Listen to Mark Toner
- The last one to leave Fairhaven - Mark Toner
- We did not know houses would explode - Mark Toner
- FULL STORY - Mark Toner
On February 16, Mark and his wife and their two young children were visiting the family beach house on Lialeeta Road in Fairhaven. In the morning they visited the beach, and later that afternoon the water at their house stopped running and they noticed smoke on the horizon in the direction of Lorne.
Mark had never considered the risk of bushfire at the property, and was inclined to follow advice to stay indoors and let the fire pass. As the flames approached they were told to evacuate, but faced life-threatening hazards on their route towards Melbourne.
Since 1983 Mark has had a heightened appreciation of the risks of bushfire along the the Great Ocean Road, along with the importance of official advice in aiding decision-making during a crisis.
