BLACK Saturday survivors have told their stories in a DVD to educate people who live in Victoria’s fire prone areas.
The When the Fires Come DVD was originally going to focus only on residents of the Kinglake Ranges but expanded to tell the stories of nine people across the state who were hit by the 2009 fires but survived, project manager Dawn Hartog said.
Ms Hartog, the former president of the Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House where the DVD was launched last Friday, said the DVD covered fire safety preparation and planning, and what to do when a fire arrives and afterwards.
“Its purpose is to relive those experiences [of nine survivors] and to educate others who live in fire-prone areas,” she said.
“The survivors reflect on their experiences, provide insight into their future planning and tell of the changes they have put in place since that day.”
She said it featured Graham McErlain, a long-time Pheasant Creek resident and builder who followed his plan to stay and defend, but had since decided that in the event of a future fire he would leave.
Kinglake horse veterinarian Jenny Bray who stayed said she would still defend her home in the future, Ms Hartog said.
“The DVD carries strong messages of radiant heat danger, the need for sprinklers, mental and physical preparedness, knowing the area that you live in, and being aware of your surroundings,” she said.
