Carole Isaacs, Anamaree Correia, Natalia Hoawerth, and Bill and Georgie Robertson all keep their horses at a property along Old Bar Road. Owned by a Sydney company, the group are allowed to keep their horses there in exchange for managing the property. It's an arrangement that suits them well, as it allows them to keep their horses in a suitable location close to their homes.

However, that was all thrown into disarray when the RFS sent out emergency bushfire warnings for the township on the evening of Friday, November 8.

With the Hillville fire burning out of control around Rainbow Flat and a strong southerly change predicted to push it in the direction of Old Bar, the group knew they needed to get their horses off the property.

Together they walked the horses to Anamaree's place in Pacific Parade - a distance of around two kilometres - and kept them there for the night.

But when things took a turn for the worse the next morning and the fire was suddenly bearing down on Lewis Street to the south of them, they were forced to move the horses again.

Seeking shelter on the beach, things took another dramatic turn when a motorcyclist flipped his dirt bike on the sand and suffered a suspected spinal injury.

The accident happened in front of Anamaree and she was one of the first to respond, before 000 was called and an emergency nurse was dispatched to the scene.

Continuing north along the beach towards Taree Old Bar surf club, the next few hours were extremely testing.

Engulfed by smoke and with the horses spooked by the helicopters constantly flying overhead as well as the sense of stress among the group, there were times when they thought they were going to lose the horses.

"I found it hard to keep my panic under control," Carole said.

"I said, 'If they're going to bolt, let them go.'"

Luckily, when things finally calmed down a little and they got the horses up off the beach onto the grassed area next to the surf club, they were able to relax for a while.

"All four horses went really calm when they saw the grass," Carole said.

From there, the group again kept their horses overnight at Anamaree's place before returning to the property the next day to find it had been scorched by the blaze, with the fences burned and in need of repair.

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They spent Monday fixing things up so the horses could be kept there again, but when another emergency bushfire warning went out on Tuesday, they didn't take any chances.

The group immediately took their four horses, five dogs and a cat down to the grassed area behind Old Bar Beach and set up there, erecting a temporary corral for the horses and setting up bedding in their horse floats and cars.

They spent the night there and despite attracting some attention from passersby, they said the support from the community was overwhelmingly positive, with people bringing them food and drink and checking in to see they were okay.

"It was really nice to know people cared," Carole said.

"It was really helpful."

Now with their horses back on the property and any immediate fire threat thankfully behind them, the group are exhausted and relieved, but they admit they're not out of the woods yet.

"It's still watch and act for us," Carole said.

"We've still got to be vigilant.

"But there's definitely a small amount of relief."

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