On the 26th October 2019, lightning struck the Gospers Mountain region in NSW, causing one of the first fires of what would eventually become Australia’s worst bushfire season on record. As the fire grew, Eddie and Leigh Stachowski, who own a farm in Putty NSW, travelled to their property to carry out some fire preparations. On the 11th November they were visited by a member of the local RFS. The Gospers Mountain Fire was heading their way.  

With the weather conditions at a catastrophic level, and the fire fighting resources stretched across the state, they had no choice but to leave. After farewelling his wife, and promising her that he was only an hour behind, Eddie remained to complete some last minute chores, only to discover that all the roads had since been closed. He was trapped. 

Eddie is a husband, father, grandfather and doctor, specialising in anaesthetics and intensive care. He joined the church while at university and has never looked back. In this episode, I chat with Eddie to hear how he managed to stay calm during the 11 days he spent trapped on his farm, how he worked with the local firefighters, and what he learned about the importance of being prepared, both temporally and spiritually.