Bushfires: forgotten Victorian town of Genoa battles on its own

For a week, the people of Genoa have been isolated and stranded, with no way out of town and little contact with the outside world.

The heritage bridge at Genoa ablaze. Picture: Heritage Council Victoria

They saved their town from 20m high flames using little but garden hoses and buckets. They ran from house to house with no support from firefighters, and then supported each other when it was discovered one of their own had perished.

For a week, the people of Genoa have been isolated and stranded, with no way out of town and little contact with the outside world. They had felt abandoned.

And then on Monday afternoon, through the trees and ridges surrounding the tiny community that sits just inside Victoria’s border with NSW in the state’s far eastern corner, they heard an unfamiliar sound.

They rushed out of their homes, past the five properties ­destroyed in the town and near the historic bridge that has been lost, and watched as an Australian Army Taipan helicopter landed.

“No one was aware it was coming,” Leanna Severs said from the middle of Genoa. “Everyone was very excited that we finally had supplies. We rushed out to see it land and then helped get supplies off the chopper.”

Army Lieutenant Colonel Sharon Coates said the community was given “the bare essentials to get by for the next few days”.

It was a welcome relief for the Genoa community, which was still reeling from news that local timber worker Fred Becker was found dead at his home in nearby ­Maramingo Creek last week.

More than 20 people have been stuck in Genoa, sharing food with each other and trying to get to nearby communities to help.

Among them is electrician Larz Van Der Sant, whose pregnant partner is in Melbourne and due to give birth in the next fortnight. The 24-year-old said most ­people in Genoa were still in shock a week after the first large firefront went through the town, and days after a second front arrived on ­Friday night. Fuel, food and water have been running low since.

Mr Van Der Sant said a small amount of fuel was brought in by firefighters on Friday and a firetruck came “too late” on Saturday, but that was the extent of support given to the town until Monday.

“I was hit by the main front,” Mr Van Der Sant said. “It towered over my house by a good 10m to 20m in front of me. The flames were right up to the top of the trees in front of me and just absolutely roared over. You could feel the roar in your chest.

“I didn’t think I was making it out, let alone the house.”

Using only garden hoses, buckets and electric pumps running off the generator, he and another local saved his house before moving to his neighbours’ homes and protecting tourists in the centre of town.

“We managed to save those two houses, and then me and that landholder went on to other properties,” he said. “The community was … racing around to everyone’s properties, doing what they could to save what they could.”

That first front last Tuesday was the one that destroyed buildings around Genoa. The second was “what really destroyed the outlying areas”, Mr Van Der Sant said.

“The first one, you couldn’t see anything, and by the time you did see flames, they were on top of you,” he said.

“The second one, you could hear it coming, you could see it coming on the ridge lines. It was just coming up in like big fire tornadoes, just swirling off the ridge lines and coming towards us.’’

Ms Severs, 24, said she had been worried. Along with the town running low on food, water and fuel this past week, she said her ­employer — the abalone factory in Mallacoota — burned down last week.

Of the food and other supplies, locals were “making what we have stretch between the community of Genoa, Wallagaraugh and Wangarabell”, she said.

Her sister, Kayla Severs, has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise $50,000 to help the town rebuild.

“This community has been forgotten,” the GoFundMe page says. “This community is hurting. Please help us rebuild our little town that we all love so much.”

Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said authorities were trying to get roads open out of Genoa as a “key priority”.