After several days of waking up to an eerie smoke-filled sky, I can finally see blue over my Sunshine Coast home. But there are still bushfires raging 45 minutes north of me – and one of my friends almost lost her home – so this morning I jumped in the car and made my way up there to survey the damage.
WATCH: Our correspondent shows what it’s like living on the edge of the fire zone
As I drove up the Sunshine Motorway, I could see thick grey smoke covering the sky again. It wasn’t long before its powerful smell made its way into my car too. I felt sick to my stomach.
I turned onto Lake Corooibah Road and all I could see to my right was blackened bush. I’d heard that a house had been lost near there and I felt goosebumps crawl up my arms. It was so surreal seeing the devastation with my own eyes.
When I finally pulled into my friend’s driveway, I gasped. Her formerly lush property had been transformed into a smouldering wasteland. I walked around taking it all in and choking back tears. I couldn’t believe how much had been lost. By some miracle, her house was still standing.
I could still see smoke rising from small spot fires dotted around the property and the smell was overwhelming. My friend had left a couple of hours earlier because she couldn’t stand the smoke anymore, but she’d told me to look around as much as I liked.
I saw a burnt car through the charred trees that stretched all the way to her neighbour’s property. The birds were chirping as if nothing had happened. I felt like I was on a movie set. My friend texted me just then. “I hear there’s another fire in Corooibah,” she wrote. “It’s contained, but you should probably leave now.”
I climbed back in my car and drove sombrely down Lake Corooibah Road. I pulled over to quickly take some footage of the scorched bush, but when I saw two fire trucks race past I knew it was my cue to get out of there. As I made my way back to civilisation, more and more cars joined me. These poor people were leaving their homes yet again, not knowing if they’d find them standing when they returned.
My hearts go out to you, bushfire survivors. What I saw today will stay with me forever.
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