We at GriefLink are very aware of the devastating impact of last summer’s Australian Bushfire Emergency and the return of bushfires now in the summer of 2020-2021.  In the disaster of 2019-2020, people lost family members and friends, homes and other property, livestock, wild animals and pets, income, as well as a sense of security and future. The extent of the emergency over several months added to a heightened sense of insecurity and fear.  Volunteer firefighters spent longer battling these blazes than ever before, and experienced their own sense of exhaustion and emotional confusion while working with all their strength and ingenuity to deal with the enormity of the problem before them.

And now, after a year battling the Covid-19 pandemic, the risk and reality of bushfire is with us again. Bushfires now, however small or well contained, may trigger vivid unwelcome memories of the catastrophic fires of last year.

As a national family, we have been asking how we can best support the people directly affected by fires and prepare ourselves for future events like this.

We need to remember the emotional turmoil and grief which so many people went through last year and may go through again now and into the future; we know that dealing with grief of any kind is something which takes time and support.

To all those affected by bushfires, please know that you are in our thoughts. 

We hope that you will find some of the information and links on our website to be a comfort and a resource as you deal with the many different feelings or emotions you may be experiencing.

Further information about coping with grief can be found here and information about grief and the loss of livestock here and loss of a pet here.

For information specifically about bushfires, trauma and grief, click here.

Please don’t hesitate to seek help if you are feeling despairing or overwhelmed.

Stay well,

The GriefLink Management Committee

January, 2021