Devastation as 130 buildings lost, crops razed and livestock lost
High winds and hot weather sparked more than 200 fires across the state, burning at least 130 buildings, including many homes, and causing mass crop and livestock losses.
Authorities warned Saturday that the risk of fires across the state would continue for days as strong winds fanned flames despite a sharp drop in temperatures.
Fires continue to burn across the state, including new fires in the Otways that have forced the closure of part of the Great Ocean Road and put Colac on alert. Wind shifts in Melbourne’s northeast have pushed the Longwood fire towards Bonnie Doon, raising concerns among locals in Mansfield.
Another fire at Dargo in the Alpine region also caused concern, while the massive Walwa fire on the Victoria-NSW border near Wodonga was still uncontrolled.
“The conditions we experienced yesterday regarding the fire are unlike what we saw during the 2009 and 2019 fire seasons,” Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said during a briefing at the State Command Center Saturday morning.
“Yesterday we saw more than 200 grass and brush fires impacting every corner of our state.”
The town of Harcourt, south of Bendigo, was hardest hit with more than 50 structures destroyed, including many homes and businesses.
The Bendigo railway line was also damaged by fire and is now closed with buses replacing trains.
A further 30 structures were lost in the Longwood fire in the north of the state, which saw the town of Ruffy almost completely destroyed, and homes in Alexandra and Eildon as well as other areas scattered around Lake Eildon.
Nearly 20 structures and more animals were destroyed in the Natimuk fire near Horsham, while a threatened nursing home was rescued by local fire crews.
The Longwood fire in central Victoria had fallen to 142,421 hectares as of 6pm on Saturday night, down from 145,249 hectares on Friday. High winds are making conditions difficult at the Longwood fire site, which will likely burn for weeks, State Control Center spokeswoman Reegan Key said.
“Things are still very dynamic in this area,” he said.
Winds are expected to reach 50 kilometers per hour in the Longwood fire area this evening, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The second largest fire in Walwa has fallen to 93,010 hectares from yesterday’s 100,721 hectares. The Streatham fire near Ballarat burned 18,340 hectares, while the Natimuk fire in Victoria’s west covered 8,517 hectares.
Approximately 38,000 households and businesses were without power on Saturday morning. One person was found dead in the Harcourt fire area, but officials said his death is not believed to be related to the fires. The treatment of 3 seriously injured volunteer firefighters continues.
A state of emergency was declared in 18 local councils and the state government provided disaster relief grants to thousands of people affected by the fires.
Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed on Saturday morning that 300,000 hectares of the state had burned since the fires started on Wednesday last week, causing smoke and ash to drift across Melbourne and Port Philip Bay.
“Ten major fire fronts continue to burn in Victoria, but they are not the only fires across the state,” the Prime Minister said.
“There are another 20 fires in local communities that need to be closely monitored.”
Allan, whose own family and neighbors fled the Ravenwood fire that ripped through Harcourt, applauded the actions of locals who were told to leave their homes and followed warnings from authorities.
“Throughout yesterday and into the evening, we saw communities respond when these emergency alerts were issued. They stepped up and I thank you for that.”
Allan urged residents not to return to fire-affected areas until authorities give permission to return. Relief centers were established across the state to serve local people displaced by the fires.
Later on Saturday, the prime minister visited the Seymour relief center to speak to locals, stressing that he was thanking emergency service workers and people who made the “toughest call” to leave their goods and animals behind.
While the cause of the fires has not yet been determined, Wiebusch said that some fires were caused by lightning.
Wiebusch and CFA chief Jason Heffernan did not say whether the fires were caused by sparks from the truck axle or other machinery or what role roadside curb management policies played in spreading the fires.
“Fuels in this state had been cooking for days leading up to yesterday’s incident,” Heffernan said.
“It doesn’t matter what the fuel load is going to be. You could mow your front yard and it could burn yesterday in yesterday’s conditions.”
Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed that three people believed to be missing have been found safe and well.
He urged Victorians to follow the instructions of officers at checkpoints and other emergency workers.
“I ask you to follow the instructions of the emergency service personnel there. The reason they give these instructions is largely for your safety,” Bush said.
