Shelley Simpson had only lived in Wyndham for two years when she found herself as one of the community members assisting those who lost everything in the fires.
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What she witnessed through those she helped, and the efforts of other community members, has convinced her she would never want to live anywhere else.
Shelley's husband Luke is a member of the RFS. When the fires first started there were a lot of meetings and Shelley was often there making sandwiches.
"We were evacuated several times, the community came together and I got to know everyone really quickly," Shelley said.
It was after Doss O'Sullivan, who became a touchstone for the Wyndham community after the fires, gave Shelley the job of trying to find furniture, linen and homewares for those who had lost everything that she became immersed in her community.
"Doss put out a post of Facebook with my phone number and it went off," she said.
An hour later she was meeting a family at the fire shed. It was just days after the first fires with the threat of more to come.
"It was quite emotional. The family had lost a beautiful home and had been put up in Merimbula; it broke my heart."
However, near the site of their home was an old cottage; it was small, especially for a family of five and needed some work to make it habitable, but the owner was happy for it to be used.
It was just amazing, people donated, they gave new things, it was overwhelming.
- Shelley Simpson
There was frenzied but co-ordinated activity with Doss repainting the house, Luke helping to pull up old carpets before the floors were sanded and Shelley sourcing everything she could, to make it work.
"TruBuilt gave us a kitchen pantry, curtains were donated and the local plumber dug out the septic," Shelley said.
The cottage needed everything from furniture down to cutlery, but within three weeks they had completed the job.
"It was just amazing, people donated, they gave new things, it was overwhelming. A lady from Bemboka drove up with a trailer full of linen. I think a lot of people felt really lucky that their house was still there."
Shelley herself was the recipient of kindness as she evacuated with her sheep in a trailer. Distraught and anxious she received help from Longstocking Brewery owners Peter and Joey Caldwell who found a place to keep the sheep safe.
Shelley became very close to the family over that time and would sit and talk, sometimes until late into the evening.
Every Friday evening the community would come together at the sports ground for "fab Fridays", it was a chance to talk, to hug, hear some music, enjoy company and laugh.
"COVID came at such a bad time. People needed to talk and now they are holding their emotions in," Shelley said.
She knows that the bushfires can play havoc with anyone's mental health.
"I felt I was on autopilot for a while and I had to take time off for my own mental health. I've never lived through anything like this; it's a grieving, like a death," she said.
"I think if we can get through a summer without problems people will start to believe we'll be OK."
