Lyn Bennetts, now evacuated to Wodonga with her husband Chris, on Monday described their ordeal as the fire that started near Walwa threatened to engulf their Hanson Street property.

"It was coming straight at us," Mrs Bennetts said.

"It's like it's a living beast."

The Bennetts, who work in the trucking industry, had spent New Year's Eve preparing their property.

They put sprinklers on the roof, filled gutters and so on, and then took up position to monitor the fire overnight.

"All of a sudden we saw it spit fireballs in our direction," Mrs Bennetts said.

"It was like the fire was showing itself which way to go. Within minutes of it taking a gulp of air the ferocity of the fire had grown to a massive front again."

Mrs Bennetts ran inside to grab her two scared cats, which took a little while.

IN OTHER NEWS:

"Chris ran in yelling, 'We have to go, l haven't got a hope in hell of holding that monster back with a garden hose'," she said.

A police officer ran up the driveway, telling them to evacuate, but Mrs Bennetts didn't want to leave nearby horses locked in their paddock, having earlier told their owner she'd watch them.

She and the officer ran towards the flames to let the animals out.

"The intense heat was so hot it was like opening an oven door," she said.

"But it was hotter than that and l could feel it burning through my clothes. I have never been so scared in my life."

The couple left the scene about 5am New Year's Day, convinced their home would be destroyed and worried the horses would be caught in the fire as well.

"It would be my fault for leaving it too late, but l know now what other people mean when they say 'We didn't have time to react'," Mrs Bennetts said.

They went to a safer part of Corryong and saw firefighters attacking spot fires on a nearby hill.

"It was like a game of cat and mouse, the cat would put one fire out and the mouse would start five more spot fires, it was scary to watch," she said.

"The early morning sun was bright red from the smoke-filled skies."

About 8am the Bennetts returned to their home to find it had not burned down and neighbouring houses and the horses had also survived.

"How on earth the firies managed to save our homes is beyond me but we are so very thankful," Mrs Bennetts said.

"The fire brigade had done an awesome job of getting to that fire and getting it out before it caused any major damage."

But other buildings, hay bales, animals and machinery had been lost to the fire at Corryong.

Mr and Mrs Bennetts stayed in the town a couple more days before leaving with the last convoy on Friday and did not yet know when they'd be able to return.

"I never thought ever I'd be involved in anything like this, all of a sudden it was there," Mrs Bennetts said.