Several families have been devastated by a bushfire that destroyed homes and a small business in New South Wales overnight.
Three bushfires raced towards homes in Kurri Kurri, Abermain, and Weston, near Cessnock, eventually joining to form one big blaze that gutted six to ten properties in the area.
Carolyn Taylor’s father was asleep on her sister’s property in Abermain when an ember attack sparked a fire.
The home had been saved by firefighters from a bushfire just hours before.
Taylor’s sister, Simone, saw the roof smoking as she was walking through her property following the initial fire.
She and her husband, Craig, worked quickly to get their three kids and father out of their home of eight years.
“They banged on my dad’s flat cos he’s deaf so there was a lot of screaming and yelling but they got him out,” Taylor said.
“(We) just had to sit there and watch it burn.
“We’ve just been trying to keep the kids nice and calm, they’re all very distraught.”
The family of five lost most of their belongings, including items belonging to their late mother, new appliances and Christmas presents, but they managed to save their pet lizard, Phoebe.
Teasdale Tyres owner Bryan Teasdale lost his business as the fire tore through the shop in Weston.
“It just hit, all in a matter of seconds, the wind changed, and then bang it was in the joint,” he said.
“By the time we turned around and had a look at it, it was coming back.”
“(The fire) hit the tea tree out the back and the flames were as high as the sky and bang.
“It’s 14 years of hard work, come from nothing (but) we’ll get back up … we’ll rebuild, mate.”
Local Darrell, who stayed behind to defend his property, said he had “never seen anything” like it.
“I’ve lived here all my life in this street, this is the worst I have ever seen,” he told 9News.
“I think the wind is making it worse, it’s sad really.
“I’ve been hosing my house down, what else can you do, can’t do much else.”
Total fire bans remain in place for the area, while all bushfires have been downgraded from emergency levels to watch and act.
