General News
20 February, 2025
A year on and another fire: Pomonal conservationist focus is on recovery
Pomonal resident builds on recovery of the ecology
A year after the Grampians fire in February 2024, Pomonal resident Lachlan McIntyre recalled the day the fire tore through the town, destroying 46 homes and numerous other buildings, fencing, flora and fauna.
"The Pomonal community was devastated by the February fire and now the second fire in December 2024 and January 2025 has impacted the community further," Lachlan said.
"There is a lot being done to help the recovery, but it will take time.
"So while others continue working in the much-needed economic and tourism recovery, I think my role is to work on the flora and fauna recovery because that is my skill base and profession.
"It is also a continuation of the work I have been doing on the property I share with my partner Patricia Alves," he said.
"I bought the property for its conservation value and I want to continue that work."
Thinking back to February 13 last year, he said the fire started at about 8am.
"I was working from home, and by noon, I knew we'd be hit. It was coming towards us.
"I left at 3pm. By then, the fire had reached my front gate and it followed me down the road.
"That's how close it was," he said.
Lachlan said an experience like this makes you decide what you are prepared to let go of, and it comes down to anything you can buy, but photos, sentimental items, documents, and passports you take with you.
"I moved to Pomonal knowing it was a fire-prone area, so I always had a plan and intended to retreat if it happened. So when the time came I was as prepared as you can be," he said.
"When I left, I had water-soaked towels in the car and plenty of water in containers"
Lachlan said his 18 years in the CFA helped and he drew on this experience when making his fire plan.
"Keeping calm and having a sound plan is important," he said.
That day, Lachlan went to a friend's property to help, but by the time he arrived, the fire was already there.
"The heat in the soil was incredible; we just kept putting out spot fires to stop them from spreading. In 20 minutes, the neighbour's house had gone."
Lachlan considers he was fortunate to find their home was still standing when he returned.
"The feeling was almost like an out-of-body experience," he said.
A feeling he felt again after the December/January fire.
"In February, I had to move burning logs and trees from the driveway amid the smoke and haze to reach the house and as I walked around the property to rescue and save what animals I could, I realised the property was no longer familiar," he said.
"I think there is an emotion and even adrenaline that you experience after something like this," he said.
After both fires, a corner of their house was alight when he returned but he was able to extinguish it.
Lachlan said it was an automatic response to put up a fence to keep their puppy, Marley, contained from the ground and secure a gate, put an additional gate on the entrance to the property and begin the recovery, he says.
For Lachlan, the flora and fauna lost on his more than 100-hectare property is heartbreaking, but using his experience, the prior conservation work he had done on the property and his work with Project Platypus has helped him with the recovery process.
"Everything on the property burnt; the understory was destroyed," he said.
"We lost the 300 Flora Fauna Guarantee listed Mt Cassell Grevillea (Microstegia Molyneaux).
"There are only 500 recorded in the world and there is no data on fire recovery for this species so we'll be depending on the seed bank to re-plant."
Sadly, the pygmy possums which are only about the size of a human thumb and the feather-tailed gliders would be collateral damage along with so many vulnerable species because of that loss.
But by putting his passion for conservation and knowledge to work, he created a recovery plan beginning with watering points for the animals and birds.
"These have to be set apart to lessen the spread of disease among the surviving animals," he said.
Secondly, they worked with a company called Calypto Hollows, which came out to their property and created hollows and habitats in existing trees without affecting the structure or health of the trees.
"We're also working with Phoenix College in Ballarat, who are making nesting boxes. Community members and others have also made and have provided nesting boxes for us."
Lachlan works with Project Platypus, and they have joined Jallukar Landcare in the recovery process to get post-fire information and run nesting box workshops.
"DEECA and Vets for Compassion have been amazing, too," he said.
Lachlan said their work has been essential in taking care of animals impacted by the fires.
"Patricia is an Officer with the Northern Grampians Shire developing the multicultural action plan for the shire. She is on the Pomonal Progress Association. She helps with the markets and assists at the Pomonal Recovery Hub to get information to the community.
"The Pomonal community has been amazing too," he said.
Lachlan and Patricia face the same issues so many do with rising home insurance costs since the fires.
"Our insurance has gone from $1,600 to my latest quote since the fire of $9,000," he said.
"People have to decide whether to have insurance or not, or seek a partial insurance cover."
Lachlan said when asked why they continue to live in Pomonal after seeing two major bushfires impact the community in 10 months, it is because of the community, the lifestyle and the environment to carry out valuable ecological studies and conservation which is why he moved there originally.