General News
26 February, 2024
Homes destroyed and stock lost as 20,000 hectares are burnt in six days
Authorities are warning of potentially catastrophic fire danger ratings across parts of the state on Wednesday, as hundreds of firefighters continue to battle a blaze near Beaufort. The Bayindeen fire has burnt through around 20,000 hectares since...
Authorities are warning of potentially catastrophic fire danger ratings across parts of the state on Wednesday, as hundreds of firefighters continue to battle a blaze near Beaufort.
The Bayindeen fire has burnt through around 20,000 hectares since it started on Thursday last week, destroying nine homes as well as sheds, livestock and farming equipment.
It remains unclear how the fire started, however hundreds of firefighters with the aid of air support and heavy machinery continue their efforts to contain the blaze.
Now burning for six consecutive days, authorities are working to contain the fire before Wednesday, with increased fire conditions forecast.
At a community information session in Beaufort on Sunday, incident controller Jon Rofe said crews are actively working to extinguish the fire ahead of tomorrow.
“We do have a fairly significant fire weather day coming along on Wednesday,” he said.
“One of the main containment strategies we have is to build a mineral earth trail around the fire, it basically puts a break in the fuel so if the fire gets to the break, it’s got no fuel and it stops.
“That’s the theory, if it’s really windy that is not always successful, but we’re pursuing having the whole fire contained in a mineral earth break by close of business Tuesday.
“What we may find is there are areas where we can’t actually push a bulldozer to the fire edge, so where there’s unburnt country between the mineral earth and the fire edge we will do some burning out operations.”
As of print deadline on Monday, a Watch and Act - Not Safe to Return alert from VicEmergency was in place for the communities of Amphitheatre, Bayindeen, Ben Nevis, Chute, Elmhurst, Eversley, Glenlogie, Glenpatrick, Main Lead, Mount Cole, Mount Lonarch, Raglan and Waterloo.
Mr Rofe told residents in Beaufort on Sunday that while the threat was currently reduced, Wednesday could see fire risk increase significantly and urged residents to be prepared.
“Our aim is to keep this fire where it us but we have to be upfront and say that may not be successful,” he said.
“On the bad days, it’s going to be really hard to stop that fire running across the country side.”
Firefighters from across the state have been called in to assist with controlling the fire, including from the local district.
Goldfields Group Officer Peter Higgins was among those from local brigades to provide support last Thursday, and said help will remain available for as long as it’s needed.
“We have set up a staging area out at the Maryborough Harness Racing Complex which is where the night shift crews from around the state are coming to leave their trucks. We are feeding them there after which a bus takes them back to their hometowns and brings up another crew for the next shift,” he said.
“The staging area [is important] because then crews don’t have to battle fatigue and when they come back the next day, their trucks are already fuelled and ready to go.”
In line with tomorrow’s increased fire risk, Mr Higgins urged residents to stay informed and be prepared to act in the event of an emergency.
“Currently, we’re prepping ourselves for a predicted bad day on Wednesday. We’re ready to go and protect the Goldfields,” he said.
“We just need to very careful. People should be prepared. Make sure you’ve got all your valuables and documents.
“Keep an eye on the VicEmergency app and listen to the radio — those information channels are going to tell you all that you need to know if anything starts. Just be vigilant more than anything.
“Be prepared to act and be ready to follow your fire plan.”