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Gallery | Longwood bushfire: Two months on

By Bree Harding

Mar 13, 2026

Mal Booth invited us to see his and his wife Erika’s burnt-out property at Gooram. He believes theirs was the last home to burn before the fire was brought under control. Photo by Megan Fisher

News journalist Bree Harding and photographer Megan Fisher visited the Longwood bushfire zone almost nine weeks after flames devastated much of the area when they swept through.

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They made stops at Longwood, Gooram, Tarcombe and Ruffy.

Here is a pictorial journey of their visit.

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Mal Booth invited us to see his and his wife Erika’s burnt-out property at Gooram. He believes theirs was the last home to burn before the fire was brought under control. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Blaze Aid volunteer Gregory Morrison works to fix fences near the Longwood-Mansfield Rd in Gooram. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Blaze Aid volunteer Noel Baumgarten works away on a chainsaw to clear fallen trees. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Mal Booth lost multiple vehicles at his Gooram property when the fire tore through. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Glass shattered by the inferno lies on the ground at Mal and Erika Booth's Gooram property. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Mal Booth had previously been concerned about the fire risk from the north with a steep driveway causing a fire to gain momentum, but he was unprepared for a fire from the south. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Gooram farmer Bethany Devanny holds a tiny felt heart made for her by an 80-year-old woman who wanted to send 'a little bit of love' to those affected by the fires. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Sheep farmers Neil and Bethany Devanny work to fix fences along the border of their burnt-out Gooram property so that their stock can return. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Danish backpacker and BlazeAid volunteer Frederick Erlersen takes a brief break from fencing in Gooram. Backpackers are eligible to have their visa extended by a year if they contribute 88 days of work to BlazeAid. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Tall trees stand burnt along Gap Rd, Longwood East. Photo by Megan Fisher

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The fire left few things untouched at Mal and Erika Booth's Gooram property. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Blaze Aid volunteer Gregory Morrison takes a spell from tough fencing work in the heat of a 32-degree-celsius day. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Blackened and fallen trees line the unsealed Gap Rd at Longwood East. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Mal Booth points out some of the recognisable things he and his wife, Erika, lost in their burnt home at Gooram. Photo by Megan Fisher

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BlazeAid volunteer Noel Baumgarten prepares to take on chainsawing duties for his team at Gooram. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Bright green regrowth has sprouted from some of the burnt trees in the area. Photo by Megan Fisher

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BlazeAid volunteers Noel Baumgarten, Chris Murphy, Frederick Erlersen and Gregory Morrison stop for morning tea before continuing refencing works at Gooram. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Mal Booth toured us around his devastated property at Gooram. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Tablelands Fire Recovery Hub volunteers wear conversation-starting TradeMutt shirts at the Ruffy Hall. Pictured are Catie Hill (left) and Coll Furlanetto (right). Photo by Megan Fisher

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Regular yoga and other wellbeing sessions are now being offered in the air-conditioned M*A*S*H (mending along shared hope) tent provided by Fire Rescue Victoria and Urban Search and Rescue at the Ruffy Hall. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Coll Furlanetto says the Tablelands Fire Recovery Hub at Ruffy is still very much operating with even more services available than in the weeks immediately after the fire. Photo by Megan Fisher

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An echidna ambles across the green regrowth at a burnt-out Tarcombe property. Photo by Megan Fisher

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The fire liquified steel before it set again in shiny silver streaks along the earth. Photo by Megan Fisher

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Mal and Erika Booth filled their freezer when they thought the threat was over. Just hours later, the freezer and everything else in their home was destroyed by the blaze. Photo by Megan Fisher

You can also watch a video from our visit here:

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