Residents of Harcourt woke up on Saturday to find their homes still standing but many others were left devastated after a bushfire tore through the Victorian town. The fire, which started near Fogarty's Gap Road, jumped the Calder Freeway and burned through Harcourt and over Mount Alexander, taking out essential telecommunications, water, sewage and rail infrastructure.
For Peter Suelzle, the fact that his house remained unscathed was a miracle. However, his mother's mobility scooter had been left in ashes outside their home. The family had evacuated just as the fire jumped the highway, and they were lucky to have escaped with their lives. But not everyone was so fortunate.
A little way up the road, Chris and Augustine Sheppard sat outside their burned-out investment block, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Their house where they live is safe, but their immediate neighbors' houses are gone. The couple has been unable to get in touch with those who lost their homes due to the destruction of phone lines.
Meanwhile, local man Brian "Buzz" Nottle describes the "scorched earth" in the wake of the fire at Blackwood Orchard in Harcourt North. He has no power and is watching for reignition sources. His neighbor Colin Pickering says he's been lucky compared to those who lost everything.
The situation is still too dynamic to provide solid answers, but authorities say that the majority of public buildings have been saved, including the primary school and the town's miniature railway. However, the Coolstore Cafe has been destroyed.
At a community meeting in Castlemaine Town Hall on Saturday afternoon, Michael Masters, the CFA incident controller for Ravenswood, said that 100km/h winds had fueled the fire's rapid spread. The Mount Alexander mayor, Toby Heydon, said that local leadership had worked to coordinate the response despite staff and councillors losing their homes and properties.
As the fire crested Mount Alexander, it sent spot fires 7km east, a significant display of "very complex fire behavior," Masters said. The Calder Freeway has been closed since Friday afternoon but will reopen on Saturday evening.
The loss of ABC local radio is alarming, with Masters saying that its ability to deliver advice and warnings to the community has been significantly impacted. Local radio Phoenix FM 106.7 is rebroadcasting ABC local radio.
A recovery centre is due to open in Castlemaine from Monday morning.
For Peter Suelzle, the fact that his house remained unscathed was a miracle. However, his mother's mobility scooter had been left in ashes outside their home. The family had evacuated just as the fire jumped the highway, and they were lucky to have escaped with their lives. But not everyone was so fortunate.
A little way up the road, Chris and Augustine Sheppard sat outside their burned-out investment block, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Their house where they live is safe, but their immediate neighbors' houses are gone. The couple has been unable to get in touch with those who lost their homes due to the destruction of phone lines.
Meanwhile, local man Brian "Buzz" Nottle describes the "scorched earth" in the wake of the fire at Blackwood Orchard in Harcourt North. He has no power and is watching for reignition sources. His neighbor Colin Pickering says he's been lucky compared to those who lost everything.
The situation is still too dynamic to provide solid answers, but authorities say that the majority of public buildings have been saved, including the primary school and the town's miniature railway. However, the Coolstore Cafe has been destroyed.
At a community meeting in Castlemaine Town Hall on Saturday afternoon, Michael Masters, the CFA incident controller for Ravenswood, said that 100km/h winds had fueled the fire's rapid spread. The Mount Alexander mayor, Toby Heydon, said that local leadership had worked to coordinate the response despite staff and councillors losing their homes and properties.
As the fire crested Mount Alexander, it sent spot fires 7km east, a significant display of "very complex fire behavior," Masters said. The Calder Freeway has been closed since Friday afternoon but will reopen on Saturday evening.
The loss of ABC local radio is alarming, with Masters saying that its ability to deliver advice and warnings to the community has been significantly impacted. Local radio Phoenix FM 106.7 is rebroadcasting ABC local radio.
A recovery centre is due to open in Castlemaine from Monday morning.
. Like, 100km/h winds? That’s insane! And the fact that it jumped the Calder Freeway... it’s a miracle no one lost their lives completely. I mean, those families who did lose their homes... poor stuffs 
.
It's a big deal, you know?
. And at least some public buildings were spared... that's somethin', right?
.
i feel bad for everyone who lost their homes, especially those who were stuck with no power or phone signal 
but at the same time i'm glad some people made it out unscathed like peter suelzle, you never know what can happen in a split second 
anyway, at least the recovery centre is opening up soon so people can get back on their feet 
it's just so heartbreaking that many people lost their homes and loved ones' belongings. I mean, Peter Suelzle's house was a miracle, but his mom's scooter is literally gone, which is so sad 
.
. And yeah, the situation is still really dynamic, but authorities are saying most public buildings have been saved, which is a relief.
. It's like, we should be doing more to prevent these types of disasters from happening in the first place. Anyway, I hope everyone affected by this bushfire can get the support they need and start rebuilding soon 
. From the firefighters to the local leaders, everyone's doing their part to help each other out. That's what it's all about – looking out for one another in times of need 
.
like what was going through that little couple's minds when they saw their neighbors houses just gone 
and the fact that the ABC radio station is not working is a big deal 
can't believe the fire jumped the highway too 
hope everyone who got out safely is doing okay 
. But it's heartening to see the community come together like this - neighbors helping neighbors, the local council working overtime to support the displaced...it's a good sign for Harcourt's recovery 
. And I feel for the ABC local radio team, their job just got a whole lot harder 
. Let's hope the recovery centre in Castlemaine is up and running soon, with some much-needed support for those affected 
.
. hope everyone who lost their properties will be able to get back to normal soon 
! It's gonna take a while for Harcourt to bounce back from this, but with people like that, we'll get there eventually 
my heart goes out 2 those people who lost everything and can't even get in touch with each other 
i hope the recovery centre helps ppl get back on their feet soon 
it's a miracle ppl had enough time to evacuate, i feel for those who didn't 
the recovery centre in castlemaine is a good start tho 
at least there's someone organizing efforts 
. and i feel so bad for those who lost everything, including their homes and their scooters and stuff. i mean, how do you even rebuild a whole neighborhood?