UPDATE: A Wagin farmer, Stanton Kennedy-Smith, has miraculously survived a devastating firestorm, crediting his beloved wool hat for saving his life. As flames engulfed the fire truck he was on, Kennedy-Smith stood on the back, feeling the intense heat, and believed he would not make it out alive.
The incident occurred on December 1, 2023, while Kennedy-Smith was harvesting oats with fellow worker Sarah. Spotting a fire just 3 km away, he jumped on the fire truck to assist as a volunteer firefighter. Suddenly, conditions changed, and the truck was surrounded by flames.
“I didn’t know what the outcomes were going to be; it was just trying to get out of there,” he recalled. As they drove through the fire front, Kennedy-Smith felt flames engulfing the cab, fearing the worst.
Despite the chaos, his cherished Stanton wide-brimmed hat, adorned with a special red car button from his grandson, survived the inferno. He initially thought it was lost but was overwhelmed with emotion when it was found the next day by his partner, Susan Mills, resting on the back porch alongside a dozen eggs.
“I honestly cried and hugged that hat with so much gratitude,” Mills said, reflecting the community’s support during the crisis.
Kennedy-Smith suffered severe burns on his arms, hands, face, and back but managed to keep his hat on long enough to shield his scalp. He stated, “When I saw my hat laying in the straw, I said ‘goodbye and thank you very much for everything you’ve done, but I just can’t stop.’”
The dangerous nature of fighting bushfires was highlighted by this incident, especially as Western Australia experiences a tumultuous bushfire season. Tragically, the same day, two men were killed in separate blazes, including farmer Mark Mudie in Ravensthorpe.
Kennedy-Smith’s escape from the fire was fraught with fear for his fellow firefighters. “While I was going through the fire, I put my hand over my mouth and forced myself not to breathe because I knew if I inhaled, it would have just cooked everything inside,” he said.
When the fire truck broke down, Kennedy-Smith feared for his colleagues, Joe O’Brien and Sarah, thinking they had jumped off. Fortunately, they remained on board and were rescued shortly after. All three sustained burns, but Kennedy-Smith suffered the most severe injuries.
He was rushed to Wagin Hospital and later transferred to Narrogin Hospital, where he received urgent care before being sent to Fiona Stanley Hospital for skin graft surgery.
Reflecting on his recovery, Kennedy-Smith expressed immense gratitude for the hospital staff. “I cannot say enough about how hard they tried and how hard they worked as a team to help me,” he stated. “The angels were looking after us that day.”
As he recovers from significant burns, Kennedy-Smith is expected to be discharged in time for Christmas, eager to reunite with his family and enjoy walks with Mills and their dog, Spotlight.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those fighting bushfires, highlighting the urgent need for community support and awareness as the fire season escalates across the state. As the community rallies together, stories like Kennedy-Smith’s reflect the resilience and spirit of those affected.
