Koolewong fire fundraisers launched for residents who lost homes

People have rallied around residents who lost everything to raging bushfires in the Central Coast town of Koolewong, launching a fundraiser to help them get back on their feet.

Friends are raising money for Brooke Heyward and other Koolewong residents who lost everything to the NSW Central Coast bushfires over the weekend.

As fires continue to burn on the NSW Central Coast, the Koolewong community has rallied together to help those who have lost everything in the flames.

With at least 16 houses destroyed over the weekend, returning residents have been confronted with complete devastation.

Friends, family and co-workers have organised GoFundMe pages to support individuals dealing with the loss of not just a house but all of their belongings and daily comforts.

Brooke Heyward, a Koolewong resident, has been left with “only the clothes on her back” after her home of 12 years burned to the ground on Saturday.

Ms Heyward’s friend Shelley Murcott organised a fundraising page to help the “extraordinary member of (the) community” recover from this “devastating loss”.

Brooke Heyward and her pig Pumbaa. Picture: Thomas Lisson

“Brooke has always shown up for us, and in this moment, we’re hoping the community she has supported so wholeheartedly can come together to help her rebuild,” Ms Murcott wrote in a post on the GoFundMe page.

“Now it’s our turn to give back.”

The fires have devastated the suburb of Koolewong.

In the last 24 hours alone $13,552 has been raised to support Ms Heyward during this incredibly difficult time.

With donations ranging from $20 to $1000, the fund is now over 75 per cent on the way to its goal.

In an update on the page, Ms Murcott shared that she has been “truly overwhelmed by the support shown so far”.

“This has been an emotional and challenging period, especially so close to the holidays.

“The kindness, generosity, and messages of love from the community have given Brooke incredible strength in an unimaginably difficult time,” Ms Murcott’s post read.

A look inside the ground zero area of the Koolewong bushfires.

Another GoFundMe page is raising funds on behalf of a single mother and her two daughters who were evacuated from their home with only moments to spare.

According to the NSW Rural Fire Service, the fire has burnt through more than 129 hectares of land, but is currently being controlled.

Originally published as Koolewong fire fundraisers launched for residents who lost homes