Macclesfield CFA crews extinguish the flames at an Emerald fire.
By Tania Martin
EMERALD residents have questioned the lack of warning given during a bushfire last month.
Many weren’t aware of the danger just streets away as a four-hectare blaze smouldered near Stewarts Road on Sunday 31 January.
Emerald CFA Captain Paul Yandle said the call came shortly after 2pm to a fire which had started near a dam in Stewarts Road and also burnt through to some private property.
He said there were 36 trucks, a helitac fire bomber and more than 139 firefighters on the scene.
Mr Yandle said 20 of those trucks were actively fighting the fire and the rest were placed strategically ahead of the fire.
“Luckily local crews did an outstanding job to pull the fire up and knock it down before it could get into the populated area of the town,” he said.
Mr Yandle said there were also units off Patons Road at the bottom of some paddocks to attack the fire from the southern edge.
“Our crews did a fantastic job,” he said.
“It was the largest fire we have had for many years and was just north of the township … it had the potential to be very bad.”
The Green Room Cafe’s Jacqui Walker said the fire was a little too close for comfort.
She said many people didn’t know what was going on.
Ms Walker kept her cafe open, offering people a refuge in the main street.
She said there were so many people, their pets and kids parked in the main street, not knowing what to do.
Emerald resident and Dandenong Ranges Community Bushfire Group member Naomi Manson arrived home shortly after 2.50pm that day to find her husband was totally unaware of the fire.
She said there were no warnings or text messages to tell people what was going on.
“We looked up the CFA website and saw there were some fires in Emerald,” Ms Manson said.
Her husband was later at the town’s supermarket shortly after 4pm when it was evacuated, it was then the Mansons decided to leave.
“A lot of people are complaining there were no SMS text message warnings and some are saying they didn’t even hear the siren,” Ms Manson said.
A CFA spokeswoman said a text message was not sent out because it was deemed unnecessary at the time as the fire was pulled up very quickly. She said a total fire ban had been declared and a “severe” rating issued.
“On high fire risk days people need to be pro-active and stay informed including listening closely to the radio for emergency broadcasts, going onto the CFA website, looking for smoke or by contacting the bushfire information line on 1800 240 667,”she said.
Mr Yandle hopes the fire was a wakeup call for many residents.
“You need to make sure you have a fire plan because it can happen and it does happen in Emerald,” he said.
