As volunteers and emergency services that responded to Tathra fire reassembled at the Bega Showground for a thank you lunch on Monday, March 26, the extent of the community effort was clear.
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Over 100 people attended the event, including RFS and SES volunteers, NSW National Parks and Wildlife staff, police, church and community groups and individuals.
Their volunteer efforts were praised by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian who returned to Bega for the event with Member for Bega Andrew Constance.
“I came here to say two words, thank you,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“People here today put everything aside and ran into the fire as everyone else was running out.”
Mr Constance also thanked the firefighters.
“No doubt what happened was extraordinary, but to put it in perspective we had zero lives lost and 900 homes saved,” he said.
Fire and Rescue and the Rural Fire Service worked together to save the wharf, the school, and the surf club.”
Mr Constance reminded the community to remain vigilant throughout the clean up process in the coming weeks and months.
“We haven’t lost anyone yet and I’m hellbent on ensuring we don’t loose a life in the clean up,” he said.
Bega Valley Shire Mayor Kristy McBain became emotional on the stage when she thanked NSW RFS superintendent John Cullen for the time and care he took with residents uncertain about the state of their homes in the aftermath of the fire.
Veteran volunteer firefighters Bull Underhill of Angledale RFS and Brian Ayliff of Bega RFS said it was the first serious fire many services has encountered.
“We saw some of our young ones grow up in just two or three hours out there, improving their firefighting is the satisfaction we get from our work,” Mr Ayliff said.
Mr Underhill and Mr Alyiff worked alongside NSW Parks and Wildlife firefighters to keep the fire from catching Tathra Public School.
“It should have burned, the mulch under the school was catching alight, we have a lot of to be proud of, but we’ve got challenges ahead of us too,” Mr Underhill said.
“We did a lot to save as many houses as possible, but it’s hard for our firefighters to turn their back on a friend or family member’s house that is burning.”
Mr Ayliff added that the NSW National Parks and Wildlife staff were “marvelous” in assisting the RFS as the fire burned.
In recognition of the integral role that the Bega Showground played in the emergency response to the Tathra fire, Mr Constance gifted $40,000 to the Bega Show Society to update the kitchen and fridges and complete an unfinished paint job.
The Lions clubs of Bega and Pambula and Merimbula were also thanked for their work feeding evacuees and volunteers at the Bega Showground and firefighters both at the RFS control centre in Bega and sending food to the fire ground in Tathra.
