Deaf Australian family loses home from bushfires

[Transcript] The bushfires in Australia are still burning. At least 24 people have died and over 6 million hectares (over 15 million acres) have been burnt.

A family with deaf parents lost their home from the fires. Their names are Angus and Steph Johnston and they have three daughters who are hearing. They manage a dairy farm on 50 acres in a rural area in the southeastern part of New South Wales, which is one of the hardest-hit areas. The couple uses their voice to communicate with hearing people.

Angus said during New Year’s Eve, there were fires that approached his home and land. His wife and girls evacuated while Angus and his father stayed behind to defend the land. They used an ute (truck) and had two spray guns and they used it to fight the fires for themselves and their neighbors on New Year’s Day until January 3.

On January 4, it was was 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit). Angus said his neighbors called him to alert him there was a fire at the bottom of a hill. Angus and his father and his neighbors fought it by taking turns until they ran out of water.

He said they thought they had it under control, but the wind changed and the fire started again. They rushed to get more water and fought the fire by spraying water behind the movement of the fire. He said there was thick smoke that burnt his eyes. He had a mask on to protect his lungs.

He said he did think he had a chance to save his home but the winds was going crazy with changing directions. He said there were multiple wildfire cyclones, that it was “super hot,” and that he got split off from his father. The fires grew in size and Angus said he couldn’t do anything, and had to leave. He said he couldn’t watch his “dream place” burn so he told his neighbors that he was “out of here” and for them to “get ready to defend their place.”

I will show you pictures of their home after it burned down.

[Pictures]

Angus said he felt like he failed and told his wife Steph that he was sorry, but Steph said he did an amazing job and she is proud of him. She said she is glad he is coming back to her because “a house and contents can be replaced, but he cannot be.”

I asked Angus why he wanted to stay and defend his land while others evacuated, that it must have been a big risk.

Angus said if he had to do it again he would, that he was not afraid of fires and thought they got lucky. He said this fire is the worst he’s ever seen.

Steph said the land around their home and farm used to have green, lush grass, but there was a drought since April 2019 that caused the land to turn dry and brittle, which was “perfect for fires.” She said there was a bushfire in 2018 that forced them to evacuate, but the fires this year came “faster, stronger, and made their own weather system.”

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology explained in a graphic that bushfires generate new clouds and storms, which cause unpredictable changes in fire behavior by causing downbursts of strong winds and/or lightning.

The Johnstons said they have a lot of support from their family and friends. They plan to rebuild and said their family who have different talents will help them and the new home will have things built in to help them fight fires better in the future.

Thank you for sharing your story. We’re touched by it and wish you the best of luck in the future with your recovery.

The Daily Moth is in touch with other deaf Australians who were impacted and we will share their stories this week.

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