Bunyip North resident Bill Pearson was the Cardinia Shire mayor when the 2009 Black Saturday fires devastated Victoria. 10 years on, he recalls the horror of the weekend as a resident and mayor and continues to praise volunteers for their efforts.
The scale and the horror unleashed by the Black Saturday fires across all of Victoria was beyond belief.
The terror unleashed by nature at its most ferocious remains indescribable.
Watching the fire race through our beautiful Bunyip State Park was both terrifying and sad.
It was at around 10am on Saturday 7 February 2009 that I remember standing on the verandah of our Bunyip North home watching the sky change from grey to red.
We made the immediate decision for my wife, Kay, and grandson, Jack, to leave as the fire was travelling our way. Fifteen minutes later they had left, and the fire changed direction, crossing over the Bunyip River into Labertouche, avoiding Bunyip North.
In Tonimbuk, local and neighbouring emergency services, including the wonderful CFA and a host of other groups along with organised local residents, fought the fire and contained losses to one house, grassland, hay, native birds and flora and fauna. Of course, this fire also took a terrible toll on lives, properties and livestock.
But we will always spare a thought for our neighbours in the City of Casey, the Baw Baw Shire and the rest of Victoria, who were not as lucky as us. Our thoughts and prayers will always be with you.
My memories of the days that followed were the wonderful and the selfless ways our local neighbours battled to defeat the terror and destruction.
Residents fought the fire with whatever means they had, and by this time we were receiving help from our community services. Our wonderful CFA volunteers, police, full-time CFA workers, health workers and our local councils of Cardinia and Baw Baw worked to help affected residents.
Pakenham was the operation centre for Gippsland.
Help was provided from our local, state and federal governments. We all complain at various times, but in this case, they were there when we needed them.
It still makes me proud to live in this area where people care for their neighbours and work as volunteers for the common good.
Well done to all those concerned.
