Black Saturday: Australia's darkest day of disaster | Forensic Files

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get $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often
distressing incidents if you feel at anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested
phone numbers for confidential support please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website
[Music] in late January 2009 southeastern Australia was impacted by a blistering
heat wave considered to be one of the most if not the most extreme in the region's history
it caused prolonged record-breaking temperatures that reached nearly 50 degrees Celsius in some locations
in the state of Victoria this extreme heat caused the power outages that resulted in the termination of public
transport services banned traffic light failures large public venues in the city
of Melbourne were evacuated and to the annual Australian Open tennis tournament was also impacted with several outdoor
matches cancelled American tennis champions Serena Williams remarked that it was so hot on court that she felt she
was having an out-of-body experience people were stranded inside lifts that had ceased operating wooden power poles
were witnessed self-igniting and to bush fires blazed across the state thousands
of citizens required medical treatment resulting in a 70% increase in emergency calls to ambulance Victoria
while the death braid increased by 45% by the following month of February the heatwave had cost to the Victorian
economy an estimated 100 million dollars on Friday February 6 state premier John
Brumby cautioned the Victorians about the extreme weather conditions forecast for the next day announcing that
Saturday February 7 2009 would be the worst day in the history of the state temperatures will once again set to soar
above the mid 40s and a gale force wind was predicted a decade-long drought had left the much of the Australian
landscape incredibly dry and Victoria alone had missed the equivalent of two years worth of average rainfall premier
Brumby encouraged people to cancel plans avoid traveling and stay at home warning
it's just as bad a day as you can imagine and on top of that the state is just tinder-dry people need to exercise
real common sense tomorrow Victoria had a long disastrous history of wildfires and to the weather
conditions were predicted to be worse than those that preceded the devastating Ash Wednesday and Black Friday bush
fires in 1983 and to 1939 respectively the macarthur forest fire danger index which combined climate data such as
temperature wind speed and humidity anticipated a result for february 7 2009 that exceeded the algorithms highest
category of extreme thus a new category was created titled catastrophic a total fire ban was declared and hundreds of
firefighting personnel were deployed statewide as anticipated the weather on february 7 was sweltering with many new
all-time maximum reached melbourne recorded its hottest ever temperature at forty six point six degrees Celsius
throughout victoria bush fires ignited fanned by high winds that blanketed the state in thick smoke as their intensity
grew Australia's national broadcaster the ABC abandoned had scheduled programming to report solely on the
hazardous situation meanwhile residents in rural and regional fire prone areas debated
whether they should stay in to defend their homes or evacuate and to risk losing everything
[Music] [Music] located in the rural region of Gippsland in Victoria's East is the Latrobe Valley
an inland district with three major urban areas Maui more well and Turalyon and six
smaller townships including Churchill formerly known as Hazelwood Churchill was purposed built to accommodate
workers involved in the construction and maintenance of the Hazelwood Power Station in 1965 the town was renamed in
posthumous honor of former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and grew
into a commuter suburb for those working in neighboring areas located 160 kilometers southeast of Melbourne
Churchill fetches a commercial centre for it's several thousand locals with white parkland separating residential
areas from industrial estates dense tree plantations a national park and acreages
of farmland frame the township which is home to the scenic Lake Highland and a golden tower known locally as the beech
cigar after Winston Churchill's trademark smoking habit at 1:32 p.m. on Saturday February 7 2009 triple-zero
emergency services received a call regarding a wildfire just outside Churchill the blaze was four kilometres
southeast of town near the intersection of Glen Donald Road and jealous outlet two unsealed stretches of winding
roadway that cut through the rural outskirts it had emerged from the bottom of a natural Basin the Bennett's Creek
catchment which consisted of Blue Gum eucalypt and pine plantations surrounded by hazardous surface fuels such as
shrubs wire grass and blackberry bushes three minutes after the call a pilot flying a firefighting aircraft ten
kilometres from Churchill sighted a column of dark smoke hundreds of feet high rising from the fire's location
within 10 minutes the flames had traveled roughly one kilometer and were in the vicinity of forests managed by
timber company Hancock Victorian plantations the plantations surveillance planes which were overseeing the
entirety of the Latrobe Valley that day were diverted to Churchill to carry out reconnaissance work despite being in its
early stages the fire's behavior was noted as extreme by the time first responders arrived the blaze had spread
rapidly and was burning on both sides of jelous outlet spot fires began igniting
around it straining resources and impacting efforts to tackle the central Inferno
directly requests were made for more tankers and air support however the intense heat was causing
water to evaporate before it even hit the ground the focus then shifted to warning surrounding communities of the
urgent threat roadblocks were established around the fire as emergency services personnel visited nearby
residences to raise the alarm but 2:00 p.m. the fire had been raging for almost half an hour and remained out
of control despite the arrival of additional firefighting crews it continued to move in a southeasterly
direction through the broad valley of Bennett's Creek air crew observed - the fire cresting the ridge along jira Lange
North Road and by the 50 minute mark it had travelled about seven kilometres more spot fires were reported and by
3:00 p.m. the blaze had burnt through a planned plantation and too damaged to communications tower efforts to protect
assets continued as emergency relief centers were established in nearby townships at 3:20 p.m. the fire had
destroyed its first homestead at the intersection of Thompson and to JIRA Lane North roads by 5:15 p.m. it was
approaching the slopes of Mount Ozzie ten kilometers due south east of Churchill and spotting to the mountains
east side as emergency crews tackled the surrounding spot fires the apex of the inferno raged on woods
earlier that day Australia's Bureau of Meteorology had predicted a severe wind change that would hit its land between 6
and 8 p.m. shortly before 4 o'clock their prediction was amended to the window of
