Janice Rattray has lived in her home in Koolewong on the NSW Central Coast for 11 years. It was completely destroyed on Saturday, with Janice having no time to recover a single possession — or save her pets.
"We took nothing. I didn't even have my purse. I just walked straight out," she told SBS News.
"I'm saddest about losing my cats".
Janice said the fire front moved alarmingly quickly towards her home, which she shared with her daughter Elise plus her daughter's partner Nick Gibbs and the couple's young son Oscar.
"We saw all that fire and Nick said: 'we've got to go, we've got to get out of here'."
"He didn't even put his shoes on and he walked down this tar road and burnt all the soles of his feet and spent the night in hospital," she said. "He had the baby on his shoulders."
She said the family watched their home's destruction.
"We went down to the park and watched it all happen. We get a direct line from the park straight up to the house, so we could see it burn.
"It was devastating."
Janice says the family has four nights of crisis accommodation through the Diggers while locals had offered them short-term accommodation.
"We've been here 11 years and never had to evacuate ... I'm at a loss," she said.
Their home was among around a dozen properties destroyed in Koolewong, with firefighters having now gained the upper hand on the fast-moving blaze as strong winds gave way to a cool change.
Natural disasters have been declared in six NSW LGAs, unlocking federal and state assistance. Source: AAP / Dan Himbrechts
NSW Premier Chris Minns travelled to the bushfire-hit area earlier in the day, speaking to families who had lost their homes in the lead-up to Christmas.
"They were able to get as much as they possibly could in the car and evacuate in a short space of time," he told reporters at Gosford RSL Club's makeshift emergency evacuation centre.
A fire at Milsons Gully, west of Muswellbrook, has scorched more than 11,050 hectares and another at Redhead, south of Newcastle, burned at emergency level on Sunday morning before the threat was lowered to watch and act.
Natural disasters have now been declared in six NSW local government areas — including Central Coast, Mid Coast, Upper Hunter, Dubbo, Muswellbrook and Warrumbungle — unlocking federal and state assistance.
A challenging season ahead
Forecasters warn this could be the start of a difficult summer.
The Bureau of Meteorology's (BoM) long-range outlook predicts above-average temperatures across most of Australia and below-average rainfall for large areas — creating drier conditions that elevate fire risk.
That combination means "significant bushfires" are possible in January and February, the BoM says.
The Australian and New Zealand Council for Fire and Emergency Services (AFAC) has also flagged a "heightened risk" for fires in parts of Western Australia, NSW, and Victoria, driven by long-term rainfall deficits, high fuel loads, and persistent soil moisture deficits.
Minns said it remains difficult to predict the season's severity, but urged preparedness.
"We can't set in stone what summer will look like," he said on Sunday. "Because of uncertain weather predictions, it's incredibly important you expect the unexpected.
"Have a bushfire preparedness plan in place and be ready to leave, maybe even at the drop of a hat."
Seventy-six fires were still burning across NSW on Sunday morning. Source: AAP / Dan Himbrechts
"This summer, of course, like all summers that would appear in recent times, is going to be a difficult one," Albanese told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday morning. "But New South Wales in particular has a range of pre-conditions for being quite a difficult one.
"Houses [were] lost yesterday. Fortunately, [there was] no loss of life — that is always the priority."
What disaster declarations mean
A disaster declaration triggers access to funding that helps with both immediate relief and long-term recovery.
Residents, businesses, primary producers and councils can access:
- Personal hardship and distress assistance, including emergency accommodation and cash payments.
- Recovery loans and concessional loans for small businesses and primary producers.
- Counter-disaster operation support.
- Community recovery funds.
- Cleanup and recovery grants.
Hardship grants will also be available for people who have lost their homes.
Minns said the grants would allow businesses and local councils to access support, with state officials on the ground to help residents.
"They can supply immediate accommodation support, cash in some circumstances … that may be absolutely essential," he said on Sunday morning. "I've spoken to some families that have lost their phone, lost everything, medications, the whole lot."
Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said the government "moved quickly" to provide basic assistance.
"To the people who are today in shock and distress, I [send my] sympathy to them, and just give assurance that we will do everything we can to support them," she said.
Ongoing problems with disaster payments
But historically, access to disaster funding has been far from smooth for some.
After 2019's Black Summer bushfires, the National Bushfire Recovery Agency told the Royal Commission that eligibility for disaster-recovery payments "unfortunately" depended on where you live, with support varying even across local government boundaries.
Earlier this year, some communities also struggled to access adequate support off the back of Cyclone Alfred.
Taree local Holly Rankin told SBS News that many residents received a one-off federal payment of $1,000, but said it was nowhere near enough to address widespread loss.
"Thousands of families in Taree, Wingham and surrounds have lost everything," she said. "Anyone who does a weekly budget knows that $1,000 will only last you a week."
"These people are standing in the face of an immense financial burden."
In the first six months of 2025, natural disasters cost the economy $2.2 billion, according to federal treasury analysis.
— With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
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