Wheatbelt bushfires: Corrigin farmer says he will see damages for years

Ashley Jacobs is a farmer in the central Wheatbelt region and endured a gruelling 24 hours when bushfires ravaged two-thirds of his family farm.
The Corrigin farmer is also a local volunteer firefighter and spoke to 6PR Breakfast saying that the farm has been in the family for 111 years.
Mr Jacobs was called to a fire 20 kilometres from his farm but soon realised that it was encroaching on his land.
“At our home farm where I am now, it got within about 500 metres, and we saved it. And to be honest, the only thing that really stopped this fire was the cool weather change and the high humidity that stopped it. Otherwise, there was no chance of us getting anywhere near it,” he said.
“It was a bit too late for some sheds and machinery had gone.”
The Corrigin farmer said the clean up would continue for several years.
“It’s just a full mop-up. This will take months. We’ll probably still see damages for the next few years.”
Press PLAY below to hear the full interview with Ashley Jacobs

Ashley Jacobs
Disastrous day for the Corrigin community today and tonight. Many houses and sheds lost. Atm 2/3rds of my farm has burnt with a few sheds and machines. I along with plenty of others are in the same position after this horrible fire. Hardest day of my life. pic.twitter.com/2d4AKMx4ZC
— Ashley Jacobs (@Ashley_Jacobs92) February 6, 2022