5:30 and 7 p.m. the planning officer responsible for the Churchill fire unaware of the amendment told the
incident management team to expect it at the midpoint of 7 when the change arrived an hour earlier than anticipated
it sent 70 kilometer and hour gusts through the region that suddenly shifted the fire in a northeasterly direction
the winds posed the significant threat to aircrafts and forced them to land as a 15 kilometer long uncontrolled flanker
fire developed that ran from the origin point near Churchill through to the east
side of Mount Tazi as it progressed forward burning debris rained down and ignited the surrounding vegetation
almost instantly it was accompanied by an ear-splitting rush of white noise described by witnesses as the sound of
immense pressure like that of a jet engine following this hurricane like wind change the fire was at its most
dangerous threatening multiple townships as well as the one Ron State Forest residents working fervently to defend
their homes were now blinded by an all-encompassing blackness composed of smoke and - all of a sudden the inbound
firestorm appeared through the dark like a sunrise Churchill resident Greg where
stated I knew the fire front was coming you could hear it you could smell it you
could feel the heat coming up out of the valley the flames were right there and were the
height of the trees and to that again 300 feet higher plus there were big swirling vortexes just the big swirling
masses of flames that would burst and explode out of the treetops shortly after 6:00 p.m. three water tankers
belonging to volunteer fire service the Country Fire Authority were involved in a series of burnovers wherein their
crews were forced to take shelter where possible as the fire entrapped them to burn overhead with quote great ferocity
firefighter Graham Chesterton recalled I could see embers start to fall it was like they were coming from everywhere it
became very smoky and everything started to burn rapidly there were spot fires on
the ground all around me and the trees started burning at that stage I guessed I had about 10 to 15 seconds until I
would have to make a move within those seconds the conditions deteriorated so rapidly that I realized that wasn't safe
to leave the truck at that time I did not know where all my crew members were I made the decision to make a mayday
call I said something along the lines of we are completely surrounded by fire deburr nova lasted an estimated 10
minutes firefighting crews elsewhere listened as their colleagues frantically broadcast
the Mayday calls over radio but were unable to approach the scene due to the level of danger all they could do was
respond there is nothing we can do for you incredibly none of the firefighters caught in the burn over lost their lives
the fire finally slowed at 8:00 p.m. and by the following day of Sunday February
8 it was mostly brought to a hole although burning continued in heavily fueled areas the Churchill fire named after its
point of origin was not officially listed as under control until 11 days later on February 19 more than 600
firefighting personnel battled the blaze supported by 105 vehicles and appliances
in total it had burnt more than 25 thousand eight hundred and sixty-one hectares and destroyed 145 homes
elsewhere 400 separate bush fires had devastated the Victorian landscape with the most destructive and deadly being
the King lake in - Marysville fires in the state's northeast collectively the fires had released the 80,000 kilowatts
of heat the equivalent of 500 atomic bombs 173 people had perished and 414 were left injured more than 2,000 homes
and 10,000 kilometers of fence line had been razed and an estimated 1 million animals were killed February 7 2009
became the deadliest bushfire catastrophe in Victorious history and was henceforth referred to as Black
Saturday 58 year old alfred friendo and his wife elaine lived on old Coligny road in
Killarney with their youngest son mark who was disabled and in their care the couple had made no plans for what
they would do if a bushfire ever threatened their livelihoods as the possibility never really crossed their
minds On February 7 2009 and neighbor alerted the friendos to smoke rising in the direction of Churchill the fire was
nearly 15 kilometres away and - the couple were certain it would not reach their property as a precaution they
collected a pump poly piping and a spray nozzle and connected them to the dam near their house as the fire drew near
Elaine took their son Mark to her parents house for safety alfred remained behind and was soon joined by his eldest
son 27 year olds God who had arrived to help defend his parents property at 5:59
p.m. Scott sent his partner a text informing her that although they didn't know exactly how close the fire was it
was very close and they were in trouble he then found his mother to tell her that the hay shed at the bottom of the
paddock was on fire and requested she call the fire brigade less than half an hour later Scott phoned a friend who
later recalled he sounded terrified and in a raised voice he said get some [ __ ] fire trucks here before the call
dropped out at 6:30 p.m. a couple of vacua ting the area drove past the Alford friend OHS
vehicle which was located about one and a half kilometres from his property and burning on the opposite side of the road
Alfred's body was later found in his car sixty meters away resting in burnt bushland off the road was Scott friend
OHS vehicle his remains were recovered 14 meters from his car it appeared the father and son had made a last-minute
decision to evacuate in separate vehicles before Scott had attempted to flee on foot when a lane friendo
returned home a week after the fires she broke down upon discovering her house was still standing her husband and son
had succeeded in defending the property [Music] for 13 years bill and Shirley Gibson had
lived in their single-story redcedar home on Glen Donald Road in Hazelwood south built in the 1970s the house sat
on a large sloping Bush block surrounded by woodland the couple kept their property in neat condition ensuring the
lawn was trimmed and the guttering was clear shortly before 2:00 p.m. on February 7 2009 after the Churchill fire
arose within two kilometers of their home Bill and Shirley elected to leave the property as they packed their car
one of their sons 49 year old Colin drove up to the house he was intent on protecting his parents home and two
refused his father's requests to leave Colin was soon joined by his younger brother 47 year old David both men were
experienced in fighting fires David had been a member of the Country Fire Authority for 25 years and was
considered very very competent when it came to firefighting while Colin had been a lieutenant in the Queensland Fire
Service after their parents had left the brothers spent the afternoon hosing down
the house flooding the gutters with water dampening cushions on the veranda hanging wet towels over the windows and
filling everything they could with the water they phoned family members as they worked telling them that they were safe
that the fire was not close by and that they were to leave shortly in a call to his mother
David reassured her the house is safe mum don't worry about it and told her he loved her before hanging up at 3:30 p.m.
