A CREW of Warrnambool firefighters is being credited with saving up to a dozen homes in Terang on Saturday night.
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Senior station officer David Black said a three-man crew on an aerial pumper tanker went to Terang at 9.30pm with a second pumper tanker heading to Koroit at 10pm.
"The pumper that responded to Terang saved a lot of homes in the Emeny Street and Spring Dam Road areas as well as Ridley Ag," he said.
"It was pretty hectic, it was so fast moving. To keep up with it was not achievable. Self-preservation was the priority and then asset protection.
"The crew worked in breathing apparatus alongside volunteers and by themselves until about 3am.
"It was a huge effort. When the crew returned they were tired and worn out, but very satisfied with what they had been able to achieve."
Mr Black said the second Warrnambool pumper went to a major power pole fire near Koroit.
"The fire was contained to that point of origin and paddock and we stopped another grass fire that was heading toward Illowa and Dennington districts," he said.
While the two Warrnambool tankers were at Terang and Koroit, volunteers manned other trucks to protect Warrnambool if required.
Senior station officer Greg Kinross was on the truck that went to Terang.
"The head of the fire disappeared and Terang was left alone with the local guys. They were under the pump," he said.
"We were heading back to Ridley Ag and could see the fire approaching the back of houses in Emeny Street.
"The residents were running around, looked in a panic.”
Mr Kinross said he was told that Alan Buckland was at the back of a house fighting the fire.
"His life was our priority, we got him out of there and then put out the fire as it approached the houses," he said.
"Hypothetically we would like to think we helped saved some of the homes. There was every possibility four houses could have been destroyed."
The senior station officer said the firefighters could hardly stand up due to the force of the wind on Saturday night.
"The embers were going horizontal. We were lucky we were in our pumper and had breathing apparatus so could work closer to the fire front," Mr Kinross said.
"I never saw the head of the fire. It looked like it had gone hard. There was only the local boys and Boorcan unit left.
"I worked Black Saturday at Bendigo and the fire on Saturday night was travelling at maximum speed. It was pretty frightening."
Mr Kinross said most of the homes destroyed were burnt in the first wave of the fire.
"We made a difference along with the local brigades. There were houses lost but we did the best we could," he said.
"We did some good work and there was great work done by the volunteers. We had some success on the night, but some houses burnt. That's the nature of the beast.”