From the Embers Podcast - Stories from the Bushfire Crisis
In the wake of COVID-19, it's easy to forget that only a few short months ago, hundreds of communities across Australia were faced with fire and smoke, homes destroyed and one of the most difficult bushfire seasons Australia has ever seen.
Not only has the rise of COVID-19 slowed recovery efforts, as the media focus their attentions on a global crisis, those who have lost everything are now also left behind.
Premiering on Tuesday 28th April, the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia's (CBAA) documentary series From the Embers, takes listeners to the very heart of nine communities affected by the recent bushfire crisis. The communities of the Adelaide Hills, Bairnsdale, Braidwood, Cooma, Kangaroo Island, Mallacoota, Mongarlowe, Moruya and Omeo share their stories.
Gritty. Real. Hopeful.
Listen Now | An engaging 9 part series.
From the Embers is an important reminder to us all of the essential role that storytelling plays in ensuring we allow those affected to be honoured and heal, without feeling overlooked. Each episode explores a different theme.
- Episode 1, ‘Radio Saves the Day’, reveals just how important local radio can be for communities, delving into exactly what occurs if a transmitter burns down during a crisis.
- Episode 2, ‘Home and Housed’, looks at the millions of animals endangered by the bushfires and the people who tried to save them.
- Episode 3, ‘Mosquito Army’, explores just how far a community will go to protect their town.
- Episode 4, 'The Fire and The Flood', People move to Cooma for the landscape. But in the summer of 2019, danger was lurking in the hills around Cooma.
- Episode 5, 'The Records, The Pets and The Knickers', A fast-moving fire started in Cudlee Creek in the Adelaide Hills, forcing residents throughout the region to make critical decisions.
- Episode 6, 'The Glowing Island', Kangaroo Island is the oldest bee sanctuary in the world and home to one of the last disease-free koala populations in Australia. The island was scorched by fire from two lightning strikes.
- Episode 7, 'Shelter at the Beach', recounts New Years Day when day turned to night as bushfires descended on the coastal town of Mallacoota.
- Episode 8, 'Should I Stay or Should I Go', What does a “properly defended” house look like?
- Episode 9, 'Bird in the Sky', The roads to Omeo were closed as fires surged towards the small East Gippsland town. As locals retreated Chinooks and Black Hawks offering an escape to some of the community.
Listen to the new season, From the Embers 2: Phoenix now.
How to Listen
Subscribe to From the Embers on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify
For enquires about broadcasting the series, From the Embers contact the CBAA.
From the Embers is created in partnership with nine community radio stations who faced the frontline of the fire, with generous support from the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas and the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
With special thanks to our partner stations
- Edge FM, Bega (NSW)
- Braidwood Community Radio, Braidwood (NSW)
- Eurobodalla Radio 107.5, Moruya (NSW)
- 2MNO Monaro FM, Cooma (NSW)
- KIX FM, Kangaroo Island (SA)
- Radio Adelaide, Adelaide (SA)
- High Country Radio, Omeo (VIC)
- 3MGB Country Radio Mallacoota, Mallacoota (VIC)
- Radio East Gippsland, Bairnsdale (VIC)