This fundraiser is now closed. Justus and Janet have asked that any future donations be directed to the Granite to Goulburn Biodiversity Recovery Alliance.

https://www.biodiversityrecoveryalliance.com/

Donations to the Alliance will aide in the restoration of vaulable habitat and biodiversity corridors in the region.

The entire Hagen family would like to thank everyone for their support during this difficult time.

Justus and Janet would like to express their extreme gratitude to all those who donated.

Original Fundraiser Description:

Our friends Justus and Janet Hagen have lost their Ruffy home of many decades in the Longwood fire (which is currently still burning as I write this). Both are safe. Janet evactuated and came to Melbourne to stay with her daughter Jacqui. Justus is still trapped at Ruffy, sheltering with others who have lost their homes. He is safe and is helping with the local community effort.

- The fire -

On Thursday 8th of January the conditions at the Longwood East fire worsened, and Janet decided it was time to follow their fire plan and evacuate to Melbourne. She quickly gathered a few processions and Rolly the dog, and left for Melbourne.

Justus remained behind to pack for his shift at the CFA. The situation was ominous, but the fire front still 15kms away so he felt relatively safe at this point. Small fires are not an uncommon part of summer life in Ruffy and Justus is an experienced CFA volunteer.

Justus describes that all of a sudden, a fierce wind arrived and lightning bolts of fire were raining down. Within minutes, the house was alight. Justus had no choice but to watch it burn. There were no trucks available, and no air support, as fire was erupting across the whole region.

He was trapped for an hour or so with no way to leave, and nothing he could do. When the fire front had passed, he travelled across the paddocks to find others from the community and they went on to other properties to rescue those who were marooned or badly injured.

- What’s been lost? -

The Hagen house, sheds, machinery, fences, garden are all destroyed.

The Hagen house was magic. It was built by hand by Janet and Justus as keen optimists in their late thirties, with four young children playing in the bush around the building site. It was off grid, with Justus and Janet figuring out how to connect power and water with not much more than their own resourcefulness, trust in each other, and unrelenting cheeriness. In the three decades since they added beautiful gardens, orchards, and an amazing treasure trove of handmade details.

The 600 acre farm itself was a leading example of environmentally conscious farming practices, with restored creeks, preserved wetlands, nature corridors, and a flourishing diversity of flora and fauna. In 2025 they were still fencing off areas for more trees, habitat, and shelter for stock. It was a lifelong project.

The immensity of loss is not yet fully apparent.

Justus and Janet are fortunate to have a cottage in euroa where they can live until it is time to rebuild. But they’ve lost the vast majority of their possessions and the road to recovery will be long.

Miraculously, Justus returned to the farm late this afternoon to find that the cows, sheep, and chooks had survived the blaze. These animals will need to be fed as there is no grass remaining, and temporary fencing will need to be set up.

- We can help -

If you are reading this I assume you know how special the Hagens are. They are known for their generous spirit and their cheery grins, their love of each other and for the world around them. They work hard, show up, and give endlessly to their community and to nature.

This campaign is to provide Justus and Janet with access to funds to help them buy new clothes, put fuel in their car and get back on their feet. Please give generously!

Anonymous amounts are encouraged, so that there is no pressure to donate by those who cannot afford it.

Many people have been affected in Ruffy who all have similar stories to our friends Janet and Justus. We encourage you to donate to this more general appeal if you would like to instead: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ruffy-bush-fire-emergency-assistance/cl/s?lang=en_AU

This campaign has been set up by Ian Thomas. He is a close friend of the whole Hagen family and has known them for 25 years. This campaign has been set up in consultation with members of the Hagen family and the spending of any funds raised will be entirely controlled by Justus and Janet Hagen. The funds will be spent on regular everyday items required to live life normally and to replace items which they have lost in the fire. These include, but are not limited to food, fuel, animal feed, temporary fencing, footwear, clothing, toiletries, sanitary items, and books.