Australians in island watch in horror as homeland burns
AUSTRALIANS living in Guernsey have pledged their support for volunteers and locals in their home country, as they described the ongoing wildfires there as devastating.
As Australia suffers its worst wildfire season on record, Australians living in Guernsey have said they were thankful their friends and relatives were safe.
Chaos music festival co-organiser ‘Ozzy’ Chris Chadwick said he was grateful that much of his family, who live on the west coast of Australia, had escaped the worst of the wildfires.
‘I come from a large family and they live on the west coast, which hasn’t been affected as much as other areas,’ he said.
‘I’m glad, really, that where they are it’s not so bad, but I know people on the east coast – everyone has been affected, it’s devastating.’
Mr Chadwick added that the country was pulling together to tackle the elements, many of them volunteers wanting to help any way they can.
‘Nobody over there has had a Christmas or New Year [celebration],’ he said.
‘Everyone wants to help those affected and be there for them – my family are currently involved in fighting the fire, including my brother, who is the chief of the local volunteer fire brigade and then my sister and her family are part of the farming community trying to help.
‘Plus my nieces made up 300 lunch boxes to keep volunteers’ energy up.
‘People are disappointed by how much has burned, but they’ve managed to pull together.’
Record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought fuelled the series of bushfires across Australia.
Despite some rain bringing some respite to the thousands of firefighters and volunteers tackling the blazes that have been burning since September, the fires have intensified over the past week, with a number of towns evacuated.
Prince of Wales pub manager Chantal Stevens said she was in contact with her mum and step-dad, who live in Queensland.
‘Everyone’s been affected,’ she said. ‘I’ve spoken to my mum, she said houses are being evacuated and their neighbour’s shed blew up.
‘It’s devastating.’
Australia’s fire season normally peaks during the summer in the southern hemisphere. It started early this year after an unusually dry and warm winter.
More than 6.3 million hectares of bush, forest and parks have been burned.
Residents from across the water in New Zealand have said they can now see the smoke, which has travelled over the Tasman Sea towards them.
Sam Field, a New Zealander living in Guernsey, said it was a horrific situation.
‘I have friends over there and to hear and see what is happening is just horrendous,’ he said.
‘The smoke has travelled the 1,000km distance between the two countries, glaciers have caramelised, there are dramatic skylines.
‘It’s only a small impact in New Zealand, but overall it’s a terrible situation.’
Since September, fires in Australia have killed at least 24 people, including three volunteer firefighters.
More than 1,200 homes have been destroyed and millions of hectares of land scorched.
