Last Saturday, the biggest concern for the McKenzie family was how to keep cool on what promised to be the hottest day on record for Victoria. Brothers Dylan (21) and Leigh (22) invited some friends around for a swim in their pool when the first of the fire embers started spitting on them in the pool.
'We've been evacuated before, but usually you get a two hour warning. It just crept up on us so quickly, ' recalls Leigh.
'We could hear the fire roaring and it sounded like a jet plane. It was like nothing I've heard of before.'
When they got to Kinglake in a convoy of three cars everything was blocked off, so they had no choice but to take refuge in the cafe‚ which was just across the road from the hardware store and the petrol station.
Jules the dog happy to be reunited with her owner Jae Lovelace after she escaping the horrific fires in Strathewen. Photo: Rodney Dekker
The McKenzies and their friends left the cafe‚ in the morning, the petrol station was still burning and every house was levelled from Kinglake to Whittlesea. They arrived at the Whittlesea Relief Centre and experienced a sense of relief, if only temporarily.
'From coming to nothing to some food, socks and jocks was a great thing. We registered with the Red Cross and then got a bite to eat. It's what you want is to find some friendly people who want to help out,' explains Dylan.
For Jules, one of the dogs who was rescued, her greatest relief was being reunited with her owner Jae Lovelace, a friend of the brothers. The smile on the dogs face is a welcome sight and momentarily helps one forgot the tragedy that everyone who has just experienced.
The tree house -- friends make a valiant effort to save a sanctuary.
When Karen and Anthony McDonald lost their home to the bushfires in Kinglake on Black Saturday, they were in Tasmania on Bruny Island cooking dinner for 100 people.
Their friends Rob Deeble and Mick Osborne tried valiantly to rescue their 'tree house' but like 80 percent of the homes in the picturesque mountain community, the raging blaze was all consuming and too ferocious to fight.
Karen and Anthony McDonald were in Tasmania when they lost their home. Photo: Rodney Dekker.
'They rang me at 5 O'clock in Tassie saying they fled and weren't able to save the house,' recalls Karen. 'We were in the middle of serving dinner for 100 people so we kept serving and thought they'll call us back when they know. And then at 10 O'clock they called to say it's all gone, it's all gone.'
Karen and Anthony feel lucky to have each other and Anthony at least wants to stay and rebuild but it's not going to be easy because some people who they used to call friends and neighbours are no longer here. We've lost friends, our neighbours. I count ourselves as the lucky ones. We've got each other. It's only bricks and water, but it's still a shock.'
Michael O'Meara's story
Michael lost his home in Kinglake and spent the night in a field.
'It was absolutely bedlam last night. We got caught unawares.
At around 4pm the wind change came through and raced straight up the hill and took the town. Unfortunately, we're a small community, we all know each other and look out for each other. Everybody knows somebody who's gone.
'We're a small community, everybody knows somebody who's gone. Photo: Rodney Dekker
Before the fires started Michael was suffering heat stroke, so he went to his friend's place who's a registered nurse so she could run a few tests on him. On the way there, they were under ember attack.
'The west side of the house ignited and we were in the middle, toxic fumes started on the east side of the house. We decided to evacuate the house through a window -- all four us including the dog.
We lay in a paddock while the fire front went over us. We stayed in the field until the entire house burnt to the ground. That took about an hour.
'It was like a fire storm -- this particular one was jumping over ridges and spotting. When it got to town, it took off, flew in the air and it rained down and there were spots over a 3km area and everything simultaneously combusted.'
'The roads were so bad -- there were no less than 24 cars which had head ons, all gutted. Unfortunately a lot of death and destruction. I've never seen a power line sitting in a tree in my life -- it must have exploded, lifted straight out of the ground and it was perched twice it's normal height in a tree.'
Jack Barber's story
'I live on Pine Ridge Road -- or used to live there. Yesterday about 3pm the wind was blowing the fire away, and then within half-an-hour the wind changed and came up Sugar Loaf Mountain.
We saw the clouds of smoke above us and decided to leave our house. We left and went down to West Kinglake fire brigade but was told it wasn't safe there.'
In the end Jack and his family spent the night on the football oval in Kinglake.
'It took us ages to get here because it was a total zigzag dodging carcasses and debris on the road, but when we got here it was brilliant.
There was something to eat, something to drink and there were toilets!'
'I've lost my house but we got everything out that breathes so that's the main thing.'
Phyllis Reid's story
Phyllis lost her home in Kinglake and spent two nights in a car before she got to the evacuation centre in Whittlesea.
'The support here at the Evacuation Centre has been absolutely wonderful.
As soon as we walked through the door there was someone there. And of course, we were feeling pretty miserable after coming down the mountain and seeing all that devastation.
Jack Barber and his family lost their home on Pine Ridge Road. Photo: Rodney Dekker
Phyllis Reid spent two nights in a car before she was evacuated to Whittlesea. Photo: Rodney Dekker
They just took us over and registered us. We had a cup of tea put in front of us and sandwiches. It's been absolutely wonderful. The Red Cross volunteer offered to go to the chemist shop to get my prescription for me. I can even go to the vet and he can house my dogs for me, but I think we've opted to keep them for us. 'Everyone has been so kind. It's the kindness.'
Last fire we had at Kinglake, we were evacuated to here as well. After I registered, this little Red Cross lady came up and gave me what they call a trauma teddy -- a little knitted doll and mine was blue and purple and I've still got it.
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