Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
PETER Riebeling is thanking his lucky stars after his Mia Mia home was left unscathed from the second bushfire which has threatened it.
Thursday's fire near Mia Mia, which burnt through 288 hectares of grassland, came within 200 metres of Mr Riebeling's home on the Burke and Wills Track.
It follows on from a fire which almost completely surrounded his home on Black Saturday, in February 2009.
"It looks like my karma credits haven't run out yet," he said.
The Bendigo V/line worker, who is also a Redesdale fire brigade member, said he heard about the grassfire about noon and decided to go home to see if he had time to help defend it.
After learning the fire front's proximity meant it was unsafe to do so, Mr Riebeling spent an anxious half an hour or so waiting to find out whether or not his home had been impacted.
"It's directly in line with it, they're flying over the top of it now," he said at the time.
The fast-moving grassfire jumped the Burke and Wills Track, moving south-east to his home's side of the road about 1pm, before fire crews brought the fire under control around 2pm.
Mr Reibeling said the fire came close to his house, which was empty except for the family cats.
"It burnt down to about 200 metres from the house," he said.
"I knew the fire was going very close."
Mr Riebeling said it was the second time his house had come under threat from a bushfire, having stayed and fought when fire threatened his and surrounding homes on Black Saturday.
"That fire came from the same direction, from Redesdale towards Mia Mia and burnt down towards my neighbour's place," he said.
"It was on the east, west and south sides of my property."
He said he spent 10 days in total helping to fight the Black Saturday fires.
He was also one of the state's firefighters awarded a medal for his sustained efforts in a national emergency.
Mr Riebeling said this time around, however, the biggest frustration was not being able to jump in and help because he had left his firefighting gear at home.
Later this afternoon he said while he was relieved at the outcome, he and other fire crews would be monitoring the situation into the night.
"The threat's not over yet, there's still 10 firetrucks and a bulldozer in my backyard," he said.