As catastrophic bushfire conditions gripped the state of Victoria, Ken Norris spent a terrifying night watching flames engulf his Longwood East property, yet he insists he is one of the "lucky ones." The 65-year-old and his wife Sharon escaped with their lives, their four dogs, and two goats, but lost nearly all other infrastructure on their land to the out-of-control Longwood fire.
A Wall of Fire and a Harrowing Escape
Ken Norris first saw the fire crest the hill towards his property at 2pm on Thursday. He describes a surge of panic and adrenaline, knowing he had little time to act. After wetting down the exterior of their two-storey house and the surrounding grass, the couple, who had been advised to stay put, retreated inside. From there, they watched helplessly as their outbuildings, orchard, and small vineyard were consumed. "By 3pm the fire had gone right through us," Norris recounted.
The ordeal was far from over. Hours later, a dry thunderstorm with winds of 60-70km/h whipped up the fire's remnants, leading to a fierce ember attack. "The ember attack last night was probably as bad as the main fire itself. It was pretty terrifying," Norris said. The partially built house, a retirement project, features an underground floor which provided a potential refuge.
Community Spirit Amid the Ashes
By Friday morning, the couple found themselves trapped by fallen trees. Their daughter's desperate social media plea for help was answered by two young men in their mid-20s, who arrived with a truck and chainsaws to clear a path. "The sense of community was just amazing," Norris said, deeply moved by the act. This spirit extended to kennels in Seymour, which offered to shelter their animals and even provide a place for the couple to stay.
The Longwood bushfire continued to burn out of control on Friday, causing significant damage in the nearby town of Ruffy, approximately 175km north of Melbourne. The fire was one of 58 burning across Victoria by 6pm that evening, driven by a severe to extreme heatwave combined with damaging winds and storms.
Catastrophic Warnings and Statewide Crisis
Authorities issued a "catastrophic" fire danger rating for several regions, including north central, northern country, south west and Wimmera. This was the first such warning since the Black Summer fires of 2019-20. An "extreme" rating covered much of the rest of the state. By 5.30pm Friday, more than 61 bushfire warnings were active, with residents in areas like Walwa near the New South Wales border told to evacuate immediately.
Despite the loss and the "very harrowing experience" of being inside a bushfire, Ken Norris's focus remains on his fortune. "We're one of the extremely lucky ones," he stressed. "We've still got a house. We're all healthy. We've still got our lives." With characteristic resilience, he added, "I'm not going to buy a Tattslotto ticket. I reckon I've used my luck up already."
