Mrs Dunnet, who lives near the east Augusta boundary, said mobile phone coverage was an issue during the fires.

“There were different sorts of communication problems; one was trying to get accurate information relayed between the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) and the volunteers,” she said.

“There’s no weather station down here, so the DEC brought down a portable weather station.”

Mrs Dunnet said the DEC had been letting landowners know what was going on, but communication broke down at the height of the fire.

“There were two points that were a bit critical; we left phone numbers for the DEC to get back to us, but we didn’t get those phone calls,” she said.

There was a scary hour or two for the couple, who stayed on their property during the emergency.

“If the fire had jumped a particular road, we knew it could be on for young and old,” Mrs Dunnet said.

A wind change saw the fire also heading for Mrs Dunnet’s nephew’s property a kilometre away.

She said there had been some miraculous work by the dozers, who brought the fire under control.

“There were a few houses and sheds that would have been impacted if it hadn’t been brought under control,” she said.

Mrs Dunnet said the fire did not cross shire boundaries, but came within seven to eight kilometres from the Augusta-Margaret River shire boundary.

It went closer still to the Donnelly River on the Manjimup Shire boundary.