General News
21 January, 2026
Farmers fight back bushfires
COUNTRY Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers weren’t the only ones out fighting bushfires during the record fires flaring up across the south west recently – landowners also stepped up to protect the community and halt the spread of the flames.
Dean and Edy Foster in Simpson were some of the farmers affected by the fires as they blazed across their property line and into their shelterbelts.
“Where it came out was right at our out paddock, so it was probably lucky we cut a lot of hay and stuff up there so we had green grass to stop it but it still came down our plantations and burnt fences and stuff out,” Mr Foster said.
“There was 250 rolls of silage that got a bit singed.
“We were actually away at the time, but we came home when we knew it was starting to get a bit out of control.
“We came back to help put the fire out.
“It’s something you really don’t want to go through again.”
Mrs Foster said their employee, Phill Hogan, was a real lifesaver.
“He was monitoring it – he was working – and he kept driving up there and checking it for us,” she said.
Mr Foster said the community really banded together to help stop the fires near their paddocks while the CFA was focused on other locations.
“The CFA were off trying to help fight the Irrewillipe fire and if it wasn’t for the neighbours jumping in, the fire would have finished up at Simpson or wherever,” he said.
“This bush, we’ve always commented it would burn out in the middle of winter – there’s that much rubbish underneath it.
“All the neighbours, we all had our little spray tanks and firefighting units to help put out the spot fires and stuff.
“It was a good effort – it was good to see the community come together like that.”
Mr Foster said he had a number of people to thank for helping out during the tough time.
“Thanks to my sons, Nathan and Josh,” he said.
“My employee, Phill Hogan.
“Andrew, Aaron and Wayne Crole and the rest of the Crole family.
“Trevor Foote, David Weel, Matty Seabrook, Adrian Bond, the Jones family, Ian Kelley and John Wetemans and family.”
Alongside reduction burning, Mr Foster said more resources needed to be put into the CFA to help support them fight these fires when they happened.
“I know Kennedy’s Creek – they’ve been after a new ute,” he said.
“It’s got the old firetruck that does about 20km/h up a hill when loaded.
“If they had a ute, they’d get there quicker.
“They haven’t got the resources to get to the fire.”
He also acknowledged his family was lucky compared to some others, such as families in Carlisle River.
“There were people who were worse off than us,” Mr Foster said.
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