A fierce bushfire has torn through the Victorian town of Harcourt, leaving a trail of destruction and an estimated 50 homes lost, according to emergency authorities. Residents are returning to a landscape of "scorched earth," where miracles of survival sit starkly beside total devastation.
Miracles Bookended by Disaster on Coolstore Road
Peter Suelzle holds the brass numbers that once adorned his gate post on Coolstore Road, now all that remains after the post was incinerated. Remarkably, the home he shares with his wife Lynne and his mother still stands, a stark contrast to his neighbour's property, which is burned to the ground.
"We evacuated just as the fire jumped the highway," Suelzle recounted, surveying the blackened skeleton of his mother's mobility scooter. The family fled to Bendigo as the wind changed and ash filled the sky, returning to find their garden bushes still smouldering right up to the brick perimeter of their saved house.
Overnight Vigils and Alpaca Defence
While some evacuated, others stayed to defend their properties. Prue Walduck and Ada Milley of the Millduck Alpaca Stud took turns keeping watch overnight to protect their home and their pregnant alpacas.
"Sitting on the lawn at two o'clock in the morning, it was quite calm... but there was no frame of reference to know where [the fire] actually was," Walduck said. The couple, who have a concrete-rendered straw bale house, prepared to herd their animals into a shearing shed if the predicted wind change sent the flames back their way. "We're not out of danger," Walduck stated, planning another night-time vigil.
Community Reels as Recovery Begins
Victoria’s emergency management commissioner, Tim Wiebusch, told media on Saturday that the figure of around 50 homes lost in the Ravenswood and Harcourt fire was believed to be a "conservative number." Access to the town remained blocked, with police and CFA members turning away onlookers.
The fire caused widespread disruption, knocking out television and radio transmitters on Mount Alexander, and cutting power, internet, and water pressure to homes in Harcourt, Castlemaine and surrounding areas.
At a community meeting in Castlemaine Town Hall, authorities confirmed the majority of public buildings were saved, including the primary school. The town's miniature railway was damaged but intact, while the popular Coolstore Cafe was destroyed. Mount Alexander mayor, Toby Heydon, noted that local leadership had been coordinating the fire response even as some staff and councillors lost their own homes. A recovery centre is set to open in Castlemaine from Monday morning.
For residents like Colin Pickering of Blackwood Orchard, the immediate concern is the aftermath. Describing the "scorched earth" and lack of power, he warned, "There are still a lot of sources of reignition." Yet, amidst the loss, perspective remains: "Compared to a person who’s lost everything, I’ve got no hassles."
