Two Huntly residents had the fire come within metres of their homes on Saturday.
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Tanya Fisher saw it come within metres of her front door while neighbour Gary Price had fire approach his house before the wind made the fire jump his home.
Tanya and her husband decided to stay after realising there wasn't enough time to load their horses to evacuate them.
"We were getting the horses into the stables and the fireys came and said we needed to make a decision now," she said. "There was no time to load the horses so we stayed.
"But I made my mind up early that I love this house but it's just a house. It can be rebuilt. I was happy to let everything burn and leave to let the CFA do what they do."
RELATED: CFA crews contain Huntly fire
Tanya said the speed of the fire meant many residents would have made quick decisions.
"I made the call at 2.45pm to say I wasn't going to work and by 3.05pm it was coming through the paddock," she said. "It was very fast. Within minutes you couldn't see. I ran from the stables to get a hose and by the time I got there I couldn't see in front of me."
Tanya said CFA crews were dispatched specifically to protect homes under threat.
"My husband and I were in the stables and my mum and her partner were in the house with the dogs," she said.
"We had two fire trucks here and they said they were sent to save the house and that they will save the house. They stayed and kept reassuring us and they had it covered."
Gary's luck saw the fire jump his house and burn the paddock on the other side.
"It came (up) and jumped the house and started in the paddock down the other side," he said. "That's how much the wind was affecting them (on Saturday). It was very lucky."
Gary wasn't home when the fire started but returned to his home from Geelong at 6pm.
"When I heard about Brights Lane being involved, I thought I better get back," he said. "It was just about contained (when I got back) and all the trucks were around taking water from the dam. They did a marvellous job."
Tanya and Gary both thanks fire crews for their efforts at the weekend.
"Full credit to the fireys, they were here so fast and there trucks were from everywhere. We cant believe how many came here as fast as they did," Tanya said.
"The way (the fire and smoke) burns your eyes, throat and lungs, I can't believe they put themselves between us and that to defend us.
"They risk their lives and I can say thank-you enough."