General News
6 February, 2025
Stay or go: family split by tough choice
As Dimboola locals evacuated the town on Monday night under an emergency warning, a Wimmera Mallee News employee was caught up in the commotion, making the decision to also leave her property.
Account manager Dee Devlin moved to Dimboola with partner Cam Ballinger and daughter Catilin in October last year.
Ms Devlin was alerted to the fire in the Little Desert at about lunchtime on Monday when it popped up on the Vic Emergency app.
Initially, Mr Ballinger and Ms Devlin didn't have any concern that Dimboola would come under threat, but Mr Ballinger did mention to Ms Devlin at one stage that if a fire started, it wouldn't be good.
"We became concerned when we could see the smoke getting bigger and started to listen to the CFA and got the first warning," Ms Devlin said.
"We got the first warning via the Vic Emergency app at about 6.30pm and then about 15 minutes later we got the evacuation warning on the app, then the text came through to evacuate.
"A friend of mine also messaged me who works for the CFA, letting me know as well."
Ms Devlin said for her, the decision to evacuate was easy with the weather conditions being so bad and the area being dry.
"We got my daughter out first off and then I got organised to go," she said.
"Having been in Horsham for the Black Saturday fires it made me really think about what I would take if I was ever in that situation.
"I made up a folder with all our birth certificates etc and a hard drive with photos so I grabbed that, put some clothes in a bag with medications, and of course the dog."
While Ms Devlin left, Mr Ballinger decided to stay, facing an eerie situation at times.
"It was very quiet, no real traffic," Mr Ballinger said.
"It was smokey and very black at one stage.
"I just stayed outside and was watching the glow and looking out for embers."
While Mr Ballinger faced the unknown at their Dimboola property, Ms Devlin said it was nerve-racking and scary being evacuated from their home.
"My daughter and I went to my son's place in Kalkee where we were able to see the glow of the fire," she said.
"It was still really concerning as the wind was still strong but the temperature had gone down."
Despite all available CFA crews rushing to Dimboola to defend the town, Mr Ballinger said it was quiet.
"Where we are we couldn't hear any sirens or see any trucks," he said.
"At one stage the smoke was so bad that it turned to night-time, and then the wind lifted it."
In the lead-up to the emergency warning being downgraded late on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Ballinger said the town was quite still, with the school and shops closed and homes empty of residents.
"The weather is cooler today, which is great, but it is still a bit windy," Ms Devlin said.
"The next few days will still be of concern with temperatures getting up into the high 30s over the weekend.
"But for now, the CFA and Forest Management have done a fabulous job both on the ground in control rooms and offices."
