20 homes destroyed and more still at risk as 38 fires burn across NSW
Bushfires have now destroyed 20 homes in northern NSW, including couple of 40 years Laurie and Lyn Campbell, who nearly lost their lives escaping the flames. Everything they owned was gone in 10 minutes.
Laurie and Lyn Campbell were sitting having a cup of coffee and a yarn in the kitchen when fire tore through their Tingha home.
Not 10 minutes later, there was nothing left.
Dodging licks of fire 10m tall, the couple in their 70s fled from their home of nine years.
They are just one of the 20 families left without a home after a savage string of bushfires in northern NSW, in the Inverell and Tenterfield areas.
The fires are still burning out of control, with many homes in danger and emergency services continuing to plead with people to evacuate.
Since Tuesday morning almost 50,000ha have been burnt in the most critical areas — Wallangarra, Tabulam and Tingha Plateau — where Mr and Mrs Campbell used to live.
“The house is just burnt to smithereens. There’s nothing left. Not a thing,” Mr Campbell said.
“It looks like you see in the war movies when they blow places up and there’s just nothing left.
“We’re shattered, we’re too old to start again.”
As of 3pm on Thursday there were 38 bush and grass fires burning across NSW.
Eight were out of control.
The areas were in a total fire ban prior to this event, due to the dry, hot climate.
The areas had seen only glimpses of rain this year — and only because of thunderstorms forming in the unstable atmosphere.
The fire started near Tabulam on Tuesday morning, allegedly lit by a 40-year old woman burning rubbish in a steel drum in her backyard.
She was charged with intentionally causing fire and being reckless to its spread during a total fire ban, and ordered to appear in Casino Local Court on February 27.
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The NSW Rural Fire Service and aircraft carrying out water dumps have been working tirelessly trying to contain the fires and prevent further outbreaks, particularly in those three areas.
Strong winds and directional changes have made their job nightmarish, but an RFS spokesman was confident easing winds would help firefighters completely contain the fires still burning.
“We have seen conditions ease as the winds died down,” he said.
“There are some easterly winds across the fire grounds and we are hoping they will continue to ease.”
There have been no fatalities caused by the fire yet, but Mr Campbell almost became the first as he attempted to save at least some of their possessions.
The fire was on top of them much quicker than they anticipated, and it left the retiree face-to-face with fiery flames.
“I got two cars out and went back for the third one and I had trouble getting to it because of the flames and the heat, it was unbearable,” he said.
“Flames were everywhere and everything was burning.
“I was probably only about 10 feet away from the flames and I had trouble getting out but I made it.
“When I was out I thought ‘I shouldn’t have done that, I could have burnt’.
“It was a close call.”
For now, communities are shocked and devastated at the sudden and merciless destruction the fires have caused.
Owner of Tabulam News Ann Dabron said residents were shocked, but still had their small-town resilience and optimism.
“They’re in shock, at the same time a lot are relieved the fire didn’t go near them,” she said.
“The ones that did lose stuff are thankful they’ve got their lives.
“One girl came in and said it’s just going to bring us closer together and that’s what I think too.”
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