By Saturday afternoon, the fire at Harcourt was under control, while the Longwood fire continued to rage near communities scattered around Lake Eildon, while a wind shift in the morning dragged the fire towards Bonnie Doon.
Mansfield Mayor Steve Rabie, who spent the morning at the aid station trying to reassure his community, was pleased that conditions had improved so crews could respond to the fire front moving eastwards from the Strathbogie Ranges towards Mansfield.
“They want it to be stopped before then. If it gets there, it will enter the state forest and that’s another level of concern,” Rabie said.
“They don’t want him jumping over the lake [Lake Eildon]they’re just trying to keep it in the lake. “If it gets fast enough and you get a strong wind from the west, it will easily bypass Lake Eildon.”
About 10 houses were burned to the ground in the small hamlet of Ruffy in the Strathbogie Ranges, while other buildings, including sheds and warehouses, were also razed. The community center and telephone switchboard in the hamlet that first encountered the flames on Wednesday were destroyed.
“Ruffy was in shock afterwards,” CFA captain George Noye said. “Some people saved what they could, others lost absolutely everything, and it’s going to affect them the most. Nobody had a chance to process what happened.”
Harcourt’s cider industry was hit hard by the fire; Many of the apple and pear orchards and supply processors surrounding the town were destroyed.
Dozens of homes and the town’s Coolstore burned down in Harcourt after the wind changed on Friday evening. Stray apples, along with thousands of bottles of cider, wine and beer, were strewn across the floor of Coolstore’s sheds.
Winery business owner Paul Taylor told this imprint that businesses in the town were devastated by the loss of fixtures. “Everything is really gone,” he said.
Cider producer Michael Henry, of Henry of Harcourt, feared much of his orchard would be destroyed in the fire, while his residences would also be lost in the fast-moving fire that hit the area.
“This could deal a pretty serious blow to Henry of Harcourt because I can’t continue the tree breeding process for another 10 years to start the range of varieties we have.”
Federal Emergency Management Minister Kirsty McBain, who met with the prime minister and state officials at the State Control Center on Saturday morning, said the government would help people and businesses affected by the fires at all levels.
“Understanding the full impact will only be possible once it becomes safe for impact assessment teams to go out there and do that assessment,” McBain said.
“And when those assessments are made, governments (federal, state and local) will be there to support those communities, whether it’s loss of property, loss of inventory or loss of product, existing supports will be in place as we work through the next phase.”
McBain also said he had authorized a request to relocate hundreds of emergency service personnel to the Albury-Wodonga military zone, saying the nearby Walwa fire was still out of control and could cause further damage as the weather gets hotter next week.
CFA Chief Constable Heffernan confirmed three firefighters were seriously injured trying to contain fires across the state. One of the crew luckily escaped from the fire and destruction of their vehicle.
Volunteer firefighters who worked to save towns from the Longwood and Harcourt wildfires also returned to find their own homes destroyed.
Wiebusch urged residents who had to evacuate not to return to their homes until they are told it is safe.
“We cannot adequately appeal to the community to say, ‘If you are in and around these areas, please stay away from these fire footprints until we declare it safe for them to return,’” he said.
“You will see that there are traffic management points. There will be warnings talking about it.” [areas not being] It is safe to return and there may be exclusion zones which we will put in place in the coming days.
A Fire Ban was declared across the state of Victoria for the third consecutive day on Sunday.
“Conditions have eased but we still have a long way to go to get the current fire situation under control,” CFA chief Heffernan said.
“I appreciate it [ban] may have an impact on communities and businesses, but rest assured that these restrictions are reviewed daily. “This allows us to strike the right balance between measures to respond to new fires on the landscape and the needs of communities,” he added.
With Cassandra Morgan and Wendy Tuohy
Sarah Danckert is a senior reporter specializing in investigations and corporate misconduct. He is a two-time Walkley Award winner and has won six Quill Awards and two Kennedy Awards.Connect with: excitement or email.
Michael Bachelard is The Age’s senior writer and former deputy editor and research editor. He has worked in Canberra, Melbourne and Jakarta, written two books and won several awards for journalism, including the Gold Walkley.Connect with: excitement or email.
