NewsBite

Terrifying video of Adelaide Hills fire: ‘I dodged a bullet’ says relieved Woodside resident

This is what it’s like to have an uncontrolled bushfire race towards your property.

Woodside fire metres from an Adelaide Hills house

A Woodside resident sheltered inside his house and captured the terrifying moment flames came within metres of his front door.

Angus Campbell said he “dodged a bullet” after fire, fanned by strong winds, raced across the paddock of his Bird in Hand Rd property towards his house about 4pm.

In a video posted to his social media account, the 46-year-old real estate agent can be heard saying “oh hell, oh God, go away, go away” as he watched the flames burn his landscaped garden.

At one point howling wind sends embers crashing towards the camera, which Mr Campbell placed against a window.

Fire came frighteningly close to Angus Campbell's Woodside home. He chose to stay and fight and has credited his bushfire action plan – which included soaking his house with sprinklers – for helping him "dodge a bullet". Picture: Angus Campbell
Fire came frighteningly close to Angus Campbell's Woodside home. He chose to stay and fight and has credited his bushfire action plan – which included soaking his house with sprinklers – for helping him "dodge a bullet". Picture: Angus Campbell

Speaking to The Advertiser, Mr Campbell said everything but his house on the 60-acre property was “up in smoke”.

“There were spot fires everywhere,” he said, about an hour after posting his video.

“I’ve never been so scared.

“Once the flames were within half a kilometre away, I thought ‘shit, here it comes’ and once it jumped into the paddock and the dry grass it just raced up and absolutely decimated it.

“The house is okay, it went around the house, came up to within 15m.”

Mr Campbell prepared his house for an approaching fire by putting three sprinklers on his roof, flooding gutters and watering his lawn.

It was likely the kikuyu lawn that surrounds his house, paired with fire resistant agapanthus, helped prevent the fire spreading to the property.

“Agapanthus are one of the best plants you can have on the boundary of your property, they absorb so much heat,” he said.

“If you took a photo (of the house) from the top it would be an oasis of green in a moonscape.

“I know there are a few out there who have lost properties and I’m devastated for them, it’s a Black Christmas.”

The aftermath of the fire that raced through Angus Campbell's Woodside property. Picture: Angus Campbell
The aftermath of the fire that raced through Angus Campbell's Woodside property. Picture: Angus Campbell

Mr Campbell’s wife Danae and their daughters Ava, 14, Ellie, 11, Agatha, 2 and Flora, 18 months, had earlier relocated to a friend’s house in Mt Barker.

Mr Campbell said he was supposed to have a Christmas party at the house for staff of his Ray White Woodside company, but said he was glad he had postponed the event.

More footage of the Woodside fire


Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/terrifying-video-of-adelaide-hills-fire-i-dodged-a-bullet-says-relieved-woodside-resident/news-story/cc3e1fee37a0aa52d216a1fbbd50328f