Katrina Booth described to 1233 ABC Newcastle's Paul Turton how she fled her home with her children. (listen to attached audio)
"Oh my God it was terrifying, I have never been so terrified in all my life," she says.
Katrina says the flames were 60 feet (almost 20m) over her house.
"The heat was intensifying, it was extreme, really, really extreme," she says.
"Even one of the firies was crying on our front verandah, saying 'I thought I was going to die'."
There was little warning of the terrible danger, Katrina says.
"We were outside in the garage and we heard the fire engine come past.
"We just got out, there was no time to plan anything.
"I got some albums out about two minutes before and got the horse across the road, and threw the kids in the car and we were off.
"It was quite quick, it was about 12 minutes from a little puff of smoke to the 60-foot high flames above the house."
Katrina says her children are still recovering from the ordeal.
"They're very traumatised at the moment, but getting through it," she says.
"Our house was the first to get hit, so I was driving up the street screaming in the car thinking our house has gone.
"Hubby rang me about 20 minutes later saying it's fine."
Their property did sustain some damage, however, and Katrina says friends, family and neighbours have already offered to help with the clean-up.
"I think we'll be right, everyone will get back on their feet, but it's very sad about the other houses lost," she says.
"We've only been here six months, this is our dream and we've worked very, very hard to get this.
"We'll pick up the pieces and go again."
And there's no doubt how Katrina feels about her family's escape from the flames.
"Very, very, very lucky."
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