It was a trying day at The Cube for residents who left their homes rather than stay and fight bush fires which burned near Barnawartha and then south-east towards Yackandandah.
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Seven hours after evacuation centres were set up in Wodonga, CFA operations manager Paul King told a crowd of about 100 at 8pm on Sunday the news they had been waiting all day to hear.
“We had heavy rain across the fire ground … for people who live outside the fire area and not on roads impacted by the fire, which is Indigo Creek Road primarily and the roads from it, you can go home tonight,” Mr King said.
His announcement was interrupted by claps and cheers from a weary group relieved to finally know their homes were safe.
The Cube ebbed and flowed with people all day after the designated evacuation centre changed from the Wodonga Sports and Leisure Centre before 2pm.
Less than 20 people had showed up at the latter before the venue change, most had a swim before relocating to The Cube.
Yackandandah resident Mathilde Partha, who attended both evacuation centres said she was thankful she learned what to do in a bushfire that morning from CFA volunteers at the Yackandandah morning markets.
It was not just the emergency services volunteers who made a big difference in helping residents on Sunday.
Members of the community called up from an 85 deep volunteer list, kept by the City of Wodonga, made sandwiches, coffees and helped with accommodation for the displaced.
By 8.40pm everyone who had been at the centre had found short-term accommodation or gone home.
It was only Indigo Creek residents who had to be put up in motels with help from council staff.
