Fire reunion a mix of good and bad memories

AS most were busy preparing for Christmas last month, a large group gathered to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Scotsburn bushfire.

More than 110 locals were at the Clarendon Community Centre on 19 December for the event, which was supported by Community Bank Buninyong and featured a free barbecue, a visit from Santa, entertainment and more.

The 2015 fire started on the same date as a Total Fire Ban day when temperatures reached at least 40C and winds topped 100km/h.

Before it was controlled, the fire tore through more than 4500 hectares of land and destroyed 12 homes and 30 sheds in an area covering Scotsburn, Clarendon, Durham Lead and Elaine.

About 300 CFA firefighters, supported by 11 aircraft including air cranes and waterbombers, battled the flames, which also took a heavy toll on livestock, pets and wildlife.

In the aftermath, 86 affected residents pursued a class action lawsuit against equipment operators and insurers, resulting in a $10.5 million Supreme Court settlement in 2020 to compensate for uninsured losses.

Clarendon Recreation Reserve Committee member Trevor Smith said the pre-Christmas event struck a meaningful balance between reflection and celebration.

“While the evening to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the bushfire brought back both good and hard memories, we hoped the event would also be a relaxing time to reconnect,” Mr Smith said.

“Thanks very much to the Community Bank Buninyong for their generous donation; it helped make the night possible.”

Participants also took the opportunity to recognise the volunteers, support crews and organisations that stepped up during and after the fire – and to celebrate the resilience of locals as they recovered from the disaster.

Moorabool Shire Council and the City of Ballarat were both represented. The community bank helped coordinate the event because it was directly involved at the time of the fire by assisting with emergency relief.