Western Downs animal rescuer details heart-wrenching fire scenes, the moment team members ‘walked out’

A carer who opened her home to wildlife, farm animals and pets left behind by owners fleeing deadly southwest infernos, has shared heartbreaking and inspiring details from the fire ground.

A Queensland wildlife carer has shared confronting details about her team’s efforts to rescue hundreds of animals from deadly blazes that have swept the southwest of the state.

Owner of B3ARS Animal Rescue, Bryanna Carter said in the last few days she and her team of five had attended 30 properties across the Goranba, Wieambilla, Tara and Weranga regions to do welfare checks on livestock or pets that had to be left behind by their owners.

“We have almost 300 animals at the rescue now, horses, calves, dogs, cats, it’s mayhem,” she said.

The animal rescuer who has been operating her business for three years but saving stock, pets and wildlife her whole life, said that despite being able to save many this week, the scenes on the ground had been devastating, and for some of her team, simply too much.

“We’ve seen quite a few (deceased animals),” she said.

Wildlife carer Bryanna Carter with a joey saved from the fires. Picture: Liam Kidston

“I’ll put it this way, two of my team members walked out because they couldn’t deal with it. It’s not been good.”

While the toll is undeniable, Ms Carter said she and the helpers who were left had to focus on saving the animals they could.

“At the end of the day we can’t help the ones who have already passed but we can help the ones that are still alive.”

When asked about her motivation to keep going during such challenging times, she revealed an accident two years ago after falling off a horse triggered a depression that only animals could help heal.

“I was so depressed, I had a litter of puppies come in and was told if I didn’t take them, they’d be shot,” she said.

“They saved me.

“Every time I’m feeling down, I remember that an animal needs me and I’m not going to let them perish in these fires.”

A kangaroo escapes the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston

Despite already housing hundreds, Ms Carter is willing to take on more and has encouraged those that have had to evacuate their homes to get in touch with her team so they can organise with fire crews on the ground to go out to their properties.

“We make sure there’s no fire active, and that the fireys know my team is on the property,” she said.

“It’s about communication and keeping in contact with them, we have to make sure our team is safe as well.”

For those with animals on a property that need attending to, Ms Carter welcomes them to message her Facebook page with details of the address and what animals are there.

“We can feed them, take them water and if not we bring them back here and once everything has settled we’ll get them back to their families.”

Ambulance officers rescue a couple lost dogs from the Tara fires. Picture: Liam Kidston

Other animal lovers, including those who have had to evacuate the same region still grieving over the shock police and innocent neighbour massacre, have had to endure the agony of leaving their hometowns without their patients and pets.

Wildlife carer and Wieambilla evacuee Chris Mansell said she was devastated to leave behind her horse and kangaroos while escaping from an inferno that threatened her property on Monday night.

“Tara has been through enough,” she said.

“We’ve been through enough.”

More than 400 vegetation fires are active across Queensland and has burnt through 30,000 ha of land so far, claimed two lives and destroyed 35 homes.