Badja Forest bushfire: deadly blaze’s movement was ‘extraordinary’, inquiry hears

A blaze that claimed seven lives during the devastating Black Summer bushfires is being examined in a coronal inquiry.

An inquiry has heard how a fire thunderstorm killed a father and son, yet somehow missed their home less than 100m away, as it tore through a rural NSW property on New Year’s Eve 2019.

On Monday a coronial hearing into the devastating Black Summer of 2019-2020 focused on the Badja Forest blaze that claimed seven lives and destroyed more than 1400 homes and buildings.

Senior fire investigator Glenn Bradley said he had never seen anything like the rapid and extreme spread of the fire sparked in southeast NSW by a barrage of lightning strikes on December 27, 2019.

A fire-generated thunderstorm formed over the Badja Forest Rd and Tuross Falls Rd fires, northwest of Cobargo. Picture: RFS

The NSW Coroners Court heard the fire raged for 68 days until March 2020, merged with a series of smaller blazes in the region along the way and burned through 476,000 hectares.

Its staggering spread of 35km overnight between December 30 and 31 had fatal consequences for six people who died that day, including Wandella father-and-son Robert and Patrick Salway.

The inquiry heard the men, aged 63 and 29, were found dead about 50m-80m away from their home located 10km northwest of Cobargo.

Detective Bradley said a fire-generated thunderstorm passed through the property on the morning of the 31st, killing both men, but their residence “appeared unaffected”.

The men, who had tried protecting their home, died of extensive thermal injuries, the inquiry heard.

The Salways were killed trying to save their home and farming equipment.

Among the others who died that day was Richard Steele, incinerated in his granny flat, and John Smith, who sustained thermal injuries.

Ross Rixon also died in hospital on January 18, 2020 after suffering critical burns to his face on December 31.

Counsel Assisting the coroner Adam Casselden SC earlier told the inquiry the Badja Forest fire’s movement on its tragic collision course was described by the NSW Rural Fire Service as “extreme and anomalous”.

Rural Fire Service crews battle a blaze southwest of Sydney during the Black Summer fires. Picture: Dean Lewins / AAP

The blaze moved on a southeast downslope a distance of 35km in only 12 hours, he said, which was “extraordinary”.

“In all your years as a fire investigator, have you ever heard of anything as remarkable as that?” Mr Casselden asked Detective Bradley.

The investigator replied: “Not even close, no.”

It is believed the fire started in an area off Badja Forest Rd, where felled trees were left to be picked up and removed.

“From speaking to witnesses, it was a heavy fuel load … on the ground level,” Detective Bradley said.

He said weather conditions leading up to the fire were hot and dry, with rainfall in the region below average or at record lows.

The inquiry continues.