After Australia's deadly 2009 wildfires, homeowners in the highest-risk areas were given a choice: rebuild to be more fire resistant — or sell your land to the government and move.
Few chose the buyback.
Many say that's because the choice came too late. trib.al/m0mF9I4
Few chose the buyback.
Many say that's because the choice came too late. trib.al/m0mF9I4
Following the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, the burned remains of a house sit among charred trees near the town of Kinglake in Australia.
More than two-thirds of the 173 who died on Black Saturday had lived in the Kinglake area.
More than two-thirds of the 173 who died on Black Saturday had lived in the Kinglake area.
Christine Stonehouse stands next to the site of her former home, which burned down on Black Saturday.
"Our plan was always to leave," she says of her family's decision to flee as soon as they learned a bushfire was headed for its town.
"Our plan was always to leave," she says of her family's decision to flee as soon as they learned a bushfire was headed for its town.
"As soon as I saw this, I thought, 'Maybe that is a good place,' " Christine Stonehouse says, standing in her garden.
She says she feels safe in her new home and is happy with how the post-2009 regulations influenced her family's decision to move.
She says she feels safe in her new home and is happy with how the post-2009 regulations influenced her family's decision to move.
In the years since Black Saturday, homes have been rebuilt and new restaurants have opened in Kinglake. Fire risk aside, the town remains a popular place to live. trib.al/m0mF9I4