David spoke over the phone with a police officer stationed at a nearby roadblock
who warned him to expect two very strong winds that could produce very dangerous
conditions David contacted his son at around 6 p.m. to report that the fire had passed
although he also mentioned quote something about a winter change it arrived 15 minutes later early the
following morning Colin and David Gibson's bodies were found in their parents destroyed house the only
possible escape route had been the 200 metre driveway to the main road which at the time of their deaths had led
directly into the fire [Music] 51 year-old Allen Jacobs sent his fifty year old wife Mira's lived in a brick
veneer house with a corrugated iron roof situated in a densely treed area of cornellà their remote sloped property
backed onto a creek and was described by a neighbor as the most beautiful little
Valley you could ever live in Allen and Mira's had been married for 30 years and
had two sons one of whom was overseas their fire plan was to stay and defend their property which was equipped with
independent power several sources of water and firefighting equipment they were prepared to take shelter in a
workshop garage positioned beneath their house and to wait for the fire front to
pass then emerge to extinguish any remaining spot fires the workshop was accessed the via a roller door and had a
concrete base and ceiling with double brick walls and a large window at one end covered in a steel shutter On
February 7 2009 Allen and morose were joined by their son Luke and his friend Nathan Charles both aged 21 they along
with several of their friends spent the afternoon preparing the Jacobs home for the fire the fire front was just over
the hill but based on the Blazers migration it was only expected to skim the edge of the property nevertheless
discussions were held in relation to staying or evacuating Allen Jacobs told the others that the choice was theirs
but the garage would be a safe haven for those who remained behind by 6 p.m. almost everyone had left or was leaving
Nathan Charles was the only person who decided to stay behind with Allen morose and to Luke Jacobs
the wind changed soon after and at 6:44 p.m. Nathan placed the call to triple zero explaining that the house was on
fire and two that they were trapped he then found his father understanded as though he was saying goodbye but the
call dropped out Nathan's father then received the text from his son that red dad
undead I love you the fire destroyed the Jacobs carport car's boat and almost the entire house
the bodies of Allen morose and Luke Jacobs and Nathan Charles were found the following day inside the garage which
remained intact a forensic scientist concluded with the doors closed tightly and the window shuddered ventilation
would be limited in the circumstances with carbon monoxide and dioxide levels increasing and oxygen being consumed in
the fire ventilation could be a critical issue all four victims had asphyxiated Coligny resident Jenny lived in a
single-story house with her husband Glenn and their two young children although their property was bordered by
bushland it was clear of vegetation and trees Jenny and Glenn's fire plan was to
fight off any floating embers with their basic equipment and to leave if the situation worsened
in the early afternoon of February 7 2009 Jenny dropped her children off at her in-laws and returned home to her husband
she hoped her mother 51 year old Annette Latham would stay in the comfort of her
home as she had an autoimmune disease that limited her ability to move quickly however at 5:30 p.m.
Annette and her husband Rodney arrived at Jenny's house to help defend the property they were aware of the smoke
and strong winds but the lack of embers and - meant there was no indication they
should be seriously concerned for their safety just before 6 p.m. Rodney received a call from his brother who
warned him of the anticipated winds change neither Rodney nor Glen understood the implications of this with
Glen later stating I had no idea that the fire front would be heading directly for us when the wind changed Rodney and
I both thought it would horseshoe around us by 6:30 p.m. the power had gone out and the countryside was enveloped by a
haunting red glow prompting Jenny Glen Rodney and Annette to discuss their options when embers started swirling
around the property at 7 p.m. the group decided to evacuate Jenny and Glen left in separate vehicles with Rodney and
Annette following behind in their youth within minutes cinder was raining down around them like red-hot bullets
as rodney drove he was confronted by what he described as a massive fast furious grass fire as the fire front
rose over the hill and began raining thick black droplets on to his vehicle's windscreen surrounded by fire and unable
to see clearly rodney tried to back the ute into a dam but when it appeared to store his panicked wife
decided to make a run for the house and that lead them opened the passenger side
door and to lap down immediately falling into the fire Rodney rushed to help but
was unable to save her despite witnessing his wife's death and having sustained severe burns to 40% of his
body Rodney went on to battle several spot fires and managed to save his daughter's house
in September 2007 Martin Schultz and his wife Rachel relocated from Queensland to
Victoria with their young son and settled into a house on factory road in Coligny by 2009 Martin and Rachel had
separated but maintained an amicable relationship Martin worked in a local brick factory and continued living at
the Coligny property with his pet dog Kelly Martin was home alone On February 7 2009 when his father-in-law called to
inform him about the fire underway in Churchill at around 3 p.m. that day a neighbor visited to warn Martin of the
fires proximity estimating that it was only about ten kilometres away Martin was unaware of the danger
although some smoke was visible it was mostly obscured by a large ridge behind his house and there was no odor
in the air his father-in-law found a second time at about 4:00 p.m. telling him that the fire was moving in
his direction and to prepare to leave Martin responded that the fire was not there yet but he was ready to go an hour
later he spoke to his ex-wife Rachel asking if she wanted him to pack anything in the car before he left the
property she pressed him to leave immediately but Martin assured her that it wasn't that
bad as the fire wasn't there yet Martin then spoke to his sister on the phone who encouraged her brother to act
intuitively despite the country fire authorities website deeming the area safe she called back a short time later
to warn him about the anticipated a winter change quote Martin told me if the wind came from the south he was
screwed and that he was going to leave at 6:40 p.m. Martin found his ex-wife once more to tell her that he was in the
car Rachel recalled I could hear the wind and to the incredible roar so it must have hit by then I could hear fear
and hurriedness in his voice she instructed Martin to go to her father's house 20 minutes later a
distressed Martin called his father-in-law and stated there's a tree across the road and I'm on fire this was
the last anyone heard from Martin Schultz and he was registered as a missing person the following day almost
a week later Martin's body along with that of his dog was found in his burnt-out car in a creek bed three
kilometers from his home Gertrude and Eric Martin emigrated to Australia from Germany in 1956 bringing with them their
two children before having their third in Melbourne in 1973 the mums purchased that dilapidated old dairy farm on jira
Lane North Road in JIRA Lane then said about fixing up its weatherboard and cement shade home they added a wood
