Gold Coast fires: How Canungra woman survied ‘wall of flames’ coming towards her home

A brave Canungra woman could see a wall of flames from her window when she called her mum and sons to tell them goodbye. Here’s how she survied the terrifying ordeal.

Belinda Pearl could see a wall of flames from her window when she called her mum, and sons to tell them goodbye.

The Canungra woman had been fighting for more than 24 hours alongside the rural fire brigade in a bid to save her mountain retreat and her “purpose” from Friday afternoon.

Alongside her groundskeeper Graeme Kirby she had worked in rotations through to Saturday morning, wetting down each surface, raking leaves, clearing gutters to prepare the house as fire fighters worked on her doorstep.

After evacuating her horse, chickens, ducks and dog on Friday, she made the difficult decision to stay at the retreat in order to save her home and business and keep the embers at bay.

“I had to go back and keep an eye out for the embers, I have nothing else, the place isn’t insured I had poured everything into it,” Ms Pearl told the Bulletin of her wellness retreat Pearl of Contentment.

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Belinda Pearl and her dog Gucci came close to losing everything when flames came perilously close to their Canungra home during recent fires. Pics Adam Heads

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A calm and bright presence Ms Pearl spoke of the the last five years she has worked to build her retreat.

She said it was early Friday morning when she made the call to let her loved ones about her decision.

“It was definitely a goodbye but I didn’t want to say it, it was too horrific. They knew what was happening, they knew what I had to do,” Ms Pearl said.

“I was crying on the phone to mum saying promise me if this goes it will be ok.”

“Helping others was what I was put here to do, without a place to do it I would have had nothing.”

Surrounded on all sides by the flames she kept each ember attack at bay rushing outside to douse every spot fire down.

Returning every few hours to the safety of her caravan at the Showgrounds for a minute or two of sleep.

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Belinda had built her home business over five years and it wasn’t insured. Pic: Adam Heads

“The firies told me we will be fighting to save your house,” she said

“We were surrounded from all sides,” she said.

The wellness coach got to a point of both exhaustion and desperation where she attempted to reason with the flames.

“There was a point I went outside just to ask the fire please don’t take my home from me.”

“At the start I’ve never felt so alone in the middle of a whole ring of fire, then everyone arrived to help strangers, I wasn’t fighting on my own any more.

“I can’t even call them strangers now, they are good friends.

“I’ve never been good at asking for help but that morning people just turned up with food or to keep watch.”

Back surveying her home yesterday morning Ms Pearl was on a mission to return her good fortune.

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Belinda called her family to tell them “goodbye” before fighting the fire herself. Pics Adam Heads

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Aside from few burnt trees, a downed power line, a damaged lattice and gutted beehive, the hard work had paid off.

In an act of defiance the small welcome sign ‘contentment is about letting go’ still hung over the entrance.

“I don’t know where I found the strength to keep calm, but I am so thankful for everyone.”

“I’ve been giving them the lip balm I make to keep them hydrated and some magnisum spray,” She said.

“I knew that’s what I wanted in the fire so just imagine what they would be feeling.”