Last summer’s bushfire season broke Shane Fitzsimmons’ heart. And then broke it again, and again. The fires started early – ridiculously early, in July – but the first truly devastating news came in October, when four separate blazes tore through far northern NSW, fuelled by drought and dry lightning. Then, in the tiny rural outpost of Coongbar, two people lost their lives.
When news of the casualties broke at NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters, the Commissioner got in his car and drove the 680 kilometres to Casino to be with local volunteers.
“Gwenda Hyde and Robert Lindsey weren’t just names on a fatality list,” Shane says, with that characteristic mix of steadiness and empathy. “They were known to the local RFS members, they were known in the community. And it doesn’t get harder than when our colleagues and friends and neighbours lose their lives.”
It was a brutal summer. The casualties didn’t stop. Seven people lost their lives in the NSW fires in November, another five in December and 11 in January – many of them RFS volunteers. On December 19, Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O’Dwyer were killed when their vehicle was hit by a falling tree in south-west Sydney. On December 30, Samuel McPaul lost his life when his truck flipped in what was described as a fire tornado near Albury. And three American firefighters were killed when their air tanker crashed in the Snowy Monaro area in January.
“There were periods during the season that were truly heartbreaking and I mean that in its absolute definition,” Shane says. “My heart was broken and it hurt – it still hurts.”
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 2020-Ausgabe von The Australian Women's Weekly.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 2020-Ausgabe von The Australian Women's Weekly.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