grain extension and filled the surrounding garden with ornamental trees and shrubs the pair worked on the farm
for 30 years but had recently settled down when Gertrude's health declined at 80 years old she suffered from a heart
condition high blood pressure and had trouble with her hips Eric was aware of the fire danger
forecast for February 7 2009 and spent the morning making final preparations to defend his home at 2:00 p.m. and
neighbor who lived 15 kilometers down the road phoned triple zero to report that the fire was about a kilometer away
from his property and heading towards the Martins police officers were tasked with
conducting a welfare check on the elderly couple however their notes did not specify a name or address so was not
carried out as Gertrude made a lunch eric noticed the gray and yellow smoke in the air which was soon accompanied by
flames he grabbed his pump to soak the exterior of their house but the suction hose had already melted burning branches
sticks and leaves rained down onto the roof while inside the home heat and smoke radiated down the hallway into the
kitchen realizing there was no hope to defend their home Eric guided a Gertrude towards a rear door that led out to the
back porch when he opened the door fire immediately shot inside so he quickly slammed it shut later explaining I don't
know how long we waited but the house was burning and everything around us was burning
after a minute or two I tried the door again and - the flames were totally gone when the blaze subsided Eric led to
Gertrude outside into the fence line where she expressed the need to rest and settled down by a fence post
Eric placed the wet towel over his wife's head intended back to the house to extinguish several spa fires upon
returning to Gertrude minutes later he found her lying on the ground as though she was sleeping
Eric held her hand only to realize she had passed away it was later determined that Gertrude Martin had died as a
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looking into the Churchill fire dubbing their investigation operation Winston the first call to emergency services on
Saturday February 7 indicated that the fire had started at around 1:30 p.m. with witness reports isolating its
origin to somewhere near Glen Donald Road and jealous outlet around 4 kilometers southeast of Churchill's Town
Centre local wild fire investigator from the Department of Sustainability and environment
Ross Pridgen had examined the scene the day after the blaze first responders had
reported two parallel fires burning in the area before they connected into one catastrophic Inferno prison was able to
isolate exactly where the two fires had met and after inspecting the location for an hour he had calculated the origin
point for each they had ignited a hundred metres apart on either side of jelous outlet the first started amongst
the dry brush and Bracken within the surrounding plantation the second had arisen from a pile of discarded junk
that included old tires mattresses and faulty bicycles none of which were capable of self igniting all scenarios
including that the fires had been caused by car exhausts campfires broken glass lightning strikes or discarded
cigarettes were explored and ultimately rejected the possibility that embers from one fire had started the other was
also ruled out as both blazes arose in quick succession and it typically takes upwards of 15 to 20 minutes for such
spreading to occur additionally a stray ember from the first fire would have had to travel
backwards then sideways against strong winds to start the second arson detectives were certain that Churchill
fire had been deliberately led although no evidence of any improvised thought delayed incendiary devices or flammable
liquids was uncovered at the origin point one fire expert claimed that something as simple as a lit match or
cigarette lighter would be enough to cause the wildfire given the dry condition of the forest
coupled with the hot windy weather [Music] Hancock Victorian plantations the timber
company that owned the forest had patrolled the area from the ground and sky throughout February 7 and hadn't
reported anything suspicious as the state was on high alert that day police had also been covertly surveilling known
fire bugs in the region however none had visited the scene of the crime although
not an exact science arson profiling did offer investigators some insight into the type of person capable of carrying
out such an act according to one prominent model the fire setting intervention program for mentally
disordered offenders arsonists are typically male unemployed or struggling in the workforce from a disadvantaged
background exhibit poor social skills and have a family history marred with abuse and/or addiction deliberately lit
fires are more common in semi-rural bushland regions such as those within the Latrobe Valley where public
transport was poor incomes were low youth unemployment was high and child abuse and neglect occurred at a higher
rate per capita motive could have ranged from an act of revenge to a targeted attack or a random opportunity as only
1% of arsonists are ever caught the odds of solving the crime were stacked against operation Winston in
response to Victoria police confirming that they were investigating the work of an arsonist Australia's Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd remarked what do you say about anyone like that what do you say I don't know there's no words to describe
it other than that's mass murder while Larson squad detective Senior Constable Paul Burton cello was reexamining the
crime scene the weather board farmhouse on the top of a hill to the yeast caught
his attention he visited the homestead which was just up the road from the property where brother's Colin and David
Gibson had lost their lives Liam Ferguson a student aged in his early 20s answered the door Liam along
with members of his immediate and extended family had managed to save their house
although the landscape around it was completely destroyed Liam told detective Burton chello that he was defending an
area of his property by himself on the evening of Black Saturday when a man suddenly emerged from the fire and smoke
he was aged in his late thirties with a stocky build and had a quote pudgy boyish face the man was dressed in
camouflage print clothing and heavy work boots and was carrying a small tan colored Terrier dog called Brockie
Liam presumed he was trying to escape the fire and did they fled into the house together where the man stood
calmly in the living room Liam ordered him to call triple zero before returning outside to search for
his father once the fire front had passed the men helped too Liam and his family hosed down the area he introduced
himself as Brendan and said he had been in the area helping a friend and former colleague who lived close by named Peter
Townsend brenton explained that his car had broken down along the road and expressed
concern that if it was destroyed insurers would only pay him five hundred dollars not enough money to replace it
Brendon was described as vague and only spoke when spoken to at around 10 p.m. a
fire truck arrived at the Ferguson house and to the family asked the crew to take
Brendon home as he made them feel uneasy Liam gave detective Burton cello a plastic bag that contained a camouflage
print canvas hat that Brendon had left behind he also recalled seeing a stationary
sky-blue Holden sedan on Glen Donald Road On February 7 it was parked at an odd angle on the grassy verge as though
the driver had pulled over suddenly and abandoned it Liam's mother had also observed that the car when she evacuated
the area at 2 p.m. around half an hour after the fire had been lit another local had witnessed the Holden driving
up and down the street in recent times and presumed it belonged to one of his neighbors On February 7 he too saw it
