Farming family lose everything in the NSW fires

THIS farming family lost everything in the NSW fires. Their home, livestock and livelihood is gone. And the devastation isn’t over yet.

Chris and Sam Wentworth Brown have lost everything in the fire that swept through NSW this week. Their home, livestock and livelihood.

IT WAS a homestead that stood proudly for decades, home to four generations of the Wentworth Brown family — until now.

Now it is nothing more than a tin roof fallen on charred black earth, every treasured item, every memory — everything owned and loved by Chris, Sam and their children Ellie, 9, and Jack, 7 — gone.

It all burnt to the ground in just seconds, ripped apart by the still-burning fire that has swallowed 29 homes and 50,000 hectares of land in the region of Dunedoo in central western NSW this week.

Chris’ parents, long-time farmers Phil and Julie, also lost everything in Sunday’s catastrophic events, their cottage still standing but everything inside charred, and 3500 acres of land destroyed.

They have lost 90 per cent of their cattle, their farm machinery, sheds, tractors, tools and trucks.

Every fence is gone. Every blade of grass turned to black. Electricity, water, food for the animals — all nothing but ash. Phone lines have melted. Gone are clothes, kids toys, bikes, photographs, furniture — even the near-built swimming pool Ellie and Jack got for Christmas — one they didn’t even get a chance to use.

What remains of the family home.

Their vehicles have been destroyed.

“Its terrible — heartbreaking — just shocking,” Chris and Sam’s sister-in-law Margot Wentworth Brown told news.com.au this afternoon.

“Everything is gone. Everything. They can’t go back. They have no income because the farm was their income — Sam didn’t even have a pair of socks to put on yesterday.

“The kids don’t have clothes. Everything that was sentimental in that house, for four generations — is gone. Just like that.”

The mother of two, whose husband Tony was killed in a car accident five years ago, broke down as she considered the weekend’s Sir Ivan fire, which has been labelled the most catastrophic fire event in NSW history.

“Unfortunately my brother and sister in law’s house was in it’s path,” she said. “While Chris was out fighting the blaze and Samantha was helping neighbour’s pack their belongings, the fire ripped through their house and property.

“All she managed to get was one suitcase of clothes and her laptop.

“The house is literally a tin roof on the ground, there is nothing they can salvage.

“They were able to save their horses but lost 90 per cent of their cattle.

“Another half-hour and Sam wouldn’t have survived — she was packing the suitcase when Chris called and said ‘get out, get out now’ and she left.

“They are so lucky to be alive and they know they aren’t alone — so many other families have lost everything too.

“Everyone is trying to stay positive but reality is starting to set in.”

Chris and the kids before the fire.

She said Chris had already been up for 24 hours helping neighbours fight the fire when his house was taken. Now, he is going on 72 hours, with no signs of slowing down.

“Phones are dead, you can’t get through,” said Ms Wentworth Brown, who moved to Newcastle after her husband’s tragic death.

“They are OK. They are still fighting the fire — it’s not over yet.

“The kids have been doing exceptionally well but at 4am this morning Sam was not doing so well.

“Everyone keeps asking them where will you go, what will you do where will you live? And their answer is we have absolutely no idea.

“Chris and Tony’s dad Phil grew up there and raised his own children there — the cottage where they live remains and we are so unbelievably relieved that it’s OK — but there is not a blade of grass left in the garden, it burned right up to the house.

“Every shed, every structure — even the chook yard and the chooks — all gone.

“Everything in the cottage is black and charred and it smells — but it’s standing.

“They don’t know when they can go back.”

All that remains.

She said Sam, who is still recovering from an emergency hysterectomy before Christmas, went into the local butcher yesterday to get some meat for dinner.

“She went to pay and the butcher said it’s taken care of — someone came in and put $500 credit for them,” she said, tearfully.

“Everyone has been amazing so far, offering hay, accommodation, clothes, whatever they need.

“Some people have said I don’t have money to give but I have time — just tell me what to do and where to go.

“They are being very well taken care of by the community.”

She said although the family had insurance, they lost their income with the farm and to help, she had set up a Go Fund Me page to help get them back on their feet, which has raised more than $20,000 in 48 hours.

“They can’t make money off land that is charred, they cant pay bills, their cattle is gone,” she said.

“There is no answer.

“I don’t know how they get trough the next 12 months but we need to make the farm operational again so they can have an income and feed their kids, feed themselves and replace their clothes.”

To help, visit gofundme.com.

Originally published as Farming family lose everything in the NSW fires