By Tyler Wright
A local fire brigade has leant a much needed hand to their counterparts in the Gippsland area as bushfires continue to burn across the region.
CFA’s Chief Fire Officer Jason Heffernan said fire agencies had seen 220 bush and grass fires across the state since Saturday 30 September, with blazes in Briagolong, Rawson and Loch Sport still under watch.
The Briagolong fire has burnt 5,000 hectares and one home has been lost, Mr Heffernan confirmed, with rapid impact assessment crews from Fire Rescue Victoria conducting further surveys to assess any more structural loss.
“Our message to the communities that in and around fire affected areas at the moment is make sure that you have your Bushfire Survival Plan that you’ve decided now what your triggers are, should something occur,” Mr Heffernan said.
“Have the Vic Emergency app available, or the Vic Emergency website, listen to your emergency broadcaster have more than one source of information and be prepared and ready to act.
“That may mean you may need to take action in the very early hours of the morning – because that frontal system will come into effect late this evening [Monday 2 October] and into the early hours of [Tuesday 3 October].”
Macclesfield Fire Brigade captain Sharon Merritt said multiple brigades were sent out on Sunday 1 October to assist with asset protection on the Thomson railway line at Thomson Station, with crews returning later that night.
“They were there in case the fire impacted on those areas, one of the other trucks in the crew that went, they did some back burning out of areas to stop the fire spreading,” she said.
“The other trucks were doing asset protection on various different assets around the place.”
It’s not the end to precarious weather events expected across the state, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing a minor to moderate flood watch for eastern Victoria.
Catchments including Bunyip River and Dandenong Creek, Yarra River to Coldstream, and Yarra River downstream of Coldstream are likely to be affected.
Senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, Christie Johnson, said there is a severe weather warning for damaging wind gusts for the central ranges and eastern ranges for Tuesday morning (3 October).
Wind gusts of around 90 to 100 kilometres an hour are expected through the central and eastern ranges, according to Ms Johnson.
“In terms of rainfall amounts with the front on Tuesday – most likely expecting widespread five to 20 millimetres, possibly up to 20 to 50 millimetres in the east and up on the ranges possibly 60 to 80 millimetres for Tuesday – maybe as high as 70 to 100 millimetres,” Ms Johnson said.
“On Wednesday [4 October], as that low pressure system develops we could see widespread 30 to 60 millimetres in the eastern half of the state, possibly 40 to 80 millimetres up on the ranges, and up on the peaks, maybe as high as 70 to 100 millimetres.
“The good news is that once that low pressure system does clear away we’ve got pretty settled weather Friday through the weekend with just a couple of showers in the south less than five millimetres.”
Ms Merritt said it is “unusual” to see such significant fires this early in October, with concerns that even with rainfall the earth will dry up again.
“People might think that after the next lot of rain that everything will be okay – but don’t be complacent, because it will dry out again and a lot of these fires have started accidentally by people doing normal things that they do, like burning off.
“[It’s] a really good reminder that to be careful around your burn off and make sure that you’ve got a good water supply so that they don’t get out of control.”
Mr Heffernan said Victorians are “no stranger” to emergencies.
“Such as the nature of spring here in Australia is that you can go from the extremes, and in this instance we will see those two extremes,” he said.
“Your fire situation having an effect on communities in East Gippsland and ironically not 24 hours later we’re going to be seeing a significant rain and flood event affecting those same communities; so it really does go to show why it is best to be prepared regardless of the hazard type out here in Victoria, to make sure that when these things do occur that our loved ones and our properties are prepared.”
People are advised not to drive through floodwaters.
Current Emergency information is available at http://emergency.vic.gov.au.
Those seeking emergency assistance can contact the SES on 132 500.
To view current Road and traffic information, visit the VicRoads website at http://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/