parked haphazardly on glen donald road as a man frantically tried to start its engine despite the man's efforts the
Holden had been left behind and was burnt by the fire with its upholstery windows and tires incinerated
according to one witness the car's owner returned to the area the day after the blaze with a tow truck but was advised
to leave the vehicle as it was part of a crime scene he retorted don't start that
[ __ ] I came down to help a mate with the fires the car was towed to Connolly's
towing and panel bedding in Moore well just over 10 kilometers north of Churchill when detectives visited the
panel beaters to ask if they had recovered any vehicles from the fire zone the shop owner said they had only
picked up a one he showed detectives a burnt-out colorless shell which had once been a
sky-blue 1974 HJ Holden they could barely decipher the damage to the license plate which read slw three 87
the towing receipt had been made out to a man named Brendan Sokka Locke who lived on Shi Oak Grove in Churchill when
detectives checked to Brendan sokka luxe details they learned that he was 39 years old and didn't have a criminal
record they decided to speak with Peter Townsend the friend whose soccer lock had allegedly visited on Black Saturday
Peter had previously worked with soccer lock at Monash University's Gippsland campus where they were both employed as
gardeners On February 7 Peter and his wife were evacuating by car when they noticed the soccer locks are bent and
holdin on Glenn Donald road despite chocolat telling others that he's reason for being in the area was to visit peter
his vehicle was parked some distance from the Townsend's property and faced away from it according to Peter soccer
Locke had a poor reputation at that former workplace where he was known to lie and make up stories to impress
others he was considered childish and would scare colleagues by leaping out of bushes or bins poke snakes with sticks
and brag about tying cats tails together he repeatedly stared and grunted at one
female staff member until she eventually resigned because she couldn't stand it any longer in moments of anger Sokka
Lockwood threatened to kill others into their families but smiled as he did so confusing his targets as to whether he
was joking or not those who complained about his behavior often found to their cars damaged or tools missing Sokka
Locke was never caught committing criminal acts presumably because he knew the location of the campuses security
cameras and avoided them accordingly Sokka Locke worked at the University for 18 years until in mid 2006 he was
finally terminated following a dispute with his supervisor the supervisor had put together a list of staff grievances
regarding soccer Locke which included him following colleagues home and later informing them watch out I know where
you live challenging the boyfriend of a female staff member to a duel lifting the guard on his ride on Mulla
to show a debris on colleagues and deliberately running over golf balls causing them to shoot out at bystanders
soccer locks neighbors were also unnerved by his behavior they would hear him tinkering in his backyard shed while
he listened to the children's television shows Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine one woman noticed him a
leering over her fence prompting her to hang up drapes to prevent him from seeing into her windows the day after
Black Saturday soccer lock left a voicemail for Peter Townsend in which he stated Peter it's Brendan I tried to get
up see if you're all right my car broke down in Glen Donald road and it's torched near tried to get hold of you
but you were busy I'll catch up with you later mate hope you're safe and well Peter also informed detectives that
shortly before 2:00 p.m. on the day of the fire he saw Shakalaka getting into a car belonging to a local woman named
Nathalie Turner Nathalie had been with her parents that day when she noticed the smoke and
decided to flee the area with her partner and children had around 1:45 p.m. they drove along Glenn Donald Road
where a blue Holden sedan slightly obscured their way a dazed man stood alongside it with his small dog Natalie
and her partner offered him a lift taking him all the way to his home in Churchill during the drive he remarked I
hope my car doesn't burn he repeated the comment when they dropped him off before
quickly adding oh and I hope nobody gets hurt investigators obtained records from
triple zero emergency services which listed the telephone numbers and addresses of individuals who called them
on Black Saturday it was discovered that the call placed to triple zero when the
Churchill fire commenced came from a phone belonging to Brendan Sokka Locke on Thursday February 12 five days after
the fire police arrived at Brendon soccer Locke's modest brick veneer bungalow in Churchill only to discover
no one was home a call to soccer locks mobile phone revealed he was out delivering newspapers a side job he had
taken to supplement his income investigators caught up to him and placed him under arrest for arson he
responded I didn't light any fires the search of soccer locks house uncovered matches in a bathroom a lighter in his
bedroom the registration for his burnt-out car and a business card from Connolly's towing and panel beading in
Moore well his backyard was cluttered with the junk furniture and electrical equipment that was scattered around
patches of scorched earth investigators set up a camera for a video interview in
the property and escorted soccer lock inside the footage captured the stocky man with short graying hair in an outfit
consisting of a sweatshirt shorts and long socks in varying shades of green when asked to confirm his name age and
date of birth soccer LOC responded in a slow disjointed manner while keeping his
hands in his pockets and shifting awkwardly in place he replied Brendan before pausing and
pulling a face he then stated 30 something or rather he answered the question what's your mum's name with
none the detectives were perplexed by soccer lofts abrupt change in demeanor up until this point he had spoken to
them fluently and coherently but as soon as the camera was on him he acted obtuse
soccer lock pointed to a police officer outside and asked who the bad man was and continued to respond to questions in
an indecipherable and childlike manner he stated he couldn't remember what he had been arrested for and when it was
made clear to him that it was in relation to the Churchill fire specifically arson causing death Sokka
Locke replied probably interviewing detective and head of the arson squad senior sergeant Adam shoe Smith asked
does this all sound familiar or you're not sure Sokka Locke responded I don't really
comprehend things too much before adding I'll say yes just to make you happy at this point the interview was suspended
having only lasted six minutes investigators spoke with Brendan Sokka Locke's father who revealed that his son
had an acquired brain injury from birth sokka Locke was then escorted to the Morwell police station to await
assessment from a specialist during the riot his demeanor changed yet again and he was back to being astute
and a lucid while also displaying a hint of arrogance he made snide comments to the driver such as two hands on the
wheel for beginners and asked the you nervous mate when he was placed inside an interview room and a tape recorder
was switched on sokka locks manner of speaking once again became vague and simple he said he
couldn't remember his middle name and he would ramble incoherently to avoid answering direct questions detectives
believed soccer lock was playing up his impairment and took a break from interviewing when suddenly he announced
I want to start talking Sacco Locke had described his actions on Saturday February 7 2009 explaining how
