{"id":14328,"date":"2023-05-25T09:56:37","date_gmt":"2023-05-25T01:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/?page_id=14328"},"modified":"2023-07-13T08:59:24","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T00:59:24","slug":"meet-zoe","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/support-curtin\/planet-positive\/meet-zoe\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Zoe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Zoe Thomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Growing up in Perth, bush fires have always been a dormant threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lying in wait until summer, where it could unleash its rage and fury at any moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While a fire can be a beautiful thing – think cosy stone fireplace or even a bonfire on a chilly winter\u2019s night, it can cause catastrophic damage to people, property and wildlife if left unchecked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2021, my family and I came close to losing everything in the WA Wooroloo bush fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That day, temperatures in the Hills were set to reach 38C and everyone was outside their homes enjoying the sunshine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was also the start of a snap five-day lockdown, after a case of Covid-19 was detected outside of hotel quarantine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My family were cooling off around the pool when I noticed a plume of smoke in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little worried, I remember mentioning it to my parents who assured me it was about 30km away and no cause for concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the evening, this all changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fire was out of control and emergency warnings had been issued for Gidgegannup, Brigadoon, Upper Swan and Bullsbrook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I could see the fear in my mum\u2019s eyes as she frantically gathered some belongings and told my sisters and I to drive to my grandpa\u2019s house, while her and dad stayed back to secure our home and pack valuables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019d think a requirement of living in the Hills would involve having a detailed step by step fire plan, but it doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While residents are encouraged to have one, no one can really prepare you for actually having to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid such chaos, any measured plan goes out the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mum and dad joined us with the cat and dog around 1.30am the next morning at my grandpa\u2019s, and while I was able to catch a few winks, mum woke up constantly, checking her phone every 20 minutes or so to see if the wind had changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the situation worsening, all we could do was wait and hope our family home and our horses would be spared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning, we awoke to news that 59 homes and over 20,000 acres had been destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, the fire stopped 1.5km from our front door, but the scorched surrounds and deserted streets were a sombre reminder that so many others weren\u2019t as lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wooroloo fires raged for about six days and 86 homes were lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hundreds of residents were displaced, and a countless number of wildlife became homeless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years I\u2019ve seen Australia experience a greater number of these devastating bushfires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During summer, visions of our country engulfed in flames, fire and emergency crews battling blazes and families running for safety have sadly become the norm on the news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Videos of wildlife seeking refuge in the arms of rescuer\u2019s have also gone viral and tugged at heart strings all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a recent study<\/a> by Monash University, experts predict more than 2400 Australians will lose their lives to bushfires in the decade to 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This terrifies me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can only hope that through greater education and awareness our country comes together to ensure these lives are spared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wrath of climate change is no longer on the horizon, it\u2019s here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is real, it is happening but thankfully, there is still time to save our home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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