When the Scotsburn fire broke out on Saturday 19 December, Buninyong Captain Marc Cannan was on board one of the first trucks to the scene.
His crew drove into the driveway of a home in direct path of the fire line to warn them of the blaze approaching.
Although the home owners were alert to the conditions, it wasn’t until a knock at the door that they found out there was a fire nearby.
“They weren’t aware, they opened their door to a wall of fire coming over the trees,” Marc said.
The fire was fast-moving and unpredictable, changing directions as the wind swirled around, and spotting into outlying areas.
As fire circled the house, the couple took shelter inside as the Buninyong crew got to work protecting the property and dousing spot fires.
“The fire took all of our air, we were gasping with just a bit of hard work,” he said.
It was a sustained defence lasting an estimated 20 minutes.
Marc credits the residents’ ‘text-book’ water tank for supplying them with enough back-up water to sustain their attack.
The fire passed leaving the home unscathed and its owners eternally grateful.
This was the first of dozens of homes CFA crews were able to save from the path of the fast-moving and unpredictable fire.
Author: CFA Media