Hard Truths: Jack Egan

The day everything changed

I had understood something about climate change since the 1990s.

But my understanding sharpened dramatically on New Year’s Eve 2019, when the Black Summer fires burnt our home to the ground.

Cath and I loved our life in Rosedale. Our house sat among spotted gums, coastal ironbarks and dense bushland. We knew we lived in a fire-prone area, but we had water tanks, hoses, a pump and a written fire plan, so we felt reasonably prepared.

Then everything changed.

At 6am on 31 December 2019, emergency text messages told us the Currowan fire was approaching. As the sky turned orange and embers filled the air, everyone in the street activated their fire plans.

Cath headed to the beach for survival.

I stayed behind to defend our house.