and reporting by June 30.

Mr Swaysland said the 700 volunteers he represented were concerned they may not be able to speak freely.

"We all have a different story to tell,"Mr Swaysland said.

"The story of a volunteer firefighter will differ vastly from a resident who was trying to douse the flames around their house."

He said the inquiry needed as much information as possible to ensure the fires were evaluated fully.

"The association is concerned about its volunteers and the lack of protection they will have."

He said volunteers wanted to tell their stories, many needing to do so as part of the healing process.

"Unfortunately, many of them won't feel comfortable doing that."

Bushfire hero Matt Dutkiewicz who was injured and lost everything in the blaze while out fighting for others, agrees.

"I'll definitely be making a submission,"Mr Dutkiewicz said.

"But how much in depth I go will be another matter."

He said he would be wary about what he says and whom he names, labelling as "very disappointing"the possibility the inquiry might be hamstrung.

"This is a big thing. It's serious stuff. But I don't think you'll get into the specifics which are so important to improve the system for next time, if there is a next time."

The ACT Government played down the volunteers' concerns, saying procedures had been adopted to ensure submissions were considered in full.

A spokesman for Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said yesterday that people could mark their submissions "private"or "confidential"if they believed they needed extra protection.