Australia bush fires: Kiwi tragedy in Conjola Park, how you can help

A Kiwi family have lost two homes amid the devastating Australian bush fires.

The two properties, usually standing side by side in a small coastal town in New South Wales, are now rubble. And both belong to the family of Jesse Chinnock who grew up in New Zealand.

Houses in the lakeside town of Conjola Park were levelled by a blaze locals did not think would reach them.

Just 24 hours earlier people could be seen fishing on the lake and children could be heard laughing.

But the Currowan fire ripped through the tiny town with a ferocity that brought angry red lines near the water's edge on New Year's Eve.

And Chinnock's mother Patty and his uncle Steve both lost their homes in the blaze.

"The saddest thing for us is we lost my father 11 years ago and it sort of like we have lost him again," Chinnock said fighting back tears.

Jesse Chinnock, 37, left New Zealand when he was in his late teens. Photo / Supplied

"All those memories in that house, everything we brought over from New Zealand.

"There is nothing left. There is literally nothing left."

Chinnock's late father Keith was a former custodian of Khandallah Park in Wellington. There he also managed both the Keith Spry Pool and Khandallah pool for a number of years.

Chinnock had rushed to help

"It's pretty much been like we have been at war. I can't even begin to explain what it was like, trying to get back in there," Jesse Chinnock said.

The former Onslow College student had gone through roadblocks because he had no idea if his uncle had made it out okay.

"The last time I spoke to my uncle he said 'I'm going to stay, I'm not going to leave'."

The horror came amid blackout conditions; no power, no phone reception and no internet.

"I did everything I could to try get back in there."

But the reality is that his mum's entire street is pretty much gone.

"The whole of Conjola Park, it's like it has been wiped off the map," Chinnock said.

Chinnock used a water tanker borrowed from a mate in Sydney to fight back the flames when they threatened his home.

"We stopped the fire pretty much at my front gate."

It was a task that would have been impossible without the help of mates and a few people who turned up out of nowhere.

The charred remains of the family homes in Conjola Park. Photo / Supplied

While "extremely lucky" Chinnock also credits their good preparation which included containment lines and graded paddocks.

"I tell you what if I didn't have that [tanker], I wouldn't have been able to save my property.

"We lost a lot of battles but we also won quite a few."

Under attack

For Chinnock, it feels like they have been under attack for months.

The dashboard told him it was 48 degrees outside during a quick run to town to grab fuel for a generator, an errand that would be interrupted by a life-threatening emergency.

A call for help from a mate whose house was under threat.

Soon followed by one from his wife Tammy who said her dad had gone there to fight it and her cousin too.

Chinnock rushed to join his family and the group soon became trapped.

There was one road in - a dodgy bush track down the hill with a fire sweeping across it.

He turned to his wife's cousin and asked how many beers he had.

"Because I think we all need one.'"

Meanwhile his wife could only look on through a window at their home.

"She was watching it unfold and watching the fire roar up the hill."

The group waited for the cars on the road to stop exploding before they made their desperate escape.

"You just got to boost and hope for the best," Chinnock said.

"All around is flame and smoke. It daytime but it's night time if that makes sense?

"You can't really see."

The 37-year-old said his mother is now staying with him and his uncle is safe in Ulladulla.

"We are all doing the best we can. I'm still in shock."

He speaks of his young daughter Shye Aroha Chinnock with huge pride, calling her "one brave little solider".

She had been staying with other family for safety reasons but when it became a bit safer she returned home wanting to help cart water and help neighbours.

Chinnock has been left reeling trying to process everything that has happened.

"All the close calls, the enormity of loss," he said.

"That's not just me and my family, it's my whole community."

About 89 homes in Conjola alone had been lost in the tight-knit community where everybody knows everyone, he said.

"So the pain is just that widespread."

Across Australia, millions of acres of land has been torched during bush fires exacerbated by drought and extreme heat. At least 24 people have died.

Steve Chinnock's home was destroyed by the bush fire. Photo / Supplied

How you can help

Chinnock's support crew, life-long friends in New Zealand, mean the world to him.

Many of the men first met at Raroa intermediate in Johnsonville where, going on to schools Onslow College and Newlands College, they soon enjoyed a fierce rugby rivalry despite laughs off the field.

The group still meet up to watch All Black games.

A Givealittle page has been set up for Patty Chinnock and Steve Chinnock by Tevita Waqasokolala and Travis Anquetil, who grew up alongside Jesse Chinnock all attending that same intermediate.

"Any help would just be greatly appreciated, to help my mum and uncle get back on their feet," Chinnock said.

"It might be too raw for them to rebuild there. Our spirits have been damaged."

Chinnock said he had already been blown away by the donations and kind messages people had sent them.

"You'd be lost without good mates and community, wouldn't ya?"

Waqasokolala, also 37, said for him it was the first time he had felt such a personal connection to a tremendous tragedy and they knew they had to help.

He said Chinnock was a person who always put others first and would give the shirt off his back if it helped.

His mates are getting together again on Saturday to plan what else they can to do to help.

You can support Jesse Chinnock's family here.