Local Burnside CFS volunteers tell their story about KI

Henry Davis has been a Burnside Councillor since November 2014 and joined Burnside CFS as a volunteer, along with his wife Avril, after being invited to their Christmas party in 2016. “Our first job was actually a flood, not a fire,” Henry said. “We worked at Waterfall Gully sandbagging houses and going door to door warning people.”

When fires ravaged NSW in November and December 2019, Henry and Avril each did a stint helping local firefighters over on the east coast. The Cudlee Creek fire started on 20 December and both Henry and Avril worked fighting this fire up until New Year’s Eve.

Just when they thought they could have a break, a call went out on New Year’s Day from Kangaroo Island. Henry was first to go and soon found himself facing a massive fire, burning at incredible speed. “We knew it was going to be bad,” he says. “It started as 2,000 hectares and soon spread to 155,000 hectares.” On Friday 3 January the fire took off with north easterly winds. “We were trapped on the Playford Highway, surrounded by fire,” Henry said. “We were trying to save a property while also planning our escape.”

Henry was travelling in a command car with no water or breathing apparatus and relied on his fellow volunteers to get him out safely. “You have to stand together. You rely on crews beside you and protect each other. I am incredibly thankful all the CFS volunteers came home that day,” Henry said. “The fire was so intense all the water in the world would not have put that out.”

Back home Avril was watching the news intently, not knowing where Henry was and unable to contact him by phone. “When he went to NSW I had already been so I knew what he was facing. But on KI I had no idea how bad it was,” she said. Later that night Henry had limited phone reception near Parndana and was able to call home to let Avril know he was safe. “The fire was still going and I had to go back and fight the next day so I didn’t know if this could have been my last phone call,” he said. Avril knew the dangers her husband faced but says “It’s your job – you just do it. You don’t disregard the risk but you don’t panic either.”

Henry returned home after 5 days and Avril took her turn to volunteer on KI. “We worked with a lot of firefighting units from farms. They were exhausted,” she said. “But they were protecting their livelihood not just their assets. A lot of locals lost their homes while they were fighting the fire with us.”

Henry and Avril are determined to return to Kangaroo Island on a holiday, to help local businesses recover.