It’s another big day. Today we deploy all our resources: 24 onto another property that tragically, was totally destroyed. Again its highly emotional, this time there are no artefacts or keepsakes to recover, just utter devastation to clear and once again help the owners with their journey. He clearly tried to fight the fire, remnants of hosepipes are littered around the perimeter. The clean up seems endless, all we seem to be able to do is remove and stack endless pieces of burnt and twisted metal. Everything from garden furniture to lampshades, cooking pots to window frames. She was a very keen gardener and asks me if we can do anything about her (formerly) magnificent wisteria bush, which had been trained from the garden to the house. Though it is now lying draped on the floor, a curious mixture or retaining wire and fencing along its outstretched limbs, flush with green leaves, it feels symbolic. It contrasts the devastation of the fire on the house against the resilience of nature: in this case the Aussie spirit that I have a new found and utter respect for. When it comes to lunch break, my emotions are tested again. Their beautiful rural idyll in the heart of South Australia wine country is a pile of rubble and twisted metal. They now have nothing and goodness knows where and how they are living, but as we begin to gather round the cool box for the ritual sandwich, she appears with a bucket, soap and a hand towel. Inspirational.
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