News of her home being saved minutes before an interview with Deborah was a weight off the shoulders of Bega Valley Shire Councillor, Helen O’Neil, who had to evacuate her home in Bega Valley due to the NSW bushfires.

Helen was deeply grateful to the firefighters who managed to save both her own and her neighbour’s property amidst the flames, as many weren’t as lucky.

“Watching this big plane dive in and out of these big clouds into the smoke, what a brave thing to do.”

After multiple encounters with NSW bushfires like those of black summer, Helen said, “The memories come back and you just have to pull yourself out of it. It comes back so clear and it’s pretty damn scary.”

Hear more highlights from Afternoons with Deborah Knight below: