Tarcombe resident and plumber Ben Laycock, of Benco Plumbing, managed to save his home from the bushfire but says much of the area where he lives and works has been devastated by the blaze. Ben witnessed homes that initially survived
later being destroyed by embers, and found smouldering leaves and embers lodged in his decking and hay shed. “I just can’t believe they didn’t go up in flames,” he said. “Houses you would have thought would have gone survived, and then others you thought were safe didn’t.” Several properties declared safe after the initial fire have since been damaged by lingering hot spots.
A CFA volunteer, Ben stayed on his property near Ruffy to help defend the house. “It was a huge fire. You try to put out as much as you can, but it just kept pushing towards the house,” he said. “We got caught at one stage and had to cut fences to get out. It was only because a CFA truck arrived with protection that we were alright.” For small business owners like Ben — and many others, including arborists, gardeners and tradespeople — livelihoods have been decimated. While some may assume there will be plenty of repair work, Ben says that isn’t the reality. “There’s nothing to fix,” he said. “It’s all gone.” He said homes he had completed work on before Christmas were now completely flattened, with plastic pipes and water tanks melted beyond recognition, while critical water resources had also been impacted.
