It remains the worst bushfires Jim Simpson has seen in his five decades of fighting fires.
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The Rural Fire Service member was one of a contingent of volunteers who went from the Wagga area to Victoria to fight what became known as the Black Saturday bushfires.
Thursday, February 7, 2019, marks the 10th anniversary of the fires, which claimed the lives of 173 people and burned out about 450,000 hectares.
At the emergency’s worst point, it is estimated there were as many as 400 individual fires burning.
“They all knew the fires wouldn’t be out until there was rain, but we had to do what we could,” Mr Simpson said.
The long-serving Lake Albert RFS member was part of a team of firefighters trying to protect Australia’s only surviving steam tram, which they were able to do.
“The way that fire went through, it was horrendous. It was just absolutely incredible,” Mr Simpson said.
Despite the horror, he can recall touching moments: The machinery driver tasked with ripping out trees to create a firebreak who stopped to ensure the safely of a koala and the volunteers at Whittlesea who fed 5000 people a day.
Mr Simpson said he had visited areas like Whittlesea and Kinglake in the years after the fires and had seen the communities begin the long task of rebuilding.