he'd spent the morning shopping with his father before the pair headed back to Churchill shortly after having lunch
sokka Locke was driving his Holden which was having issues in the heat and was on
the cusp of stalling before dropping his father off at home sokka Locke told him
he planned to drive up into the hills to where his friend Peter Townsend too lived he returned home briefly to change
into some heavy work boots then visited a nearby petrol station to purchase a packet of Pall Mall swims green
cigarettes as he drove along Glenn Donald road towards Peter's place Saka Locke lit a cigarette with a
lighter due to the uneven surface of the road his car vibrated causing an n/bar from the cigarette to fall onto the car
floor Saka Locke picked it up with a napkin which he then tossed out the window he
claimed that the m bar caused the napkin to ignite quote I noticed there was fire
and I panicked and I called triple zero and I just tried to get away as quick as
possible just panicked sokka locks car happened to break down further along glen donald road leaving
him stranded when firefighters arrived at the scene soon after they noticed a soccer lock whom they did not recognize
staring at the growing blaze with his dog in his arms they ordered him to leave the area but he continued to watch
the flames shortly after this natalie turner and her partner pulled up and offered Shakalaka lift back into town
[Music] upon returning home sokka Locke climbed onto the roof and watched the fire in
the distance for a while at around 4:30 p.m. he walked back towards glen donald road where he had left his car he
avoided the main roads which were blocked off by police instead moving through burning paddocks where he was
spotted by emergency responders who were left stunned by the sight of a man walking his dog
amidst the fire sokka Locke claimed he visited Peter Townsend's home to check on him but said his friend wasn't there
this assertion was denied by peda who told police that he was indeed home at the time protecting his livestock
Shakalaka then crossed the road to the Ferguson's property where he remained for several hours
sokka Locke told detectives that he hadn't been able to sleep properly since the fire and accepted that it was his
fault that eleven people died the interview concluded with Shakalaka being asked if he had told anyone what he had
done he replied no cuz they people would go and form a lynch thing and chop a person up so I kept quiet
an examination of Sacco locks home computer revealed dozens of photographs of firefighters battling the blazes on
Black Saturday it was also discovered that he had sent an anonymous email to Crimestoppers three days after the
incident which read I saw a Department of Sustainability and environment firefighter light a fire on the edge of
the road as I went past I'm scared too the bad man will get me he described the arsonist as driving a white
four-wheel-drive utility vehicle and deliberately lighting the fire on the edge of Glen donald road investigators
believed this report was an attempt to throw them off by identifying a false suspect
sokka Locke appeared uneasy when informed that his computer was being examined and it was soon discovered that
he had evidence of child abuse material on the device throughout his confession Sokka Locke reverted to his childlike
behavior and speech pattern that night a medical officer diagnosed him with the developmental disorder autism which is
characterized by restrictive and repetitive behavior into difficulties with social interaction and
communication autism is thought to cover a broad spectrum with some diagnosed individuals experiencing severe
impairments while others function at a higher level with less debilitating symptoms Sacco Locke was also found to
have a borderline intellectual disability Brenden soccer lock spent the remainder
of the night in police custody the following day he was escorted to jealous outlet for a filmed field interview
standing amongst the charred forest soccer lock fidgeted and diverted his gaze while again describing how he had
started the fire by throwing a napkin containing a cigarette ember out of his car window detectives were aware that
the churchill fire emerged from two blazes that had been led in quick succession along jealous out layer yet
soccer locke maintained that he had only started one and it was unintentional quote i didn't mean any of this to
happen i had no intention of this all to happen now i have to put up with it for
the rest of my life and it makes me sad police were skeptical of soccer lock story when they spoke with other members
of the churchill community they discovered that many viewed soccer lock as a cunning and disturbed individual
soccer lock had also harbored a fascination with fire from a young age as a team
heeda bragged about lighting a fire in the toilet of a local milk bar and another in a park soccer lock later
joined the country fire authority before it became mandatory for volunteers to undergo police checks with one family
friend telling police he loved the fire trucks and to the power of being a hero however he was dismissed within the year
then twice prevented from rejoining due to suspicions that he was deliberately setting fires according to the book the
arsonist a mind on fire by true crime author Chloe Hooper a CFA captain reported that soccer Locke had admitted
to starting fires so he could go out on the truck and help fight them days after the Churchill fire Shakalaka
gave several explanations to others as to why he was in the vicinity of the blaze at the time that started including
that he was attending a wedding visiting a friend and going to get a chisel back
from an acquaintance in one conversation he described how a cigarette burning down to a fuel source would provide
enough time for an arsonist to flee questions were raised about Sokka Locke's mental capacity a former
colleague described him as the most cunning person he had ever met stating I am aware that he may have a mental
impairment of sorts though he uses this to his own advantage Brendon is a smarter person than what people give him
credit for this characterization was also supported by soccer lakhs brother who shared his
opinion with police Peter Townsend claimed he once sent to soccer lock you don't seem too dumb to me
prompting soccer lock to explain how he was occasionally assessed and would slobber dribble and talkin nonsense so
that his Assessors would believe he qualified for disability benefits soccer lock traveled through the Latrobe Valley
collecting scrap metal which had according to one local given him a real geographical talent for navigating the
region's back streets fire access roads and dirt tracks he burnt the excess junk
he accumulated in his backyard with neighbors stating that soccer locks and bonfires had been getting progressively
bigger although no one witnessed Brendan Shakalaka lighting the Churchill fire on
Black Saturday there were approximately 160 witnesses who had information regarding his movements on the day
Senior Constable Paul Burton cello later stated every one of them delivered a very very strong circumstantial case
Brenden soccer lock was charged with 10 counts of arson causing death more than 180 counts of recklessly causing serious
injury and damage and two charges related to the possession of child abuse material he was not charged with the
death of 80 year-old Gertrude Martin as it was difficult to prove whether her heart attack was caused by a
pre-existing health condition or was a direct result of the fire despite the charges
Shakalaka maintained his story that he never intended to start the Churchill fire and that it was an accident due to
the level of public anger over the case super-luxe defense barrister fought to suppress his identity a magistrate
