Community
17 January, 2026
FIRES 2026: 'Horrific' time as flames surround
If you'd like to help, residents will eventually need green feed for cattle and teams of fencers.
FOR 10 minutes, no one knew if Dominic Rhoden was dead or alive.
No one from the St Arnaud family had heard from him since he contacted them to say goodbye.
“My mum rang me and said she’d just had the most horrific phone call,” sister Johanna Medlyn said.
“She said Dom had called and told them he loved them and that there was smoke everywhere, there’s fires starting all around me.”
Three years ago, Mr Rhoden packed up and moved from St Arnaud to Longwood East where he and his wife Alison set up their lives.
Little did they know, their new home would almost go up in flames all these years later, but they were some of the lucky ones.
Mr Rhoden began fighting what would later been known as the Longwood fire with his private cart on Wednesday night, but this would just be the beginning.
As the fire grew more intense on Thursday afternoon, Mr Rhodan kept his family well-informed while trying to stay and protect his home and livestock.
“Dom and one of his mates over the road had decided to stay at that point,” Mrs Medlyn said.
“We were constantly checking on him and it was an awful feeling, that not knowing.
Mrs Medlyn had taken her children to swimming lessons that afternoon and was watching my emergency app and saw the front closing in on the property.
“In a matter of minutes, their place had been surrounded,” she said.
“My phone rang and it was mum who had just got the call from Dom, he’d told them goodbye.”
Fortunately, in more ways than one, Mrs Rhoden was still on holiday with the couple’s one-year-old son.
While they were out of the firing line, she was able to contact neighbours who were able to help.
“Dom knew he had to get out and told his mate that, but he decided to stay, so he threw him his woolen blanket and went,” Mrs Medlyn said.
“Alice called all the neighbours she could and they were able to open gates and give Dom a way out.
“He couldn’t see through the smoke but he managed to get out.”
For 10 minutes, the family waited to hear from their brother and son. And even after that, they waited another half an hour to hear from their mate, who thankfully was safe as well.
Mr Rhoden thanked the air support, who he hoped would help when he put in a call to Triple Zero on his way out.
“They must have got in quickly and dropped fire retardent on the houses and the horses because they all survived,” Mrs Medlyn said. “They were so lucky to have so many doing a great job.” Over the next few days, long-time friend Shaun McNaulty, Anthony Rhoden and Chris Medlyn took it in turns supporting Mr Rhoden on his property as the fire reared its head multiple times.
“A fire did start on the neighbouring property and an ember got into Dom’s hay shed. He lost all that and a tractor,” Mrs Medlyn said.
She said she was overwhelmed by the support the family had received, but there were other ways to help.
“Dom said the hay that is now being donated is great, but they will need green feed that will help with moving the cattle soon too,” she said.
“They will also need teams of fencers eventually, so if anyone is able to go over, that would be a great help.”
Read More: St Arnaud