NSW bushfires: Vintage motorbike collection destroyed in Green Wattle blaze
A man’s lifetime collection of motorcycles and other precious memories were destroyed when the Green Wattle Creek bushfire ripped through 40 acres of his property, burning the area to a crisp.
NSW
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A lifetime collection of motorcycles, his mother’s 1920s furniture and other precious memories were destroyed when the Green Wattle Creek fire tore through Ralph Graham-Emmerson’s property.
More than 40 buildings – including 20 homes – were razed in the Buxton, Blamoral and Bargo area on Thursday with bush, sheds and fencing burnt to a crisp.
The blaze ran through 40 acres of Mr Graham Emmerson’s land but luckily did not destroy his home.
“I’ve lost a lifetime of collectables that were in my shed and in tanks out the back. They’re all gone now,” he said.
“All of my mum’s furniture is gone. She has passed away. I had so much of her stuff, there was furniture from the 1920s.
“I have had a collection of motorbikes for most of my life. There was 106 in total, in tanks out the back. They’re all gone now.”
There were vintage Harley Davidson bikes, rare vespas and even the original Buxton Fire Truck destroyed.
His “party shed” was also razed.
“We used to have big parties out here in the paddock. Everyone would hang around the shed and dance. Bands would come in and play on the back of a trailer. There were some really great times,” he said.
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As he showed The Daily Telegraph around his property burnt trees cracked and fell and small fires started when the wind strengthened.
Rural Fire Service Building Impact Teams began the arduous procedure of checking what had been destroyed in the fire yesterday morning.
There were at least five homes on Mr Graham’s Emmerson street that had been destroyed along with fallen power lines and hectares of burnt bushland.
Firefighters are hopeful the worst of the damage has been done to the region but fear it will be worse today as conditions deteriorate.
Local crews are banking on the possibility that the damage caused by Thursday’s blaze will act as a firebreak and stop new waves of fire from destroying more homes on Wilson Dr.
Originally published as NSW bushfires: Vintage motorbike collection destroyed in Green Wattle blaze
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