[Hagar (Doug)]

Well I thought Mt Beauty might be out of the firing line this year. Fire seems to hit us every 3 years, 2003. 2006 and now 2009 but this time it kept out of town. Some very relieved home owners this year. Then this afternoon away went the hill directly behind the town.
A good quick reaction from the CFA and DSE may well have saved us again. The early and quick reaction meant within half an hour of starting we had attack helicopter dropping loads of water on the blaze, and thank God they did as the wind kicked up into quite a blow. The chopper worked until dark then the local boys took over with a bulldozer and their tankes they look like they have it pinned down.

I have attached a few images taken accros the Regulating Pondage in Mt Beauty. The lights in the foreground is the town and childrens play ground and the fire just behind. I couldn't help myself so grabbed a quick one of the Southern Cross above the fire.