Foster twins keeps parents smiling as town’s post-fire rebuild begins

Russell Foster was terrified when a fierce blaze ripped through his property at Omeo. But the fun-loving nature of his sons is helping the CFA volunteer stay positive and help the community.

Brothers Jayden and Rhys Foster giggle as they play in the blackened paddocks of their Victorian farm.

The smiles shining through the soot on the seven-year-old twins’ faces keep their father, Russell, going through this tough time.

“Without them I’d be in a pretty dark place,” the third-generation farmer said.

Colleen and Russell Foster with their twin 7-year-old sons, Jayden (red) and Rhys (blue), on their Omeo farm as the rebuild begins after a fire razed 600 acres of their land, a shed, fencing and machinery. Picture: Jason Edwards

Rhys and Jayden playfully help their parents start rebuilding their property after fires tore through. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Foster, 50, was bulldozing fire breaks on his Omeo property on January 4 when the fire front swept through so fast he got caught in it.

“The first break, the fire jumped it like there wasn’t even a break there,” he said.

“It was very fierce, very hot. It flashed over the top of me. It was just ‘vroom’.

“I said to myself, ‘this is going to hurt’. As it went over it just went silent for about two seconds with no oxygen in the air.

“If I wasn’t sitting on the bulldozer, I may not have been here to tell the story.”

Video he took on his mobile phone in the moments after show him surrounded by flames.

Adorable twins Jayden and Rhys keep their parents smiling even after losing their property to fire. Picture: Jason Edwards

Up to 240ha of his prime cattle and sheep land was razed. Fences, a shed and an ATV were also lost. But his stock miraculously survived.

“There’s people way worse off than we are,” Mr Foster said.

Days earlier, he and his wife Colleen had heeded fire danger warnings and taken the boys to their nan’s in Orbost.

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But they are now home and ready to help wherever they can, fixing fences and feeding the livestock.

Mr Foster is also among the CFA volunteers who have been fighting the relentless fires, with cooler weather giving them a reprieve on the weekend.

“It’s nice to be with the boys and not fighting fires,” Mr Foster said.