An official situation report showed Marysville residents were all safe and well almost 24 hours after a bushfire tore through the town and killed 34 people, the bushfire royal commission has heard.
Victoria's Emergency Services Commissioner, Bruce Esplin, spent most of the commission's third day on the stand in Melbourne yesterday, and said he was unaware of the Murrindindi Mill fire until three hours after it started.
The Murrindindi Mill fire swept through Marysville, Narbethong and Buxton during the evening of the February 7 fires, and was responsible for 38 of the 173 deaths.
In contrast, Mr Esplin was notified either verbally or by text message shortly after the other fires started.
For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times.
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