Tara wildlife carer shares narrow escape from horrifying inferno during shock Western Downs fires

A wildlife carer who was able to grab an ‘armful of clothes’ and her dogs before jumping in the car as a horrifying blaze filled her property has shared the gripping details of her narrow escape. Full story.

As a “wall of red” flames crept up through the back of a Tara woman’s regional property, she said it was the abhorrent noise rumbling over the trees that stunned her and caused her to “buckle at the knees”.

Chris Mansell, who has lived at her home along Timothy Rd in Wieambilla for more than a decade, said the fire that ripped through her small community on Monday night was unlike anything she’s ever bore witness to and hoped to never experience again.

The 70-year-old wildlife carer said just after midnight she heard the “roar” of the fire and could feel the heat from the inferno coming towards her and her animals when she saw friends making their way down her long driveway to ensure she had a way out of her home and warn her to hurry.

“My friend’s partner said ‘look behind you’ and it was just there,” she said.

“It was there. It was coming straight for our properties.”

The woman and her friends were flanked by a police officer as they loaded up the car.

“I grabbed my dogs and an armful of clothes and I had to walk away,” she said.

“The sound is going to live with me forever more than anything.

Wildlife carer Chris Mansell was able to escape from her Wieambilla home as fires struck with her dogs in a car but had to leave behind kangaroos and a horse.

“I buckled at the knees and the dogs were panicking but I got them in the car and had to drive away from my home not knowing what would happen.”

Mrs Mansell lives at her property alone after the tragic passing of her husband seven years ago and said she had to simply open the gate and let out the kangaroos that she cares for as well as leave behind her horse before going into town.

“I got into town and had been told that my property was gone, but I’ve had friends check on everything and said that it’s fine,” she said.

Usually prefering interactions with animals over humans, Mrs Mansell said the kindness she was shown once getting to town was overwhelming and a testament to the way Tara residents rally after a devastating event.

“Tara has been through enough,” she said.

“We’ve been through enough.”

Mrs Mansell referred to the shock Wieambilla shootings in December last year that saw two police officers slain while on duty.

Multiple ground crews and aircraft are working to contain a large, fast-moving grass fire burning near Chinchilla Tara Road, Tara. Heavy machinery is helping to create fire breaks. The fire has burned through more than 2500 hectares. Ground crews and aircraft are also responding to a second fire at Millmerran which has burned through more than 1300 hectares. Picture QFES

“We’ve all been defined by a shooting, that’s not us.

“We’ve had fires but there’s been so much kindness in the community towards me.”

She shared the heartfelt moment that a woman unknown to her, offered her a place to stay once getting to town and escaping the fire.

“I went into a local lifeline and asked for a pillow because I was going to sleep in my car,” she said.

“A perfect stranger, a lady I didn’t know came in looking to find someone who might need a place and I said ‘I have dogs’ and she said ‘that’s fine’.

“I’m probably going to have to be here for a few more days.”

The woman in which Mrs Mansell is residing with and wishes to remain unnamed referred to the horror fires as “something like Armageddon”.

Tara resident Sophie Bougoure, whose family has assisted fireys by travelling back and forth from Dalby to Tara airport in delivering extra firefighting foam, echoed Mrs Mansell’s sentiment and said the community has been knocked over once again.

“It’s completely and utterly devastating, we just can’t catch a break,” she said.

The Bougoure's deliver firefighting foam to fireys at Tara airport as they work to fight the blaze with water bombers. Picture: Sophie Bougoure

Mrs Bougoure spoke of the tragic news that a deceased body was found overnight in Chinchilla-Tara Rd property.

“You wake up this morning to news of a dead body and that’s absolutely devastating,” she said.

“While it’s not uncommon it’s not what you want to hear. You can rebuild a house but you can’t rebuild life, that’s the reality of it.”

Dalby detectives shared Wednesday morning that they were continuing the investigation into human remains that were found near a dam on a Tara property 6:30pm Tuesday evening.

The body was able to be recovered just after 11pm and will need to be forensically examined to identify the person however police believe it to be the body of a missing adult male.

Member for Warrego Ann Leahy offered her condolences to the family of the deceased and to the first responders who were faced with such a devastating confrontation.

“Tara people don’t deserve this they’ve had enough challenges,” she said.

Ms Leahy called on the state government to get in and assist those who have been victims of the Western Downs fire while in parliament this morning with the government announcing a disaster declaration of the region. for the state government to push

For people wanting to assist the victims of the horror fires, Mrs Bougoure said the Tara Neighbourhood Centre were accepting donations in helping assist people get back on their feet.

The Tara Evacuation Centre has saw more than 200 people take up accommodation on Tuesday night seen with weather not expected to cool down until Thursday according to Ms Leahy.