agreed to ban the publication of soccer Locke's photograph and address to protect him and his family from
retribution the ruled that Sokka Locke's name be made public quote those suspected of vigilantism would not be
prevented from behaving in an abhorrent way simply by suppressing his name as the magistrate predicted vigilantes were
undeterred by the prospect of a suppression order and were quick to name and shame a website titled kill Brendan
Sokka Locke were soon established while members of a Facebook page called Brendan Sokka lock must the burn in hell
demanded that he be burned at the stake another online group offered $10,000 to whomever killed the alleged arsonist for
his own safety Sokka Locke was relocated to a cell in the Melbourne assessment prison and as
the van carrying him pulled out of town enraged to locals pounded on the doors and yelled abuse prior to soccer Locke's
trial the prosecution withdrew the 180 plus charges that pertained to recklessly causing serious injury and to
damage in order to focus exclusively on the arson charges they also dropped the charge relating to the child abuse
material as it couldn't be ascertained whether soccer lock had intentionally sought the images or if as he claimed
that data had been stored on his computer as cookies while he browsed the legal adult pornography sites in
Australia the charge of arson causing death carried a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison
sokka Locke pleaded not guilty and finally appeared in the Victorian Supreme Court almost three years after
the Churchill fire various issues were debated throughout the trial including soccer locks mental state whether the
fire was accidental or deliberate and if it was intentional whether he had intended to kill motive was also
considered including whether soccer lock sport treatment and reputation had compelled him to take revenge against
his community or if he had hoped to somehow control the situation and become a hero
it was also speculated whether he had falsely confessed to the crime because he couldn't comprehend the gravity of
the situation defense barrister jane dickson argued that the cause of the fire was unclear and questioned how a
forensic examination of the crime scene was even possible given that the area had been disturbed by fire helicopter
bombing bulldozing raking and water hosing the day prior she theorized that an unidentified
motorcyclist witnessed in the area when the blaze started might have been responsible for the crime but also put
forth the possibility that it wasn't arson at all Sacco locks troublesome hold and sedan
was proposed as a possible cause with a materials engineer testifying for the defense that embers from the cars
exhaust pipe might have sparked the blaze Dickson called Sokka Locke an easy target
due to his autism Sokka Locke's condition meant he experienced the difficulties with social interaction
verbal comprehension and intellectual reasoning as a child he was severely bullied when his parents collected him
from the school bus he was sometimes covered in spit and feces he could barely read or write and his parents
with the drew him from school in year 11 after years of being tormented struggling to make friends and to
learning at a slower pace sokka locks recollections of his employment at Monash University varied
to those of his colleagues describing himself as their punching bag the defense argued his condition had also
led him to believe that he had something to do with the blaze and explained why he kept changing his story they alleged
that police had used the soccer lock as a scapegoat due to his reputation around
town as a quote odd sort of fellow and to the stories implicating him as a Firebug were all he say Dickson asserted
that her clients called her triple zero to report the incident was not the action of a deliberate arsonist and that
he had been prosecuted by circumstantial evidence stating this was no contrived the web of lies and deceit he might have
been pretty careless he might have even been negligent clumsy uncoordinated stupid he's certainly not in terms of
autism some Rain Man character frankly Brendon soccer lock would not be capable of calculating his way out of a paper
bag unless he had a map a senior forensic psychologist who examined soccer lock was unable to ascertain a
motive and was of the opinion that he did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of pyromania concluding that
while mr. soccer locker does have several characteristics associated with fire setters there are a number of
important criteria lacking the abuse of substances general criminal offending and anti sociology
if he did deliberately light the fires it is likely that his motivation was either expressive as a result of his
social inadequacy or instrumental to achieve a particular extrinsic goal the prosecution argued that Sokka Locke's
condition did not impact his mental understanding and that he had become a person of interest just days after the
fire based on witness testimony alone they portrayed Sokka Locke as a calculating and cunning individual
describing how his demeanor changed depending on the circumstances his varying stories as to why he was at
the scene of the crime and his attempt to blame a firefighter in an anonymous tip-off to Crimestoppers the day after
the fire sokka Locke had made a claim on his insurance policy in relation to his
burnt-out car an act that indicated he had a higher level of functioning multiple fire experts also gave evidence
as to the difficulty and a low probability that a cigarette amber crushed in a napkin then tossed out a
car window could fuel a bushfire they concluded that the fire could have only been lit in such a manner
if the napkin was already burning when it was thrown out of the car prosecutor ray Elston told the court
when the accused men arrives at that intersection there is no fire no one else has suggested to be present when he
leaves it's ablaze all causes save for deliberate ignition of this fire have been eliminated
there is only therefore one irresistible conclusion to draw from the totality of
material and to that is the accused man set those fires at two points when the 21 victim impact statements were read in
court Shakalaka yawned and seemed unmoved by the stories he was hearing grant Jacobs
shared his turmoil that being the sole remaining member of his family stating I have been left without my mother morose
left without my father Alan and my brother Luke who was my best friend it was done by someone's deliberate until
intentioned actions the world has become a very lonely place I just want my family back which I know I can never
have never grants art Rhonda spoke of the absolute annihilation of a family and two
described crawling through the pile of ash that was once her brother's home for two and a half days hoping to find
anything that survived quote I weep in the deepest places of my soul Rodney Leatham recalled his attempts to save
his wife Annette who was consumed by the fire in front of his eyes he described feeling as though he was standing in the
middle of a volcano and smelling his own flesh burning quote I have a thousand what is that I should have done this or
I should have done that and my wife would still be alive he couldn't go out in the Sun anymore as
it caused his burn scars to itch painfully Lockland friendo was six years old when the fire took the life of his
father Scott and the grandfather Alfred he said he missed them every day and that soccer lock took away his life and
family nine-year-old Parker Schultz thought of his deceased father Martin all the time and expressed his anger at
soccer lot for taking away his dad pet dog and house with all his things a video tribute to the victims was played
