If you’re still keen to lend a hand to help fire-affected folks in Harcourt, it’s not too late and the volunteers of BlazeAid want you to know that you’d be welcome aboard.
The Tarrangower Times wandered up to the former school camp at Derby Hill to chat and find out how it all works.
Firstly, while BlazeAid’s key role is to build new fencing for property owners, there are lots of different types of jobs for people with different skills.
Plus, people with all sorts of backgrounds are already helping.
Experience not required
Michael and Kim Paynter travelled up from Melbourne for a few days with their caravan, keen to pitch in, having helped at the Grampians fires of last year. Michael explained that the Maldon crew contains a mix of experienced locals, white-collar volunteers and even some backpackers from as far as Germany and South America.
Volunteers are not expected to have fencing skills, just a willingness to get dirty. “There’s lots of fetch and carry, unrolling wire, clipping wire,” Michael explained, saying that many of the tasks are easy. “You learn on the job in teams of three or four or five and you work until you run out of material.” Michael said the simple act of repairing the boundary so that animals can be contained can be significant for a rural property owner.
Register at 7am
The main communal room of the former Blue Light Camp has been turned into a bustling headquarters for the BlazeAid operations, overseen by Lyn Rasmussen, who travels from Kangaroo Flat to volunteer. Lyn is the person who has been managing the 133 volunteers (so far), allocating teams and tasks on large poster templates that are dotted around the windows. It looks expertly run, but Lyn says mornings are a bit chaotic in preparation for the day ahead. “Underneath the water, the little feet are paddling like crazy.”
Volunteers register each morning from Monday to Saturday at 7am, and generally they are having a good time while providing much-needed assistance. “They all get on, they’re all awesome, we have fun,” Lyn said. But, she noted: “They don’t come back clean.”
Gain while giving
Property owners have been appreciative, knowing that their livestock and pets are inside a fence. Lyn says the whole process is mentally beneficial with a huge sense of achievement, while Michael described volunteering for BlazeAid as “hard but rewarding” work. Sometimes hugs are exchanged between volunteers and property owners, a reminder of the emotional toll of the recent fires. Lyn said: “When one of the farmers saw BlazeAid coming up the driveway, he cried because he knew help had arrived.”
Various ways to help
Local people have donated slabs of soft drink and other treats, including home-baked goods, which have been very gratefully received by the volunteers. They hinted that more would be welcome at any time. There may be some locals who prefer to build cakes rather than fences.
To volunteer with the BlazeAid crew in Maldon, you just need to turn up at 16 Phoenix St and follow the signs. Aim for a 7am start, Monday to Saturday (allow some time to register if it is your first time). Lunch is provided unless there are special dietary requirements. Be prepared for working outside in summer weather. BlazeAid expects to operate out of Maldon until the end of April.
This article appeared in The Tarrangower Times, 27 February 2026.
