Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan reflects ahead of Black Saturday

She joined other members of parliament to reflect on the deadly bushfires ahead of the 10th anniversary on Thursday.

Ms Allan said Bendigo and Redesdale were among the communities affected by the Black Saturday fires.

Special coverage: Black Saturday, 10 years on – the Bendigo and Redesdale fires

“In the case of Bendigo, the fire that started on the outskirts of the city quickly ripped through many suburbs,” she said.

“Tragically, along its destructive path it took the life of Michael Kane and changed forever the lives of so many others who lost homes, properties, family pets and cherished items.

“For others their lives were changed by the trauma of witnessing a fire like this literally in their backyards.”

Ms Allan paid her respects to emergency services, volunteers, relief and recovery agencies, local government and health services for their work during and after the Black Saturday bushfires.

She remembered visiting bushfire-affected communities in the days and months after the bushfires to offer support and help with recovery and rebuilding efforts.

She teared up as she shared how her own Black Saturday experience had helped shape her fire response plans for the future.

"In my view, the safest option is to get the hell out of the way of high-fire risk areas, and certainly that is my family’s plan," she said.

"We live in a wonderful rural bushland community, but on days like February 7, 2009, or January 25, 2019, we are at risk."

Photos: How Bendigo Advertister photographers captured our darkest day

Ms Allan and her husband Yorick Piper were forced to put their fire plan a few years ago when a fire was close to their family's home.

"We left immediately, grabbing our two children, the dog and the bag that was permanently packed on every single total fire ban day," she said.

"This is the lesson we have learnt."

Ms Allan said a decade later, the community was better informed than it had ever been.

But she said for many who were suffering after bushfires, there was always more that could be done.

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