Today so many of our beautiful South Coast towns, villages and holiday spots will be coming to terms with the aftermath of one of the most destructive forces we face as Australians - bushfire.
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By Tuesday afternoon two people were confirmed dead and a third unaccounted for, the situation all along the coast was chaotic. We watched all day as the destructive force moved erratically up the coast raging through the historic towns, the close-knit community of Cobargo and terrorising residents from Batemans Bay to Moruya.
Not long after, fire was into the Southern Shoalhaven and impacting on coastal villages there. And as the southerly hit those north were bracing for possible impact. We know there will be losses.
Adding to the confusion were panicked visitors deciding whether to leave, multiple highway closures and petrol shortages.
It will not be immediately clear the extent of the damage done to lives, to our beautiful forests, our animals and birds.
In the lead up to this terrible day, community meetings were held up and down the coast. Hastily convened and heavily attended. People stood in rooms full of anxiety, hungry for information and armed with unanswerable questions.
The emotional temperature is as high as the temperature outside - but the information provided brings comfort as well as frightening warnings.
The heads of the agencies stand there, as tired and stressed as the frontline firefighters, explaining that there is a science to this incredibly co-ordinated effort.
Helping us to understand how and why homes are doorknocked, warnings updated and amended, that the water bombing resources know which fire to target.
Of the many wise words we hear at these meetings, perhaps the wisest are these: talk to your loved ones, talk to your neighbours, know what you will do.
And even before the meetings disband, we see people turning to each other, comparing situations, offering help and advice.
There will be plenty of time for reflection as the smoke clears. Hopefully this spirit of checking on each other can mean much more.
These times remind us that we are not just people living inside our houses and behind the perimeters of our fences - we are a community. And we will be here for each other in the days to come.
Kathy Sharpe
