In times of crisis, country pubs are often a safe haven for locals.

This proves true in Longwood, where White Hart Hotel stands tall as a pillar of support for those impacted by the recent fires.

Owner Katrina Bowden, who took over the establishment six months ago, extended the pub’s opening hours after realising how many people were using it as a refuge.

Now opening the iconic building’s doors each day of the week, Ms Bowden said it was all about lifting the spirits of those who had been impacted.

“There are regulars that come in that have lost a lot and are really struggling; there are people coming in who have lost absolutely everything,” she said.

“When they come in here, people are really trying to keep their spirits high, and keep us as a real positive place to come to.”

During the worst of the blaze, Ms Bowden was able to bunker down at the pub, which became a space of relief for CFA volunteers fighting the fire.

It was only on the night of Friday, January 9 that she had to evacuate, returning to her family in Seymour, but the pub remained unscathed when she returned.

“It was pretty scary, some of the days – we had nights where the smoke blew down and people filled up the pub,” she said.

“(When we evacuated) we were just taking it minute by minute, really, we sort of said, well, if it goes, you can’t do anything.

“I think everyone was just sort of getting on with what had to get done.”

During the days since the initial blaze, the pub has been inundated with stories of people who’ve lost everything, people who risked their lives to save everything, people who didn’t know what they’d be going home to, and of everything else in between.

Ms Bowden said, while it was taxing to hear such emotional stories, it meant a lot to her that she could be “a piece in the puzzle” and play her role in relief for those impacted.

“Some days it’s hard, especially because you build a relationship with these people in a community; everybody. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a part of this community for, you feel connected still,” she said.

“You feel for them, but (you do) anything you can for them, just be there for them.

“When they lose things, or when they’re hurting, everybody feels it.”

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Tuesday, 5th January 2027

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