BY ASHLEY GEELAN with WILLIAM TON and ADRIAN BLACK for AAP
Residents in three communities are being ordered to evacuate immediately as an out-of-control bushfire spreads, with firefighters bracing for more dangerous conditions.
People in Bornes Hill, towards the south of the Grampians National Park, were told to leave immediately after an emergency was declared on Wednesday evening for Bornes Hill, Moyston and Pomonal.
Victoria’s State Control Centre told VicNews that the fire was impacting the Grampians National Park, Yarram Gap Road, Redmond Road and Long Gully Road areas.
The fire could break containment lines. There is also increased fire activity between Lynches Crossing Track and Childs Lane in the Grampians area.
Residents are advised to evacuate and to stay informed.
The out-of-control bushfire in Victoria’s west is travelling in a southeasterly direction, with increased fire activity observed between Lynches Crossing Track and Childs Lane.
Residents in Moyston and Pomonal, towards the north of the national park, were also told to immediately leave the area.
Authorities issued an emergency warning as the fire raced towards Redman and Long Gully roads in the national park.
“Private property adjoining the National Park could be impacted in the next two hours, south of the Pomonal 2024 fire area,” the alert said.
“Leaving immediately is the safest option before conditions become too dangerous.
“Emergency services may not be able to help you if you decide to stay.”
The blaze has burned more than 40,000 hectares. It remains unsafe for people to return to Bellfield, Halls Gap and surrounding areas.
Relief centres have been set up at Alexandra Oval Community Centre in Ararat and Grampians Community Health, or The Shacc, in Stawell.
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In other incidents, crews contained a grassfire in Smithfield to Adelaide’s north, as temperatures in the South Australian capital pushed towards 36C.
Total fire bans were declared for SA’s mid-north, Riverland, Murraylands, upper southeast and lower southeast regions on Thursday with the fire risk considered extreme.
Twenty-eight firefighters from CFA District 24, North East Victoria are on their way on a bus as backup firefighters to relieve other crews.
A modified Boeing 737 LAT (Large Air [Water] Tanker) is on standby at Albury Airport.
This specialist firefighting aircraft, which is capable of carrying 15,000 litres of water or retardant and can be refilled in 10 minutes, meaning it can be up and on its way to a firefighting water drop at short notice.
Firefighters from multiple states are assisting their Victorian counterparts as they work to secure containment lines ahead of Boxing Day, which is expected to bring the worst conditions since the 2019 Black Summer.
“There are two major concerns on Thursday – the fires already burning in the landscape, and any new fires that start as a result of the extreme fire risk,” Country Fire Authority Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said.
A Total Fire Ban has been declared across the state, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting temperatures into the 40s, with wind gusts of up to 100km/h in elevated areas.
“That’s enough to bring down trees and power lines, cause some minor power outages, but also create dangerous conditions for our ongoing fires through the Grampians,” senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said on Wednesday.
The State Control Centre’s Luke Hegarty urged Victorians to observe the total fire ban and ensure all fires are out by midnight.
Local residents have been told to prepare for power outages with provider AusNet warning cuts could be triggered to prevent bushfires starting on Thursday.
As a cool change washes over Victoria on Friday, the extreme fire dangers will push into parts of central northeastern NSW.
VicNews and amateur radio operators across Victoria are maintaining a “listening watch” throughout tonight and tomorrow, December 26, 2024.
https://www.emergency.vic.gov.au
ABC Local Radio
Vic Emergency App.
Please note that these systems may fail in a disaster, and the best thing to have is an old-fashioned battery (or crank-powered) AM transistor radio.
Do not rely on modern technology in these circumstances.
