Mayor Bill McClenaghan called the meeting last week in response to the realisation that people were "genuinely frightened and are asking for something along these lines to happen quickly".

Cr McClenaghan said a second community meeting on February 26, also at the Daylesford Town Hall, would discuss bushfires and emergency response with attendance by "local experts, organisers of community fire-guard groups and authors".

"I had hoped for a number of meetings and will still try for some smaller ones in and around the shire," Cr McClenaghan said.

"The option of `stay and defend' seems unlikely now in certain places on hot days.

"People need to have it stated again; leave and leave early."

Cr McClenaghan said there were several emergency meeting points within the shire but they could not be nominated until an emergency occurred.

"That's the call made by the combating authorities on the ground on the day," he said.

"We can't pre-determine where people should go.

"It depends on the nature of the emergency and, if it's a fire, it depends on which way the fire is going.

"For example, the Drummond north fire burned eastwards towards Malmsbury so anywhere in or near Malmsbury was not chosen as a meeting/evacuation point.

"Neither was Malmsbury Reservoir, which is very low on water. The fire would have jumped it had it got that far.

"Kyneton was nominated as the base."

Cr McClenaghan said that people should listen to the local ABC radio in any emergency.

The meetings will be held at 7pm.