Not everyone in Mallacoota benefited from the Defence Force’s help today. Some of the most vulnerable people there were told they could not be evacuated.

Laura Freeman, 35, has holidayed in Mallacoota for more than two decades. She was staying at a caravan park with her husband and two children, who are aged one and three, when the approaching fire trapped them in the town.

In the ensuing, terrifying hours, Ms Freeman and her family watched the sky turn black and red. They spent some time sheltered in their car, but smoke seeped in and forced them out. Later, stuck indoors with dozens of others, she texted her mother, believing they were not going to make it.

Those conditions would obviously be hard enough to endure as an adult, but Ms Freeman and her husband also had to deal with the stress of keeping their children safe.

At the suggestion of authorities, they wrote an emergency contact number on the kids’ arms with black marker, in case they became separated.

Picture: Laura Freeman

So, you can imagine Ms Freeman’s relief when she heard the ADF was going to evacuate the town.

That relief was short-lived. At a community meeting last night, her husband was told the family would not be able to go with the ADF, because anyone on board the ship would have to climb a rope ladder – something the young children couldn't do.

On top of that, the couple learned aerial extraction would also be unavailable because of the weather conditions.

Ms Freeman's family ultimately got lucky, as two privately owned "luxury" boats showed up this morning to evacuate them. They're safe and well now, but if not for the generosity of those strangers, they would still be stuck in Mallacoota.

She said the biggest frustration was their lack of access to accurate information during the ordeal. The lack of power stopped people from charging their phones, and some of the information they did get access to was downright misleading.

"We'd rather have no information than have misleading information, and false hope," she said.

But Ms Freeman was also struck by the incredible strength of her fellow evacuees. One elderly woman stood out – she had lost her home, but stayed relentlessly positive.

The most terrifying of events do have a way of bringing out the best of humanity.

Pictures: Laura Freeman