A lot can change in 20 years, but as Canberrans look back on the disaster that was the 2003 bushfires, the differences in the affected suburbs can be linked back to the unprecedented power of the event. On January 18, 2003, more than 480 homes were destroyed when a major fire - an accumulation of four burning for over a week on the ACT's fringe - finally reached the nation's capital. According to the CSIRO Fire Research Group, Duffy and Chapman bore the brunt of the bushfires, with 221 and 77 homes destroyed, respectively.
Chapman resident Carolyn Stanistreet and her husband Peter look back at their experience with relief, as a timely change in wind direction meant they were among the lucky ones. "We had been swimming at Phillip Pool in the morning and, as we swam, we noticed ashes and burnt leaves dropping from the sky," Carolyn said. "We returned home and became increasingly concerned about the situation ... we listened to our local ABC Radio station which reported the fire was heading towards Canberra's western fringe.
