Dolphin Sands fire: Video shows flames creep closer to shacks, houses

A Dolphin Sands shack owner has described feeling “physically ill” as she watched a livestream of the bushfire bear down on her property. WATCH THE TERRIFYING EVACUATION VIDEO.

Margate woman Donna Lashmar, who has owned a shack at Dolphin Sands for the past nine years with her husband, said she felt “nauseous, physically ill and quite helpless” as she watched a livestream of the fire bearing down on her property.

Ms Lashmar said she switched on the feed when she received a TasALERT notification and watched on aghast.

“We watched the fire come from the 900s [street numbers on Dolphin Sands Rd], saw it burn all the landscape, and approach our storage shed which contains everything we use for recreation when we’re up there,” she said.

The shed, images of which appear to show extensive damage, contained “camp chairs, beach stuff, four or five kayaks, bikes, boogie boards, surfboards and a small outboard motor”.

Ms Lashmar said she felt “nauseous, quite helpless and physically ill” watching her shed go up and knowing there was not a thing in the world she could do about it.

“Our neighbour was there, he had to go down to the beach,” she said.

“We are really glad we weren’t there.”

The bushfire at Dolphin Sands captured from above on November 13, 2023. Photo: Tasmania Fire Service

Ms Lashmar said she was unsure whether her main shack was damaged, although she was confident that at the very least the structure remained intact, as her security cameras remained in their elevated position.

“We don’t know until we get there,” she said.

“We’re not going up until tomorrow because we can’t get through.”

Footage captured by a resident and shared to a local Facebook community group shows a terrifying evacuation as the bushfire burned on.

Residents from Dolphin Sands were assisted by the Tasmania Fire Service in the early hours of Monday morning, in an evacuation effort.

The video, which was captured by a passenger in a vehicle, shows multiple emergency services vehicles through thick smoke, as flames light up the dark sky.

Embers can be seen glowing in the scrub on the ground and floating through the air.

‘Here for hugs’: Dolphin Sands business owner offers free food, drinks

A Dolphin Sands business owner has offered free refreshments to residents in the wake of a destructive bushfire, saying they’re “here for hugs”.

Cassie Melrose, the owner of Melshell Oyster Shack in Dolphin Sands said the business was offering free tea, coffee and sandwiches to all volunteers and residents.

“We are here for hugs,” Ms Melrose said.

Waterbombing taking place during a bushfire at Dolphin Sands, on November 13, 2023. Picture: Dolphin Sands Community Network

Meanwhile, a Hobart woman has described being awake until 2.30am watching a livestream of fire bearing down on her shack at Dolphin Sands, which remains in the grips of a bushfire emergency.

Tasmania Fire Service previously said the blaze was first reported at 6pm last night and moved rapidly in strong winds, quickly spiralling out of control.

On Monday morning, TFS confirmed that two houses and a shed had been destroyed, although they expected more damage would be confirmed throughout the day.

Fire bearing down on Emma Birch's shack at Dolphin Sands. Picture: Supplied

Hobart woman Emma Birch, who maintains a family shack at Dolphin Sands, told the Mercury she was up until 2.30am watching a webcam livestream of fire bearing down on her property.

“I stayed up till 2.30am thinking we would wake up to silence from our cameras,” she said.

Ms Birch praised the efforts of firefighters and emergency services.

Out of control bushfire at Dolphin Sands, November 12, 2023. Picture: Dolphin Sands Community Network

“[TFS] really do put their lives at risk fighting fires. We could hear them and see it burning all around our cameras, watching it on all fronts,” Ms Birch said.

Launceston woman Naomi Britton said she is anxiously awaiting updates from her family from near Dolphin Sands.

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She said her mum, stepdad, uncle and uncle’s wife were in a property about 1.4km from where the fire sparked.

“I’ve told them to conserve their phone battery. All I care about is they are safe,” she said.

“My assumption is they went to leave to go to Swansea, and the road was cut off once the fire jumped the road. They followed fireys out this morning.”

More to come …