fire arrived.

It burnt into our northern boundary taking out some of my vines, our storage shed, wood shed, a water tank and vacant chook shed before heading for the studio and house.
Thankfully the Calderwood Fire Brigade was there to defend the property and they did a great job. The flames came within a few metres of the buildings but they were not directly impacted.

The main fire in the meantime roared south down the western wooded area of our property into our southern neighbour and along our creek's riparian corridor to the highway, jumped it and headed into Meroo National Park and the ocean.
The picture below of the fire near our vineyard was taken by one of the firemen.

We had to get our news remotely on what was happening as the highway was closed. Thankfully our neighbours kept us up to date by phone.
A couple of them who had evacuated to a village a few minutes drive to the north came back in on the Wednesday morning and helped put out the numerous spot fires burning around us as well as looking after the cattle. With all our fences now damaged the danger was their getting onto the highway where fire and emergency vehicles were active.

 

Then on Thursday afternoon another branch of the fire headed towards us but with nothing left to burn immediately cut around and across our northern neighbours’ boundaries and also jumped the highway into Meroo NP.
Then the wind changed to a gusty southerly and drove the NP fire towards Lake Tabourie.
Watch this rather long video of the RFS defending that village. Shows how brave and dedicated these volunteers are. The village was saved with minimal damage.
In the meantime, the coastal villages to our south were under constant ‘attack’. They brought in the big gun flying tankers and other aircraft as well as fighting it on the ground.

Many had stayed in this area against advice and had to be evacuated by sea. The fire did reach the streets of Bawley Point before being repelled.
To be continued........