Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan with Harcourt brigade members Captain Andrew Wilson, Sue Bray, Jess Bell, John Bell, Nathaniel Polhe and Peter Church
The small town of Harcourt, a few kilometres north-east of Castlemaine, was severely impacted by the Ravenswood South fire on Friday 9 January.
Starting on Fogartys Gap Road, the fire travelled south and destroyed more than 50 homes and several businesses. The area was one of the worst hit in Victoria.
Harcourt Captain Andrew Wilson and his crews were at the forefront of the firefight and spent the days protecting the community.
“We went hard on the fires for four days. Everyone’s been pretty busy,” Andrew said.
Despite the number of losses, including some homes belonging to Harcourt brigade members, the brigade remains in good spirits.
“The crew’s doing well. They’re all supporting each other. All their training’s kicked in and they’re all in a good place. They are trying to take off a bit of time at the moment,” Andrew said.
“The support we’re getting from far and wide has been amazing.”
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan and CEO Greg Leach visited Harcourt this week, where the focus is on community recovery and back burning in some of the areas surrounding the town.
“I was able to spend some time talking to our crews and community members to hear their stories, and see the ongoing work needed to protect vital assets,” Jason said.
Watch a video on Facebook of Jason’s visit.
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