General News
29 January, 2025
Dimboola saved: residents return home after Little Desert bushfire evacuation
The threat of Little Desert fire to Dimboola and Wail has been reduced
The devastating toll of the Little Desert National Park is still being evaluated as Dimboola and Wail residents gradually return to their homes on Tuesday, January 28.
Less than 24 hours earlier, the communities were advised to evacuate as the 63,000-hectare blaze quickly approached the edge of town.
The Hindmarsh Shire Council opened a new relief centre in Dimboola at the Library on Wednesday, January 29, following the closure of the Horsham Centre.
A community meeting in Dimboola is scheduled for 5pm on Wednesday, January 29, so residents can start the long recovery process.
Reflecting on the chaos
The Dimboola and Wail communities were evacuated at 7.30pm on Monday, January 27, as the fire front reached the edge of the Wimmera River.
The community had 30 minutes to collect their belongings and join the long line of vehicles exiting the town.
Chan Ouy, Hindmarsh Shire Council deputy mayor and owner of Dimboola Imaginarium, said the emergency services text came through at 6:57pm.
Monday, which meant less than half an hour to leave.
"The smell and the amount of smoke made the text even more real," he said.
"We collected up some belongings and headed to Horsham. We brought the people who were staying with us and also our neighbour.
"When you abandon everything you have worked for and do not know if it will be there in a few hours, it is surreal; however, it makes you realise life is the most important.
"Things can be replaced, but life cannot, so life is the ultimate."
Mr Uoy said he was impressed with the solidarity of the communities of Dimboola and Horsham.
"It has been wonderful to see how people rally and offer help.
"People you don't know or have never had conversations with are holding conversations. I think everyone in the same situation does that," he said.
Mr Ouy said he believed this was the first time Dimboola had experienced an evacuation, and he felt for the community.
"We have new businesses starting up and new people moving here, and I felt for them," he said.
Many evacuees stayed with family or friends Monday night or booked into motels.
Dimboola resident Ian Barry said as the smoke increased Monday afternoon, he was prompted to collect his insurance papers.
"When the message to evacuate came, I gathered up some good clothes, documents and a few items of sentimental value," he said.
"As I walked out the door to the car, I gathered up my mother's photographs, so I'm glad I have them with me."
Mr Barry stayed with his brother-in-law at Riverside on Monday night but spent the day at the Emergency Relief Centre in Horsham, monitoring the Vic Emergency App and enjoying breakfast provided by the Salvation Army Emergency Relief crew.
The Salvation Army Crew, Capt Tracy, Daryl Crowden and Adam Clark, served 75 breakfasts to the evacuees Tuesday morning and said they would stay at the Emergency Relief Centre as long as needed.
The morning brought some good news: the township of Dimboola had not been impacted as feared; residents hope to return home soon.
However, the Little Desert Lodge was destroyed in the blaze.
In a statement, camp director Mosche Kahn said the fire had destroyed the facility, but staff, visitors, guests, and animals had left earlier in the day and were all safe.
"The lodge, situated on the edge of the Little Desert National Park, was a cherished site for nature enthusiasts and wildlife lovers," he wrote.
He thanked the community for their messages of support and encouragement.
"We remain committed to the spirit of the lodge and the values it represents, and we are optimistic about rebuilding a future where nature, wildlife and community continue to thrive together," he said.