LISTEN TO JOHN ALLEN
Please be advised that this audio contains descriptions of death or injury that some listeners may find distressing.
- I wanted to get down there - John Allen
- It was just like a ghost town - John Allen
- An old fellar with a hand-held hose and sprinklers going - John Allen
- An amazing sight. A shocking sight - John Allen
- FULL STORY - John Allen
John was a self-described ‘Collins Street farmer’ who kept his beloved hereford herd and three race horses on a farm in Aireys Inlet. On February 16, when word of the fire reached him in the city he cut short his working day and raced to get down there. John was blocked by the police at Bellbrae but managed to circumvent the road block by finding his way onto a fire truck.
John’s memories of attempting to save life and property in Aireys Inlet and Anglesea are riven with the visceral experience of the fire front and the death and devastation that came with it. This is the first time John has spoken of an event which has given him nightmares since.
