Man had moments to grab his dog from 'big red balls of flames'
A Victorian man has described how he had just moments to grab his dog after being told a fire was about to engulf his property.
Barney Lenehan lived in one of five homes decimated by the blaze in Cobden.
He heard news of the fire from his brother and had just minutes to grab his dog before the flames hit.
“You could just see the big red balls of flames,” Mr Lenehan said.
Miraculously, none of the 200 cattle in the area were killed but unfortunately as residents returned home on Monday only burnt hay remained.
Mr Lenehan said there were truckload of hay available for anyone who needed to feed cattle in the area and added a man from Ballarat was also offering a “semi-load of grass hay”.
“We’ll stick at it, we’re a tough breed,” Mr Lenehan said.
Rebecca Jones and her husband, also nearby residents, were away at a friend’s 40th on Saturday night. They learned the fate of their home via a Facebook video.
“You don’t realise what it’s like to lose everything until its actually gone,” she said.
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The fires were declared a catastrophe with priority help available for policy holders and fees waved on all loans.
Homeowners will also be offered grants of up to $40,000 by the State Government.
Premier Daniel Andrews said it was a tragedy but could have been “so much worse”.
At least 18 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Victoria, with residents from several towns seeking shelter in relief centres.
Apart from the housing toll, hundreds of beef and dairy cattle have also been killed and about 40,000 hectares of prime pastoral and other lands burnt out.
