Chris Mills

Bushfire Survivor, Victoria

On January 18th 2003, a massive firestorm invaded the north-west suburbs of Canberra killing four and injuring over 400 people. Some 470 homes and 2,000 businesses were also destroyed. Three of the four people who died were killed in Burrendong Street, Duffy - my street.

I took the precaution of setting my mobile phone, wallet and the cat-box near the back door so they could be collected if an evacuation became necessary. My greatest regret was not including a backup drive including irreplaceable pictures of eight-month old Alex.

The garden was tinder-dry, so I decided to dampen it to reduce the risk from ember attack. I was foolishly wearing thongs, long pants and a T-shirt – all cotton. I’m a pilot, so I know the hideous effects when synthetic fabrics are melted into skin by fire. The sky became darker and the wind-speed picked up. Firestorms make their own fierce winds. Suddenly, a huge gust snapped off a ten-metre tree and blazing embers rained from the sky. Small fires started in the shrubbery. I looked into the oily smoke and saw flames rising close-by and up at an angle of forty degrees. ‘Time to leave’ I thought and returned inside as the light failed completely - I was literally unable to see my hand close to my face. I knew I had a torch in the car, so felt my way to the glovebox, retrieved the torch and returned to the house. Wife, baby Alex and cat Stella and I rushed to the other car.

Traffic was bumper-to-bumper with anxious and frightened people hoping they could escape before the firestorm overwhelmed the suburb. We managed to squeeze into the stream, and followed the flow out of Duffy, past burning trees and a blazing petrol station. We found refuge at my Mother’s house in Fisher. Others were not so lucky; recounts emerged of cars with tyres on fire, and people having to resort to locking the doors on their over-full cars as people desperately seeking escape, banged on windows. Old people with mobility problems were not rescued by the authorities and many pets died in the flames. Tragically, three people were killed in their houses in Burrendong Street.

My house and all my family’s possessions were reduced to ash and rubble.

My car in the carport was burnt to the ground, the fire so hot it melted the aluminium head.

Notwithstanding the hot-dry summer and the ever-attendant firestorm risk, it is time to put on our ‘think Local – act Global’ thinking caps. What brings the risk of firestorms to lethal levels? High temperatures, dry forests and failure to recognise and respond to existential threats. Put another way, that is ‘threats to the existence of humanity’; as so chillingly described by Sir David Attenborough when alerting the world of the grave and imminent risks associated with Climate Change.

We expect our Government and the Prime Minister to respond when Australians are confronted with an existential threat. And how has Prime Minister Morrison responded? By waving coal around Parliament.

I’m not afraid Prime Minister; I’m a brave man, but I’m terrified. And so should you be.