Bushfire-hit students return to school

Children from Buxton Primary School used painting to express the bushfire horror
they experienced, as they returned to classes for the first time since the inferno
that ravaged Victoria.
Just seven of the 27 pupils answered the roll call on Monday, nine days after the
inferno raged through their town.
A counsellor was on hand for those who turned up, as well as a painting lesson to
help the children put their thoughts on paper.
School principal Elizabeth Thomas said many of her students, including a teacher,
lost their homes in the fire.
She said that while some had found temporary accommodation with family and friends
in the district, others had shifted to Melbourne and wouldn't be returning until the
last flame was extinguished.
"We had a counsellor here this morning and the children went through their
experiences," Ms Thomas said.
"They also had the opportunity to paint and share their experiences."
A painting by one pupil, nine-year-old Phillip Watt, is a chilling depiction of his
family fleeing down the highway in their car with orange and red flames leaping
overhead.
On the road is a cow and he has written under it "dead".
"Apparently there were a lot of dead animals along the road," Ms Thomas said.
Ms Thomas, who is substituting at Buxton for six months from her school at Kilsyth,
also had to fight to save her house in nearby Taggerty.
"I've only just arrived here so it's been a dramatic time," she said.
"Luckily, we were on the right side of the road near the river."
A few hundred metres south of the school is the Buxton Trout and Salmon Farm where
owner Mitch McCrae lost most of his stock as he, family and friends fought to save
their own lives as the fire swept through.
"We had five fire trucks outside on the road but as the flames got closer they took
off - that was a bit disconcerting," Mr McCrae said.
With the Acheron River flowing through his farm, they were able to pump water out
and spray on the house and property until the danger became too much and they rushed
inside the house.
"I've always said the farm would be the safest place in the event of a fire and I've
been proved right," Mr McCrae said.
About 10,000 young fish managed to survive the fire and Mr McCrae thinks he will use
them as breeding stock.
"They will be my new super breed - if they could survive that fire they could
survive anything."
Mr McCrae lost about 35 tonnes of prime fish, worth around half a million dollars,
which were not insured.
Other locals helped him dig up the dead fish and bury them on his property as he
emptied the ponds.