General News
9 March, 2024
Blaze victims still homeless
A mother and son left homeless after February's bushfire devastated their Dadswells Bridge home are still desperately seeking a place to live.
A mother and son left homeless after February's bushfire devastated their Dadswells Bridge home are still desperately seeking a place to live.
Lee-Anne Day, 52, and son Marshyll, 18, have been living in temporary accommodation since their home was gutted in the blaze.
It was the only house in Dadswells Bridge destroyed by the fire. They had been living at the property for 12 years.
On February 13, the day the fire hit, Ms Day was in Horsham when she received a call from landowner Pat Crute, telling her to return home immediately as fire was threatening the area.
"I didn't have enough time to pack many things but thankfully Marshyll had packed water, the esky and pet food," Ms Day said.
"I wanted to stay there, I didn't want to leave, but we grabbed the cats and dogs, a few other things, got in the car and left."
Ms Day said they had only seconds to escape the fire as they could see flames and smoke clouds getting closer.
They travelled to a place they believed was safe - Pat and Doug Crute's house - from where they watched the fire sweep across.
"Suddenly it just took the house and everything in it," Ms Day said.
"In that moment I didn't know what to think as I watched my whole life burn in front of me.
"It was very scary to watch. I lost my whole life, my home and possessions.
"I can't believe it happened to us."
She said she was too upset to have her picture taken for publication.
Two houses, a shearing shed and a barn on the Crute property escaped damage.
She said she lost her father's classic car, an expensive train set that had been gifted to Marshyll, her grandmother's jewellery, and many important documents.
"There are lots of things I've lost that can't be replaced," she said.
"The only thing in the house that survived was my grandmother's old roasting dish, which is well over 100 years old."
Before the fire Ms Day had three dogs, two cats and three kittens.
"I had to put one dog down because he attacked a ranger," Ms Day said.
"The other one I had to surrender because she had just delivered seven puppies."
One cat is in temporary care with Phoenix Animal Rescue, recovering from burns. The other died.
Ms Day said keeping her pets made it difficult to find a place to stay but she refused to part with the remaining animals.
She and Marshyll were staying at Horsham Holiday Park up until this week, before having to vacate their cabin because it had been pre-booked for Wimmera Machinery Field Days site holders. They are currently in a short-term unit in Halls Gap.
"The holiday park staff have been amazing," Ms Day said.
"They gave us a discount but we were still paying a lot."
She said Uniting Horsham's housing worker was "busting her guts" to find a rental property for them.
"But there's nothing available in Horsham," she said.
Ms Day said she and her son would have to live in her car if they couldn't find long-term accommodation soon.
"We need a home more than anything," she said. "I need to put a roof over my son's head."
Ms Day said she had "a few bits and pieces" to get them through for the time being.
"I had ordered some clothes before the fire, thankfully," she said.
"But it's going to be a very hard recovery."