Bushfire could ‘run again’ amid dry conditions
Officials are warning that dry conditions could cause a major bushfire that has been ravaging communities within the national park to “run again” in the coming weeks.
The threat has been downgraded for now after three homes and 16 other structures were destroyed in a fire in the Victoria Otways caused by wind shifts during severe heatwave conditions.
While milder weather has helped firefighters gain the upper hand, Bushfire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman says the risk of flare-ups remains at fire sites.
“Due to the nature of the season, there is still a chance this fire could start again in the next two or three weeks,” Hardman said.
“You know, it’s very dry. If we get really good rainfall, that will be incredibly beneficial and will increase our confidence.”
“But the risk will be there… I would argue at least for a few weeks.”
Communities in Gellibrand, Barongarook, Barongarook West, Carlisle River, Charleys Creek, Kawarren, Lovat and Wimba were told to monitor conditions and take action after the emergency alert was downgraded on Wednesday afternoon.
Residents were warned it was unsafe to return as trees and debris blocked roads and created danger.
Colac Incident Control Center incident control assistant Tim Holland said the priority in the coming days was to get the community back into their homes as soon as it was safe to do so.
“It’s been a tough few weeks for community members and we’re really working to make the roads safe so the hazardous trees can get back in,” he says.
Mr Holland said teams were continuing to work in the area to identify areas where control lines could be placed under suitable weather conditions.
In the small town of Gellibrand, destruction is visible everywhere, with the local water treatment plant damaged by a fire that has been burning for nearly two weeks.
In the sky, smoke is clearly visible across the region as firefighting aircraft assist ground crews fighting the blaze.
Colder weather conditions will be experienced in the coastal regions of the state on Thursday and temperatures will remain below 20 degrees.
But inland areas will face scorching temperatures and senior meteorologist Dean Narramore warns Mildura could endure another 45C day.
The regional city recorded its hottest day on record after reaching 48.6C on Tuesday, while the nearby towns of Walpeup and Hopetoun also recorded Victoria’s all-time highest temperatures of 48.9C.
Six major fires continue to burn across the state; three of these are out-of-control fires at Walwa in Victoria’s north, Dargo in Gippsland and the Carlisle River in the Otways.
In Victoria alone, during the current fire season, more than 400 homes have been destroyed by fires and 400,000 hectares of land have burned.
