After losing their house in a devastating bushfire, Phil and Anthea Clarke are happy to finally be where they belong. 

Key points:

  • The Keilira bushfire burned from late December 2019 amid the infamous Black Summer
  • Phil and Anthea Clarke lost everything and have rebuilt after 18 months
  • Ahead of the 2021-22 bushfire season, the CFS is calling for more volunteers

“Where we were staying had a nice view, but it’s not home as such,” Ms Clarke said after completing their rebuild.

“It was nice to open all the blinds up and say … here we are, we are back.”

The farming couple from Keilira lost everything from their home — Bin Bin Station — in a bushfire that tore through the South Australia’s south-east.

Referred to as the forgotten bushfire, the blaze sparked amid the Black Summer over late December 2019 and early 2020.

More than 26,000 hectares of land was destroyed, killing countless livestock.

The couple have been planning and rebuilding their home for 18 months.(

ABC South East SA: Grace Whiteside

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After 18 months of planning and rebuilding, the Clarkes said there was no place like home. 

But they won’t be forgetting the heartbreak of the fires any time soon.

Their home was destroyed in the Keilira bushfire of New Year’s Eve 2019.(

ABC South East SA: Isadora Bogle

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“It was just insane, and the only thing that stopped it in the end was the wind; it just ended up circling in on itself,” Mr Clarke added.

Mr Clarke, a 20-year Country Fire Service (CFS) volunteer, said while the destruction was unforgettable, he would keep doing his duty to fight fires.

“You have to. To do the right thing. To help your neighbours out … I’ve been out to three fires since, and you’ve got to go fight them. That’s just the way it is.”

Phil Clarke was out fighting the fire with the CFS before his home burnt.(

ABC South East SA: Isadora Bogle

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Call for volunteers

The CFS has about 13,000 volunteers across the state, with 1,900 in the south-east Limestone Coast region.

But with bushfire season fast approaching, it is calling out for more.

“The more volunteers we have, the better protected our communities are,” said CFS Limestone Coast regional commander John Probert.

“Our organisation is made up primarily of volunteers … their importance cannot be understated, both to the CFS and also to SA communities.”

CFS regional commander John Probert is calling for more volunteers.(

ABC South East SA: Laura Mayers

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Mr Probert said the CFS was preparing for an average fire season, with no signs the weather would go one way or the other.

But he cautioned that conditions could change quickly. 

“We would expect that people are preparing their properties,” he said.

“They would be having their five-minute bushfire action plan in place, and it was written and practised … and they were ready for what could be a bad fire season.”

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