In the very early hours of Monday 19th January, 2026, Katie was awoken by the sound of aircraft overhead. She smelled smoke immediately & lept from her bed, springing into action. The Mount Compass fire had surrounded her property and was making its way towards her home and her horses. Katie instructed her partner to take their dog and leave while she grabbed her saddle and two leads and, thinking only of her responsibility to her animals, ran to their paddock.

Whilst Katie mounted one horse and began leading the others through the property, Zeph discovered he couldn’t get out the front gate. The fire had surrounded them. He turned back and found Katie at the foothills of the mountains, ready to try and navigate the horses to outrun the incoming blaze. He implored her to instead get in the car with him, because he could follow the fire trail out to safety. Knowing the horses were beyond fence lines, she unsaddled with such speed, simply dropping her beloved saddle where she stood, and let them free. Katie ran to the car and they made it out to safety.

It was a horrifying few hours as she waited to get back onto the property to assess the damage and begin to look for her horses. But, she had done the leg work. Katie had ridden her horses, as a herd, many many times in the area & often they had freedom of movement, being called home with a simple trill. Outstandingly, this meant they knew where they were. All three horses outran and then circled behind the fire, and then came home. An ending that is testament to her horsemanship & handling skills.

Less good news came when Katie found two confronting piles of charred remains. The first of her beautiful Duck Duck who had no hope with the speed of the flames, and the second, her saddle. A place where she stood and watched the inferno head for her, a place where she very probably would have given her own life & burnt like the saddle had she not gotten in the car.

I am Katie’s sister Hannah & I am asking the community to join us and give only what you can to help replace her saddle and other riding equipment. Things so integral to her life and her business. Something she lost while trying to save other souls.

Whatever amount, THANK YOU!!