Thursday.

The meeting, hastily convened by mayor Bill McClenaghan after the devastation of the Black Saturday bushfires, was held at the Daylesford Town Hall.

About 250 people attended.

Also at the meeting were shire representatives, including Creswick Ward's councillor Don Henderson, Daylesford Police, the CFA, the Department of Sustainability and Environment and Ballarat East MLA Geoff Howard.

CFA community safety manager Michael Boatman told the audience that the message from his organisation was that late evacuation was "extremely dangerous".

Mr Boatman said that even when facing a firestorm, a house was a safer option than a car, and being in the open was "an option that will not have a good outcome".

"Radiant heat is the biggest killer in a bushfire," he said.

Mr Boatman also said leaving early meant leaving well before there was any evidence of smoke or fire.

Those who decided to stay and defend their properties would need to be prepared for "one of the worst experiences of your life".

"It will be terrifying - it will be loud, there will be a lot of smoke, it will get dark," he said.

"There will be hours spent defending your property from ember attack before the fire arrives, protecting yourself in the house while the fire is passing, and then hours, perhaps days, of putting out fires afterwards - or the house

you think you have saved may burn down anyway."

Mr Boatman said that being prepared included having a comprehensive plan including realising that the town water supply and electricity could fail, having fire-fighting equipment and an adequate cleared space around the house.

"If you haven't got that, the decision should be that you shouldn't be there," he said.

"And last minute evacuation is a deadly option."