Such a relief, the fires are out and the rain, hail and snow will hopefully keep the area damp enough for long enough to aviod further flare-ups. From talking with the others locals, some openly admitted crying when the rain set in, others said they stood in the falling rain thanking God and others laughing with relief.

Reports include the fire stopping within feet of one property in sawmill SEttlement, a rather roughly unplanned holiday home area where houses were build out of anything from second hand corrigated iron to inverted fibreglass swimming pools to beautiful pine long cabins and modern expensive residences as it has now become a popular place to have a residence. There is only one road into this settlement and the firemen were about to be pulled out due to the danger of being trapped when the wind changed and moments later the rain fell enough to get the fires under control.

A couple from Tolmie over the hills from where I live told me they watched the flames from their back porch creeping up the hillside then burst into flames at the top of a tree, die down and quietly creep again before another tree would errupt into flames. He liked it to how music would look if you saw it rather than heard it.

Now in the middle of summer Mt Buller which was also under iminent threat is topped with snow as it is in winter and hail fell yesterday.

I thank you all for your concern during this time and I hope you all had a very happy Christmas as we did here in Merrijig.