I have always admired Fowles Wines in the Strathbogie Ranges in Victoria and the inspiration behind it all – Matt Fowles.
Such a solid family business with a good community vibe unafraid to try new things – its latest project being the BatNav system which uses microbats for pest control.
On Thursday a bushfire burnt the entire 1,400 acre property including 300 acres of vines, three houses, five sheds and hundreds of sheep.
I texted Matt on Saturday afternoon.
Always one to front up, Matt got back to us.
He hasn’t slept much. He was still in shock.
As with all disasters like this, workers on the fireground talk about the ferocious speed of the spreading flames.
And so it was with the Longwood fire.
“Can you picture a 1,400 acre property?” Matt says.
“It burnt through it in 45 minutes. Front, back… done.
“It was frightening. Every block is gone.
“I was talking about saving some blocks ahead of others. We had it all worked out, but it went through it all that quickly.
“There was no way you had a choice. It was just done.”
Matt – a volunteer firefighter who helped fight the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 – stayed behind to try to save the property.
He initially managed to save the family home, but he lost that, too, on Friday when it was over 40 degrees with 90km winds.
The fire flared up and the sky filled with embers.
“At 10.30am it was fine and then all hell broke loose and it was gone by 3pm.”
Matt’s priority is a roof over his head.
“This is the bit that blows my mind,” he says.
“How kind people are in your time of need.
“It nearly makes me want to tear up now. We have had offers of eight or ten different houses.
“People have said ‘go get it – we’ll move out and you go here.’ It’s just unbelievable.”
The microbat program is destroyed. “Done. All cooked. It’s broken by heart.”
Matt can’t speak highly enough of the volunteers.
“I’ve never seen people work so hard, it’s just incredible to watch. They’re such a good team – amazing.”
Matt describes the industry support as “insane”.
“I’ve had lots of phone calls from wineries, even wineries I don’t know, just saying ‘let’s go… whatever you need’.”
Matt has had offers of fruit to get them on their feet again.
“I can’t tell you how good it makes you feel,” he says.
“It’s been incredibly difficult [in wine], but it’s a reminder that this is such a special industry.
“It’s incredible, I’m completely overwhelmed by the support. I might have had a thousand text messages. It’s insane.”
Where to now?
Matt says he is feeling a bit stumped by it all.
“Usually I pride myself on figuring shit out quickly. Today I’ve raced away from the farm to be with my family – I didn’t want them back there – to work out the best plan for the kids.
“Beyond that, I just haven’t got the capacity. I’m tired, I’ve been dragging hoses and I haven’t really thought past it.
“I just have to sit with it for the moment and let the kids cry and whatever.
“For the first time in my life I can’t think about the future.
“I’m probably shocked, mate, to be honest. It was intense.
“I think that once the shock and sorrow subside, the ideas will come flowing again.
“But right now I feel that my thinking is suspended.”
Photo: Still from a video taken by Matt Fowles.
• Article first published in our newsletter The Week That Was.