The group “straddles the Great Dividing Range” and can be fighting fires across open grassland or be drawn to urban fires at the back of Brown Hill.

Through a series of articles, The Courier will introduce the firefighters of the region.

The firefighters are divided into CFA Western District 15 brigade groups of Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, Ballarat, Grenville, Eureka, Creswick, Glenlyon and Buninyong.

The Creswick group has almost 450 volunteers, with 150 active members from nine brigades; Glen Park, Campbelltown, Creswick, Kingston, Kooroocheang, Mollongghip, Newlyn, Smeaton and Ullina.

Creswick Group Officer Alan Hives said residents in his region needed to prepare their homes for the fire season.

“The best defence is what you do for yourself,” Mr Hives said.

“The worst part is that we have a lot of people living on the urban fringe, living in high risk, very dangerous areas in the summer time.

“People just don’t realise how dangerous the area they are living in can be.”

Mr Hives urged residents to clean up their properties, removing firewood from verandahs, making sure their house has a clearly displayed number and ensuring there was enough room for fire trucks to fit down the driveway.

He said the group was always looking for more volunteers.

“For every person I have in a truck, I need another person doing something else, answering phones, command and controls,” he said.

“But we’ve never been better equipped or better trained.

“We are a bit short on numbers. We are always looking for more people.”

david.jeans@fairfaxmedia.com.au