A grower in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region says this week’s Canarvon fire had a “confronting” impact on hectares of shrubland, fruit trees, as well as machinery and farm infrastructure.
The coastal town, around 900 kilometres north of Perth, was shrouded in smoke after an “emergency” level fire broke out along the Gascoyne River on Monday.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said the cause of the fire, which is now under control, was still being investigated.
Banana grower Valerie Shrubb lost irrigation infrastructure and more than 4 hectares of crops.
“Seeing the bananas was very confronting,” she said.
“All the burnt bananas on the property and the burnt paddock area next to us was really, really confronting.”
The emergency level fire decimated some crops in the Gascoyne region on Monday. (ABC Pilbara: Sophia Alston)
High financial losses
Ms Shrubb and her family were in Perth preparing for a holiday when reports of the fire first came through.
“Firefighters were going up and down the verandah of our property of the house, and they were keeping that fire back,” she said.
“It was licking the eaves of the house.”
The family could not return to the property until the following day.
“To see how close it came to the house, and it was just relief that the house was OK,” she said.
Ms Shrubb estimated the business had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in crop and property damage.
“At the moment we can’t get irrigation to [the bananas that aren’t burnt] because all the irrigation that leads up to those paddocks is in the burnt areas,” she said.
An emergency level bushfire burnt through 80 hectares of land. (Supplied: DFES Media)
Cause under investigation
Reflecting on the experience, Ms Shrubb wondered whether they could have been more prepared.
“I think we were probably complacent in a way,” she said.
“Because we didn’t sort of keep things clear enough, like around the house and the bananas are just too close to the house.”
Mulch piles sitting just metres from Ms Shrubb’s home caught alight. (ABC Pilbara: Sophia Alston)
The blaze also impacted the farm’s avocado and mango trees.
“We just have to wait and see how those trees are impacted,” Ms Shrubb said.
“But I’d say our avocados are done for.”
Increased fuel load after winter rainfall
Rainfall in the Gascoyne region was above average this winter.
175.2mm fell across Carnarvon, the highest winter rainfall since 2004, which Ms Shrubb said had increased fuel loads.
“There was so much fuel load out in that river area, from a really good winter rainfall, so that made it really, really hard to manage,” she said.
Carnarvon Shire President Eddie Smith said the community would likely feel the bushfire’s impact for the next two years.
“[Two] properties have lost 80 per cent of their income for at least two years,” he said.
“It’s heartbreaking for those guys.”
Volunteer firefighters were called to North Plantation on Monday to tackle the emergency level blaze. (Supplied: DFES Media)
Despite the devastation, Mr Smith said it was wonderful to see Canarvon’s community spirit alive and well.
“I think it should give the whole community confidence that this community can pull together and help each other when times like this happen,” he said.
He said it also highlighted the importance of improving fire management, alongside flood mitigation work already underway.
“In a small way, I’m glad it’s happened,” he said.
“It’s highlighted the need for … work being done at the same time [as the flood mitigation work] to reduce fire impact.”
