Aged care has always been strengthened by strong community – community fire response helps save regional Victorian aged care home

Much of regional Victoria has been through a horrendous few days with the bushfires that have been raging. With reports of 350 structures destroyed and extreme wider damage, thousands have been impacted as the more than 60 fires ignited on Friday have blazed across the state. Within this ordeal, details of everyday Australians risking their lives have emerged. A grassfire near Horsham, in Victoria’s west, seemed to blaze quickly from nothing, and was rapidly moving in the direction of West Wimmera Health, an aged care facility near Natimuk. From terrifying hours of being in the fire’s path, to hearing of just how many fire-fighting trucks and volunteers showed up to fight the flames, residents, home staff and the CFA’s chief nationally commended the efforts that helped keep the facility and all inside safe.

Dangerous conditions

Going into last Friday, the warnings started flashing in earnest. Thunderstorms with little to no rain brought lightning strikes that are believed to have started grass fires. From moving in a south-easterly direction, the wind changed around 1pm on Friday heading straight towards Natimuk. All were advised to leave. By 2pm the emergency messaging was stark, “conditions are very dangerous and unpredictable.”

“If you have not already left, the time to safely evacuate has now passed. Take shelter indoors immediately. It is now too dangerous to leave.”

“No time”

For chief executive Dodds, of the facility near Natimuk, there were only awful decisions. With some roads impassable, with downed powerlines and obstructions, and conditions changing by the minute, the likelihood of getting the centre’s residents out of Natimuk without harm was simply unknown. The intensity of the blaze and unpredictability of travel surprised all near it.

Ritchie Dodds, chief executive of West Wimmera Health shares from the terrifying experience, “there was no time for us or anyone in Natimuk to evacuate.”

“At the facility, there were spot fires going off around the garden outside,” he tells the ABC.

Sheltering in place

For the West Wimmera Health facility, with the intensity of the blaze and the inability to move the extremely vulnerable residents, the decision was made to shelter in place.

For the 36 senior residents that call West Wimmera Health home, and the 30 staff that have become like family, it was an ordeal endured together.

Many residents and staff that have always called the region home could guess the names of the men and women who would be volunteering their time, and driving into danger, to help fight the fire near them.

“Too dangerous to leave”

At 2:20pm the advisory was gravely serious, “Natimuk is fully engulfed with smoke, with fire impacting parts of the town.”

At 3:20pm the CFA confirmed that it had 25 fire-fighting trucks battling the out-of-control blaze.

The Weekly Adviser, a local media outlet that serves the region was able to talk to local man, Mr Lockwood, who shares that he helped an elderly friend who didn’t have a car, to try and evacuate out of Natimuk to Horsham.

In helping them both flee the blaze he shares, “in the few minutes we were standing in the main street, the whole town was absolutely blanketed in smoke. You couldn’t see 50 yards in front.”

At 3:30pm the conditions had worsened and the official messaging was serious, “it is now too dangerous to leave.”

Continued local resistance

In the face of increasing danger, local CFA crews continued to fight. From 25 the local fire-trucks swelled to 33, with reports of over a 100 local volunteers risking their lives to safeguard their fellow residents.

For the senior residents at West Wimmera, and the staff working to care through the unthinkable, the knowledge of local volunteers trying to protect is inexplicably cherished.

At 4:50pm, with dropping temperatures and slower winds, CFA volunteers caught some lucky ecological breaks in fighting the blaze. CFA command indicated to volunteers that the fire had changed direction and was now impacting in a north-easterly direction towards Vectis, with warning messages to evacuate issued for this area.

CFA’s chief, Jason Jason Heffernan said on Monday, “I want to say how humbling and grounding it is as the fire chief, to come to areas like Natimuk and to hear from our brigade members, first hand, what it was like on the 9^th of January.”

“Not only putting themselves in harm’s way but also leaving their farms and families to protect others, particularly here in Natimuk. When the fire was rapidly running through town, they prioritised, prioritising the nursing home and prioritising as many homes as they could.”

Wider care

West Wimmera Health Service was spared from the fire that did get close enough to cause considerable damage.

Dodds noted to the ABC the dedicated and selfless work of fire- fighters on hand, to immediately deal with spot fires in the facility’s gardens, preventing any chance the fire could spread to its buildings.

He says, “They did an amazing job. They did exactly what they’re supposed to do with the emergency procedures and, fingers were crossed, but we got through it.”

While immensely grateful for all residents and staff, along with facility buildings coming through safely, Dodds highlights the sentiment of many regional locals in understanding and standing with others in their community that have lost homes.

“ The wider area is not out of the woods yet. I understand the wind change is pushing the fire towards Horsham, and I think there’s been some loss of properties.”

Heffernan continues to uplift the selfless work of the CFA volunteers in the region, asking community to also treasure the saves, “the hard work that has been put in by fire emergency services across the state in towns like Natimuk, where we have seen homes saved because of the actions of those volunteers.”

Help announced

In a press conference led by Premier Jacinta Allan, support has been announced for all those impacted by the fires.

“If you think you may be eligible for re-establishment assistance, call the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226 or visit emergency.vic.gov.au/relief”.