As the 10th anniversary of Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires nears, those most affected are looking forward to it all being over.
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For many, Thursday marks a decade since the one of the worst days of their life.
"For a lot of people, Friday won't come soon enough," Marysville survivor Tony Thompson told AAP.
Admitting it had been a tough couple of weeks in the lead up to Monday night's official 10-year commemoration in Melbourne, Mr Thompson said he understood the need to mark the occasion.
"We understand this is not just our grieving time, it belongs to the state - the country as well," he said.
"So it's very important that this commemoration was available for anyone who was touched by the anniversary."
By holding the official event on a day other than February 7, Mr Thompson said those affected could commemorate it in their own way - away from the glare of media.
"I've been struggling over the last couple of weeks because this is so different to the 9th anniversary or the 7th anniversary," he said.
"There have been a lot of stories told and people bringing up what happened on that day."
Mr Thompson almost perished in the blaze as he tried to save cabins at his business in Marysville.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison was among some 1500 people who attended Monday's event, providing the public opportunity to remember the 173 lives lost on February 7, 2009.
Some 400 people were injured in the fires, hundreds of homes were lost, along with thousands of wildlife.
Numerous community events are planned across Victoria to mark the official anniversary on Thursday.
Commemorating the bushfires is expected to take up a large part of the Victorian parliament's first sitting day for 2019.
Australian Associated Press
