As a shifting wind brought thick smoke across the shire around 9pm on Friday night, the familiar scent of eucalyptus and ash served as a sobering reminder of the region’s history.

In the face of 41.5°C temperatures and the ongoing Longwood blaze, the Mansfield community responded not with panic, but with a seasoned resolve honed by the lessons learnt from 2009’s Black Saturday.

From the Merton Hall to stables across the border in Howlong, and from unimpacted Victorian vineyards offering excess harvest to wineries decimated by fire, the story of this fire season has been written by the “extraordinary bravery and community spirit” of locals looking out for one another.

Mayor Cr Steve Rabie, along with council officers and councillors, worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the shire received critical state and federal support.

Between ongoing briefings scheduled across the weekend, the Mayor issued a heartfelt message to constituents.

“I want to encourage everyone to make safe, sensible decisions and act upon the advice of the relevant authorities,” Cr Rabie said.

“Stay hydrated, stay cool, and stay calm.”

Above all, the Mayor praised the way residents mobilised to protect and assist their neighbours.

“I want to acknowledge the incredible reaction from a community which has stepped up and come together to care for each other,” he said.

“Thank you to everyone who has played their part.

“Those who have fought fires.

“Those who have staffed emergency relief centres.

“Those who have offered help.

“And those who have listened to advice and made decisions to ensure their safety, and the safety of the volunteers and professionals fighting these fires.

“It’s what I call ‘keeping it country’.

“It is no less than what I have come to expect from this incredible community.”

In addition to the work of emergency services personnel, the sheer volume and variety of community support has been more than heartening — it has defined what community is.

Homes and rooms across the shire were opened to displaced and evacuated residents.

Offers of assistance came from homeowners, Airbnb providers, motels and hotels alike.

Paddocks and land were made available for livestock placement and refuge.

Local relief centres received more than 300 enquiries — and counting — from people offering accommodation and those seeking it.

While more than 90,000 buildings across the state faced power outages and the threat of dry lightning loomed, the Mansfield spirit remained fully charged.

Sikh Volunteers Australia deployed food vans to the Mansfield, Seymour, Yea and Benalla relief centres, travelling daily from their Melbourne base to serve freshly cooked vegetarian meals.

Locally, Mansfield Bakery on Buller Road donated leftover bread and rolls, leaving trays of produce available for anyone in need.

Alpine Butchery offered to donate meat to any group feeding volunteers, while residents and businesses inundated CFA crews with food and supplies.

AJs Laundry and the Mansfield Laundrette opened their doors to provide free washing services for displaced residents and emergency personnel.

Metro Bonnie Doon opened for 24 hours on Saturday to support firefighters, police, emergency service crews, volunteers and the local community, ensuring access to fuel, hot coffee, cold drinks and food.

Locals including Jackson Fisher offered heavy machinery support with graders and dozers, while TeAna and Dion Ward hit the road with horse floats to evacuate animals.

Late Thursday afternoon, as fires began to take hold across the region, former local Corey James and his partner travelled from Albury to Mansfield to assist properties under threat, working late into the night rounding up livestock and loading horses and stock onto trucks.

Bonkonia Beef owner Scotty Purcell made an urgent call to move his cattle as fire threatened properties near Merton.

Within hours, a major community mobilisation saw around 40 head of cattle moved to safety.

With the Mansfield Showgrounds reaching capacity, the High Country Arena at Mansfield Zoo and the Mansfield Race Club stepped up as secondary relief centres for horses and livestock.

Specialist assistance also emerged, with NSW-based Alphadog Animal Rescue offering chemical immobilisation and emergency relocation services for macropod carers, free of charge.

Agriculture Victoria announced free livestock assessments, fast-tracking inspections as soon as conditions allowed.

The state government committed $10 million to provide fodder for farmers impacted by bushfires.

BlazeAid confirmed three base camps will be established when safe, including one at Longwood to coordinate clean-up and rebuild essential farm infrastructure.

For residents in outlying areas such as Merton, the community hall — which survived the fires — remained open with power, air conditioning and Wi-Fi, providing a cool, connected space to rest.

This is only a snapshot of the extraordinary response.

“The outpouring of community support in Mansfield Shire has been overwhelming, yet no less than what we have come to expect from the best little shire,” the mayor said.

As firefighters continue to battle the active and unpredictable Longwood blaze, council has urged residents to remain vigilant and look out for one another.

As Mayor Rabie noted, the road to recovery is paved by those who “step up”.

Whether delivering Zooper Doopers to children at relief centres or staffing the front lines of the CFA, Mansfield Shire has once again shown it is strongest when it stands together.