Clean up ensues on Tasmania’s East Coast in bushfire aftermath

ABC NEWS (Australia)

After an anxious wait, residents have been allowed to return to the bushfire affected community of dolphin sands on Tasmania’s east coast.  The bushfire has now been contained, and authorities are turning to the big task of cleaning up the damage.

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00:00This mangled heap was a house Tony built decades ago.

00:06He no longer owns it but still looked after it.

00:09It's very hard to, very difficult to take it all in.

00:17It's the sickest looking world I've ever seen. It's terrible.

00:21Tony was among many anxious to see what remained when the road reopened today.

00:26Not knowing was the issue and not knowing the exact amount of damage and what is damaged.

00:36The fire tore through the small coastal community on Thursday, leaving behind a trail of wreckage.

00:4219 houses are gone, others are damaged.

00:45The most homes lost in a bushfire since the 2013 Darnalli blaze.

00:50Dozens of sheds, caravans and water tanks are also in ruins.

00:55Well appreciate walking in the shoes of those that have lost properties.

00:59How distressing and emotionally traumatic this time would be.

01:07The Tasmania Fire Service hopes to downgrade the warnings to advice level, then patrol in coming days.

01:13We conducted a line scan with an aircraft this morning.

01:17Identified several hot spots close to the edge of the fire and crews have been working on those today.

01:24It's going to be a long road to clean up these bushfires.

01:27You can still smell ash and smoke in the air and the evidence of the destruction is all around me.

01:32We've seen charred fences, charred trees, broken power lines and of course damaged and destroyed homes like this one behind me.

01:40I want to ease people's anxiety around that.

01:44We will support people to clean up their properties at no cost to them.

01:50A trying start to a bushfire season that's only just begun.

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