Ullina firefighter Tim Barry captured protecting Raglan home during a rest

No amount of fatigue after seven hours putting out fires was going to stop Ullina brigade member Tim Barry from protecting a Raglan home, creating an iconic image in the process

Tim Barry from the Ullina CFA protecting a home in Raglan just after 5pm on Thursday. Photo: Russell Keith

Volunteer firefighter Tim Barry breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted an old chair lying in the backyard of a Raglan home that his brigade had just saved.

There was still plenty of work to be done, with extreme heat and smoke bearing upon the property, but it gave the Ullina CFA member a chance to “have a spell” after more than seven hours on the job, fighting the fires that swept Beaufort and surrounding towns.

“It was just full on,” Mr Barry told the Sunday Herald Sun.

“I was just worn out and the chair was in the yard so I propped it up and was able to have a bit of a spell.

“When (Ullina CFA lieutenant Russell Keith) took that photo the fire had gone through by then, so I was able to have a bit of a rest and keep the heat away from the house.

“The fire was just constant, there was no real time for a rest out there. I think we put in ten hours for the day but there was a solid seven hours without a spell.”

CFA brigades from across the state were sent to Beaufort to help with the raging fires . Picture: Sebastopol Fire Brigade - CFA

The intensity of the various spotfires passing through saw the Ullina brigade shift its focus towards asset protection, allowing them to successfully protect the Raglan house.

“The most confronting thing for us was the spotfires and how many there were and how quickly they got up and away,” Mr Barry said.

“You’d run around and put some out and go back and get some water but by the time you came back the whole place was just burned.

“In the end it was about asset protection so we sat at the hosue and wait for the fire to come through and put out what you can.”

The Ullina crew arrived in Beaufort about 1pm on Thursday as heavy smoke clouded the town and locals started to evacuate.

Fire fighters take a break from fighting a bushfire in the Beaufort area. Picture: David Crosling

Ullina CFA lieutenant Russell Keith said the crew could see the smoke from as far as Ullina — located about 45 minutes out of Beaufort.

“We’ve been to a lot of fires....but this was a s—t day really,” he said.

“Normally you go to a fire and you’re looking at the fire in front of you whereas here it was all around us all day. It was hard to get your head around really, it was frustrating because there wasn’t much we could do.”

Owner of Angel’s Cafe in Beaufort, Ian Smith, said he has “never seen smoke like that” before in the town.

“The smoke was red,” he said.

“You could smell the fire in the air. The smoke clouds covered Beaufort, one side was clear with blue skies and the other was red and brown smoke and it was just piling up.

“I’ve been here for 16 years and never seen smoke like that before.

“I’ve never seen so many firetrucks in the town before either.”