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Luke Dawson’s photo of the Dolphin Sands bushfires on Thursday. (Supplied: Luke Dawson)<\/p>\n
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The fire service says 19 houses or shacks, 15 outbuildings and four vehicles were destroyed or damaged. (Supplied: Bridgewater Fire Brigade)<\/p>\n
While the constant threat of fire weighs on Dolphin Sands’s 180-odd residents, some say it is simply part of life there and all they can do is be prepared and hope for the best.<\/p>\n
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Firefighters at Rhian Peltzer’s shack in Dolphin Sands on December 4. (Supplied: Rhian Peltzer)<\/p>\n
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The eerie sight of the Dolphin Sands bushfire and an almost full moon on December 4. (ABC News: Morgan Timms)<\/p>\n
No fire weather warning issued before Tasmanian fires<\/a><\/p>\n The Bureau of Meteorology says the initial forecasts did not meet the threshold to trigger fire weather warnings ahead of Thursday when 30 blazes burnt across Tasmania.<\/p>\n Diane Bricknell and her family thought they were buying a holiday home, back in 2003.<\/p>\n But after staying there twice, they moved in permanently.<\/p>\n “It’s the most beautiful place,” she said.<\/p>\n The area boasts ocean and mountain views, white sands and bush, with native birds that flutter around her property.<\/p>\n “But no, we are realists, and we’re pragmatic and we realise that there is a cost.<\/p>\n “Every year it might be the year.”<\/p>\n Diane Bricknell says she took a few possessions, including her dogs, and fled. (ABC News: Morgan Timms)<\/p>\n Ms Bricknell was one of many who evacuated, and she is yet to return.<\/p>\n “A neighbour called me, she said, ‘There is a fire a kilometre away \u2026 and it’s north-west of us” and she said, ‘Pack and leave,'” Ms Bricknell said.<\/p>\n “And I ran round, I had a box ready with photos, I grabbed my dogs \u2026 and I left.”Dolphin Sands bushfire destroys homes in 2023<\/a><\/p>\n Winds have hampered the efforts of crews working to control a bushfire which has destroyed homes and forced residents to evacuate from a Tasmanian coastal community.<\/p>\n While she has been around for other fires and seen neighbours lose homes, this is the closest the blaze has ever come to her property.<\/p>\n “It’s just luck of the fire,” she said.<\/p>\n “Apparently, my house survived, but it burnt each side of my house and it burnt my shed down, it burned underneath my caravan, but the caravan’s fine.<\/p>\n “Other people lost their houses.\u00a0<\/p>\n “It’s one of those things, nature is fierce, and you can do your best \u2026 you just hope that it’ll work out.<\/p>\n “We realise we’ll probably have to move, but we will leave it, our property’s worth a lot less now.” The view of the Dolphin Sands bushfire smoke plume on December 4. (ABC News: Morgan Timms)<\/p>\n Paul Haddad bought his shack more than 20 years ago.<\/p>\n “All that time I’ve been concerned about fire, but we’ve been unscathed,” he said.<\/p>\n He cannot break ties.<\/p>\n “It’s just heaven on earth; it’s the most delightful place for a shack,” he said.<\/p>\n “This is a really fire-prone area \u2026 and it’s just a matter of luck as to where it starts.”<\/p>\n So far, Paul Haddad has been lucky and his residence has been unscathed. (ABC News: Morgan Timms)<\/p>\n TasNetworks says at least 40 power poles were destroyed or damaged, along with several transformers. (TasNetworks)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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