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MELBOURNE - Woods Point residents have danced in the streets celebrating Christmas rain which has ended the three-week fire threat to north-east Victorian town.
The wet weather extinguished the last of the spot fires around the town and drenched the weary locals as they let off steam.
"It rained all last night and this morning," the manager of Woods Point's Commercial Hotel, Kirrily Pay said.
"We had the biggest party, we were absolutely ecstatic, we can't believe we're still here.
"For three weeks now our lives have been on hold, you'd wake up each day and think is today the day it hits.
"We can't believe how close the fire came to us.
"We're all still in shock."
Ten days ago the locals ducked for cover as the blaze roared towards the town, pulling back at the last minute with a lucky wind change.
Since then spot fires have sprung up sporadically, burning within metres of homes.
This month's bushfires razed 871,000 hectares of mostly bushland in Victoria's northeast and Gippsland regions, destroying 32 houses and resulting in the death of a firefighter who fell off a trailer while battling the blaze.
The cooler weather and overnight rain has kept fire activity at a low today.
Similar conditions are forecast to continue for the next week, giving fire crews a chance to relax their efforts.
More than 800 fire fighters have been sent home for Christmas with 900 remaining on duty over the Christmas season.
A Country Fire Authority spokeswoman said fire front was now burning across bushland and posed no threat to homes.
No towns were alert, she said.
- AAP
