Hi, my name is Indea and I’m creating this fundraiser to support my stepdad, Isaac, after we tragically lost our family home in the devastating bushfires in the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Zac noticed an alert on the CFS app showing the beginning of a grass fire and a potential building fire. We never imagined it could be our home.

Around 4.30pm on Sunday 18th January a bushfire ravaged through Nangkita and Tooperang near Mount Compass, burning out of control for several days and burning over 685 hectares of land, vineyards, farmland and vegetation, threatening lives, homes, livestock and wildlife.

The nature of the fire, extreme heat and changing winds, meant the fire started and moved fast with an unpredictable force and, unfortunately, destroyed two homes and dwellings in its path. One of those belonging to Isaac Selfe. He has lost his house and everything he has worked for and called home for the past 20 years.

Isaac spent several nights and days running on adrenaline putting out continuous spot fires, supported by family and friends.

In the midst of the devastation, we are incredibly grateful that all of our animals survived, and we are endlessly thankful to the firefighters, volunteers, and local community members who worked tirelessly to protect our animals, some sheds, our remaining vehicles and our land. We are certain that without their dedication, we would have lost so much more.

While we are fortunate that the house itself is insured, so many of the things inside were not. We lost treasured belongings, family photos, and deeply sentimental items that can never truly be replaced. We are also incredibly grateful to have my mum’s place for Zac to lay his head, giving him a safe space to rest while he begins the long process of rebuilding.

We are now facing the overwhelming task of rebuilding and restoring what was destroyed. The funds raised will go directly toward rebuilding fencing to keep our animals safe, restoring the landscape and property, and helping cover living and recovery costs during the time Zac and our family need to take off work to focus on rebuilding and recovery.

Any support, whether through a donation or by sharing our story, means more to us than we can put into words. Thank you for helping us take the first steps toward restoring our property and our sense of home after this heartbreaking loss.