Volunteers mend Harcourt fences as recovery from January's fires continues — one post, one wire, one property at a time.
The BlazeAid camp based out of Derby Hill in Maldon has been led by Lynn and Stan Russmussan since it was established in late January. The pair bring 25 years of fencing experience, having run a Bendigo-based business before retiring in 2019.
Lynn and Stan first became involved with BlazeAid in 2020 during the Corryong fires.
More than 165 volunteers have contributed to the local effort. Since January 23, 84 properties have been registered for fencing, with work completed on 27 and a further 16 underway.
Before fencing can begin, properties must be assessed, and in many cases cleared of debris. BlazeAid provides the tools and labour, while materials are supplied by property owners through insurance or at their own expense.
One Castlemaine local has offered unused gates, with businesses like Steel Blue showing support by donating 20 pairs of work boots when the camp opened. The Harcourt BlazeAid camp also received a donation of $10,000 from Deepcore Drilling on behalf of the Mitchell Services Foundation.
The community donations "make a big difference," Lynn said. "Not just helping those impacted get a fence up, but helping them get a start."
Extreme heat and changing fire danger ratings have slowed progress, with the first week in March the only period crews were able to work six full days.
Originally, Lynn estimated the camp would be finished by April 30, but with the setbacks and extreme damage, the end date remains unclear.
The camp has seen an array of different volunteers, including international visitors with many working holiday visa holders choosing to spend their 88 days assisting in the recovery effort. BlazeAid Harcourt has seen volunteers from Argentina, the US, the UK, Malaysia, and Chile.
Maurico Acuña from Chile has been at the camp since February 1, working on a website for property registrations and volunteer management, which Lynn said "has helped a lot, saved us so much time."
Properties require between 50 metres and five kilometres of fencing. With the scale of damage and ongoing delays, work is expected to continue for some time as crews support recovery across Harcourt and surrounding communities.