Four Years On – The Quantitative & Qualitative

The odyssey continues.

It is four years since the fires that began on February 7th 2009. This is a personal [but public] journal entry to mark the day.

We have yet to settle in a new home although we are [finally] very close. We have had five homes [accommodation] in this four year period.

I still marvel at the fact that it was snowing at our home in Clonbinane just six months prior to the Black Saturday bushfires.

The contrast still seems incredible to me.

As life moves on and recovery continues, raw-ness fades and some equilibrium returns.

A natural but time-and-energy consuming process.

The process is just that, a process.

As anniversaries arrive, numbers seem to be important to many.

The quantitative.

• 173 people died, Australia’s highest ever loss of life from a bushfire
• 414 were injured as a result of the fires.
• 2,030 houses were destroyed and more than 3,500 structures
• 450,000 ha (1,100,000 acres) burnt
• 7,562 people were displaced
• 43 °C (109 °F) three consecutive days prior to the fires, saw Melbourne break heat records
• The temperature peaking at 45.1 °C (113.2 °F) on 30 January, the third hottest day in the city’s history.
• 46 degrees Celsius (115 °F) were recorded on February 7th and northwesterly winds were over 100 km/h (62 mph)
• 120 km/h (75 mph) gale-force southwesterly winds came with a wind change, creating even larger fire fronts. This wind change almost took my life.
• 900 to 1300 degrees Celsius – Is the range of temperatures that engineers told me I experienced at our hilltop home.
• My family lost all their possessions, along with the possessions of both Grandparents.
• Soil burned – [The Australian]

Those that experienced the day, sit with their personal experiences and memories, the qualitative.

The qualitative.

We lived in a beautiful part of Victoria, Clonbinane. We often referred to our home as living above a “valley of clouds”. Our children were born and raised amongst the gums.

The fires destroyed our home and possessions and changed our lives. Often we are asked if things are “better” or “worse”. I think my answer is “changed”

The fire almost took my life. Our family dog was with me. He did not survive.

My family lost their home and pet and almost lost a father and husband.

I learnt my wife and family are incredibly strong and resilient people.

We felt the support of the entire Broadford Community.

My children made new friends and grew and thrived through adversity.

Work and career changed dramatically.

A journey for a new home began, struggled and then ultimately a chapter had to be closed,

BAL, FlameZone, engineers, Government .

The search for a new home takes many years. It did.

A smaller property, another close community, a new home and builders that care about quality are all recipes for a positive future.

Lets hope the fifth entry in this journal is more about the qualitative and less about the quantitative.