To put the 2019-2020 Australian Bushfire season in perspective, the following is provided from Wikipedia.
The 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, colloquially known as the Black Summer, began with several serious uncontrolled fires in June 2019. Throughout the summer, hundreds of fires burnt, mainly in the southeast of the country. The major fires, which peaked during December–January, have since been contained and/or extinguished.
As of 9 March 2020, the fires burnt an estimated 46 million acres; 72,000 square miles, destroyed over 5,900 buildings (including 2,779 homes) and killed at least 34 people. An estimated one billion animals have been killed and some endangered species may be driven to extinction. At its peak, air quality dropped to hazardous levels. The cost of dealing with the bushfires is expected to exceed the A$4.4 billion of the 2009 Black Saturday fires, and tourism sector revenues fell below more than A$1 billion. By 7 January 2020, the smoke had moved approximately 6,800 mi across the South Pacific Ocean to Chile and Argentina.
Here in South Australia fires began on the Yorke Peninsula in early November and continued through the month. Just before Christmas a fire broke out in the Cudlee Creek region of the Adelaide Hills. Later in January a bushfire broke out on Kangaroo Island consuming more than a third of the island. The loss of wildlife was horrific. The loss of livelihoods devastating. The loss of life unfortunate but it could have been worse.
The wine and fruit industries were particularly hard hit in the Adelaide Hills. Arriving at Cellar Door Fest, attendees were informed of the special area provided to wineries destroyed by the bushfires. In this area we met Bob and Iain Baxter. For two people faced with a total loss of their business, they were incredibly upbeat and high spirited.
We tasted their product. Some offerings were particularly tasty. With our first rental car ahead of us, we arranged to drive to the hills and have a look. What we knew about the Cudlee Creek fires is that they killed one person, more than 70 houses were destroyed, as well as over 400 outbuildings and 200 cars. Bob and Iain made unfortunate contributions to the outbuilding numbers and vehicle statistics.
Arriving in the Adelaide Hills, we were at first confused. Recent rains had turned the ground green with new underbrush. It had been more than a month since the fires. Bird-In-Hand Winery, a large well-known concern within a half mile of New Era was untouched. Their vineyards and facilities intact and showing no sign of the fires. Not far down the road the fields still didn’t show signs of a devastating fire.
And then we pulled in the driveway! Charred trees and a melted vehicle lined the driveway. Beside and behind the house is an unidentifiable mess. Bob will identify it. We will come to know it as what once upon a time was the winery.
Bob recounts the day the fires came. They first saw the fire come across the ridge of a hill on the other side of the road. It quickly came down the hill, jumped the road burning toward their house. By the time the fire began surrounding them, the front paddock (yard) was burned out.
The time it took to go from the ridge across the street to his front paddock was minutes. He doesn’t even know how the fire ended up on the far side of the vineyards behind the house; but however it happened, it happened very fast and in an unseen manner. He says it jumped in some airborne fashion.
They had to choose between the house and the winery. They chose to use the pool water to wet the house. When they became surrounded, Bob placed his wife, animals, important papers, computers and a few valuables in the family car and parked it in the burned out front paddock; there was nothing left to burn there. The fire service arrived to help him save the house while the adjacent winery was completely destroyed. It helped that the head of the local fire service, lived across the street and had already saved his home with everything around his place burned out.
This is a picture of one of their cars, what little is left of the winery, and a pile of heat fused and melted wine bottles.
The following pictures are burnt vineyards. The green is the undercover that has grown back since the fire due to rain in the area.
By the day we arrive, its two months since the event. Rains have come and the area has greened
significantly. We’re picking up two and
half cases doing our part to support this business. Bob figures it will cost $1MAUD to get back online.
Through it all, he displays a stiff upper lip.
The first time we reordered, none other than Iain arrived with our order. We are doing our part to support them. We've settled in on their wonderfully drinkable Sangiovese, the Temperanillo, the Cabinert Sauvigion, and their Pinot Noir.
Both of our friends are ordering from them and when the time came to give a ‘shout out’ in the Wine by Geoff Hardy newsletter, CJ nominated Iain and Bob.
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