At least four homes and two sheds have been destroyed in a blaze that tore through Upper Macleay, west of Kempsey in NSW this week, the Rural Fire Service (RFS) has confirmed.
Key points:
- Four properties and two outbuildings have been destroyed in a blaze west of Kempsey
- The Willi Willi Road fire has destroyed more than 23,000 hectares
- A 56-year-old man lost his life in the blaze trying to defend his family’s property
The Willi Willi Road fire has now burnt more than 23,300 hectares and is being controlled.
Richard Mainey, 56, died on Monday night while trying to protect his family’s property at Temagog during the fire.
The RFS said building impact assessment teams were about halfway through examining the huge Willi Willi Road fireground.
Public information officer Michael Dunn said four homes and two outbuildings were confirmed destroyed, but it would be days before the full impact of the fire was known.
“We can confirm there has been a number of properties saved … there are numerous residential and other buildings throughout that fireground,” he said.
Firefighters will continue working on the fireground’s 110 kilometre perimeter over the coming days.
‘More like family’
Cattle producer David Duff was a neighbour and friend of Mr Mainey’s and said many in the region were third and fourth generation farmers.
“It’s very tragic. I feel for his family and his extended family,” he said.
“He was somebody I grew up with, we went to school together out here.
“There were less than 20 kids in that whole school, so you knew everybody, and everybody’s parents. It’s more like family.”
Mr Duff said the blaze had brought back memories of the Black Summer bushfires that destroyed many properties in the region in 2019.
“In 2019 we lost another bloke just straight across the river there, only a kilometre from where we are here,” he said.
“I hate to say it but this fire’s not over yet … we know the numbers that were lost in the Black Summer fires and in my opinion, this has the capability of being very similar.
“To cop it twice in four years is just a bit incomprehensible.”
Mr Duff’s son Campbell said they watched the fire come through rapidly.
“The wind picked up and it really came through like a firestorm,” he said.
“It was pretty hard to watch out to the west of our property.
“It was 50-metre-high flames and whirly winds of air that was on fire, it was pretty hectic”.
Counting the cost
Other property owners in the region saved their homes but are also counting the cost of the fire.
Michael Bryant and his son drove up to a ridge near his property in Temagog to inspect the fire.
“We sort of thought, ‘That’s alright, it’s going to take a long time to come over here’,” Mr Bryant said.
“Three or four minutes later it was at the house … it was terrifying.”
While Mr Bryant was able to save his house, he estimates his entire 16-hectare property was impacted by the fire.
“There was probably an acre or so around the house that wasn’t burnt, but the rest of it is gone.”
Fellow Temagog resident Chris Gill said RFS water bombing had played a crucial part in saving his own and neighbouring properties on Monday night.
“Luckily the helicopters saved all the buildings,” he said.
“They came over the top and were taking water from out of the river. They did an awesome job.”
Elsewhere in the Mid North Coast region, to the east of Kempsey Hat Head Road has reopened for residents after the community was isolated by a bushfire north of Crescent Head at Belmore River.
That fire has burnt more than 2,300 hectares and is being controlled.