in court which soccer lock watched briefly before returning to his pens and paper that he had been using to scribble
with throughout the trial after four days of deliberation the jury found Brendan Sacco lock guilty of ten counts
of arson causing death just as Paul Coghlan told soccer lock I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt and the purposes
of sentencing that you intentionally lit the fire intending to set fire to eucalypt plantations
I am also satisfied that you lit the fire at two distinct places at or near the intersection of jealousy outlet
entacle and Donald Road the event was terrifying for all involved in the fires whether directly
or otherwise death from natural disaster would be bad enough but their suffering
is significantly increased from knowing that the fire which caused the death was
deliberately lit for the victims these were and are life-changing events and to know sentence that I impose can in any
way compensate for their loss but it does bring to an end to one part of the process though justice Coghlan accepted
that Sokka Locke had not set out to kill anyone he referenced the defendants training
with the country Fire Authority which provided him with the knowledge that his actions came with certain risks
including damage and death taking into account his impaired mental functioning which judge coglin believed to reduced
his moral culpability Brendan Sokka Locke was sentenced to 17 years and to nine months in jail with a non-parole
period of 14 years the guilty verdict made Sokka Locke the state's worst mass killer in March 2013 the Director of
Public Prosecutions appealed the length of Sokolov sentence on the basis that it
was manifestly inadequate and sought an increase to 24 to 26 years they were concerned that offered a
little deterrence to would-be arsonists especially those in bad or challenging circumstances in their unanimous ruling
rejecting the application the Court of Appeal said that while the gravity of the offense was an important sentencing
factor sokka lakhs disability had to be considered quote our law does not treat an offender with an intellectual
disability or other mental impairment in the same way as an offender who does not
have such a disability the moral culpability of a person who intentionally lights a fire on a day of
extreme weather conditions and or in the face of a total fire ban appreciating there is a strong possibility that the
fire will spread is greater than the moral culpability of a person who does not understand the magnitude of that
risk sentencing principles require the court to consider the effect which his or her mental condition had on his or
her moral culpability in our view the sentences imposed after weighing these factors fell within the reasonable
exercise of the judge's discretion a royal commission was held into the Black Saturday fires which aimed to
examine all the specs of the government's bushfire strategy it began prior to Brendan Sokka Locke's trial and
therefore did not address his involvement in the Churchill fire instead focusing on the experiences and
reactions of emergency services personnel and victims before during and after the blaze the Commission
acknowledged numerous examples of courage initiative and professionalism that increased community and firefighter
safety protected houses and property and supported a local crews who were both fighting the fires and risking their own
homes and businesses however they determined that the incident management team for the Churchill fire demonstrated
shortcomings in management and planning that contributed to the lack of organization and affected the efficiency
of those working on the ground this included the planning officers inaccurate reporting of the time of the
severe winter change which occurred an hour earlier than predicted the Commission acknowledged the efforts of
individuals such as CFA volunteer and captain of the Willing South Fire Brigade craig wood
throughout Black Saturday wood and his crew focused on suppression and asset protection in response to the Churchill
fire at times placing themselves at great risk they helped to divert the fire away from Turalyon South and
protected the Luo yang power station while also safely evacuating a number of people from Coligny during the day woods
own farm came under threat and was left unprotected in response to the choice he
faced Wood remarked my task was far greater than my own farm this he said was something he kept in the back of his
mind so he could instead quote concentrate on what you need to do for the betterment of the larger and broader
community the commission noted mr. wood and his crew provided just one example of the courage and generosity of men and
women who fought the fires On February 7 2009 [Music] despite the timely warning from
Victorian premier John Brumby the day prior to Black Saturday many Victorians were not prepared for the ferocity of
the fires and the subsequent trauma was significant according to a report by The
Herald Sun in the five years following that catastrophic day there was a rise in suicides family violence reports
alcohol and drug abuse and addictive behavior such as gambling amongst the bushfire survivors many replacement
houses were left in various stages of construction as residents had run out of money to see the job to completion and
increased fireproofing had added to the cost every year on February 7 memorials are held throughout Victoria to
commemorate the lives lost in the Black Saturday fires in Churchill locals gather to pay their respects to the
families and friends of Alfred and Scott friendo Colin and David Gibson Allan morose and to Luke Jacobs Nathan Charles
Annette Latham Martin Schulz and Gertrude Martin during one such ceremony 12 months after
the blaze the chaplain of Monash University in Gippsland father Hugh Brown told the crowd of mourners it
couldn't destroy our memories they can't destroy our gratitude for the help we received from so many and it couldn't
destroy our spirits which are strangely battered and bruised better never quenched 2009 was a bloody awful year
but we as the song says we'll survive we won't ever forget the past but we won't live there either
because we know that out of ashes new life grows [Music] [Music] you [Music]

Case 142: The Churchill Fire

On Friday, February 6, State Premier John Brumby cautioned Victorians about the extreme weather conditions forecast for the next day, announcing that Saturday, February 7, 2009, would be “the worst day in the history of the state.”

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Milly Raso Creative direction – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-142-the-churchill-fire

Brief Summary

The episode covers the Black Saturday bushfires, their devastating impact, and the investigation into arsonist Brendan Sokka Locke.

Key points

Extreme Heat Wave Hits Australia. In January 2009, southeastern Australia faced a record-breaking heat wave, leading to devastating consequences.
The Churchill Fire Ignites. The Churchill fire began on February 7, 2009, rapidly spreading and overwhelming firefighting efforts.
Tragic Loss of Life. The fires resulted in the deaths of 173 people and the destruction of thousands of homes.
A Family's Fire Plan. Jenny and Glenn's plan to defend their home against the fire takes a tragic turn.
Martin's Last Call. Martin Schultz's final moments are captured in a frantic call to his father-in-law.
The Investigation Begins. Police launch an investigation into the Churchill fire, suspecting arson.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

It was so hot on court that she felt she was having an out-of-body experience.

Serena Williams on extreme heat during the Australian Open.

3:20WatchApr 18, 2020

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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