02:51

Kate Bruton and her family experienced how unsafe it was at Swan Reach first-hand.

They were staying with Bruton’s mother at Cabbage Tree for Christmas but decided to evacuate yesterday when they saw the columns of smoke from the Barmouth Spur and W Tree fires.

“We stopped at Orbost first and Orbost was full at the evacuation centre, and it was the same at Lakes Entrance,” Bruton said.

It looked like “armageddon,” she said. “I have been in bushfires all my life... it was unimaginable.” They were advised to drive on to Bairnsdale but got stuck when the Princes Highway closed both ahead and behind them at Swan Reach. The closure was not reported on the VicEmergency or VicTraffic app until after they were stuck.

They parked the caravan near a river and watched embers fall around them, but luckily the road opened and they made it to Bairnsdale.

Everyone at the park had been friendly and helping each other, Bruton said. “As horrible as this is, it is nice.”