FORMER Mount Gambier resident Claire Humphries has called on people to donate or help victims of bushfires after witnessing the “apocalyptic” scenes in New South Wales first-hand.
Ms Humphries and husband Ben arrived home in Melbourne yesterday after a nervous journey home from Boydtown where they were camping with friends.
The small township, nestled in the South Coast district, is just one of several currently under a “leave now” order from New South Wales’ Royal Fire Service (RFS), which has warned the community to expect to be impacted by fire tomorrow as conditions worsen.
Recalling the moment she received the evacuation message on New Year’s Eve, Ms Humphries said the devastation they witnessed has inspired her call for people to donate and help out in any way they can.
“We are lucky because we have a home to go back to,” Ms Humphries said.
“Those locals desperately need help and donations.”
The RFS text message told the group to relocate to the Eden football grounds but they decided to stay at the caravan park to ease resources for the locals.
They then packed their campsite up and started driving to Canberra soon after.
“We did not panic because of our friends’ kids,” she said, who are 10 months and two months old respectively.
“In the end, everyone that was in the caravan park was evacuated in preparation for worsening conditions over the weekend.
“Our friends did not have enough diesel to get out as Eden’s supply was drained from everyone stockpiling.
“Some generous people gave them a jerry can to get them to Cooma so we could fill up there.
“People definitely come together at a time like this.”
But the drive through the Snowy Mountains, usually a picturesque and peaceful tourist destination, was in a terrible state, according to Ms Humphries.
Cloaked in smoke and red haze, the group edged down the busy road, passing heartbreaking scenes on the way to the nation’s capital.
“Cooma was especially terrible,” she said.
After the long drive north and arriving in Canberra, the couple then made the decision to head inland and return to Melbourne.
“Canberra was said to have the worst air quality in the world on Wednesday, but the air was bad everywhere,” she said.
“Maybe we just could not tell as we had been breathing it in for hours. Albury was the first place we saw sky.”
Eventually making it back home to Melbourne in the early hours of yesterday morning, Ms Humphries said she was most concerned for those who were unable to leave their hometowns.
“You do not know how bad it is until you see it for yourself,” she said.
Donations for bushfire relief can be made directly to the Country Fire Service Foundation through its website to support firefighters directly.
Funds raised through the Australian Red Cross will support those in need at evacuation centres and provide emergency financial assistance.
