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Dse Resources Diverted By Wildfire

Dept of Sustainability and Environment firefighting resources have been diverted from their planned burning operations to respond to a series of fires lit under suspicious circumstances in the Alpine National Park, north of the Snowy Range airbase.

By Department of Sustainability and Environment - 19th March 2004 - Back to News

The fires, stretching for over a kilometre along the Howitt Road, were detected early this morning by a Parks Victoria Ranger.

Incident Controller, Laurie Jeremiah said that the cause of the fires is suspicious and the Department will be investigating.

"This fire is threatening to move into steep gorge country in the Wonnangatta River catchment, an important conservation area of the park, so we are putting significant resources onto it," Mr Jeremiah said.

"We had a large fuel reduction burn planned for today that will not be able to go ahead because we're having to divert resources to this fire,"

"We will now have to postpone a burn that would reduce the likelihood of wildfire and protect communities at risk from wildfire because of someone's thoughtlessness and stupidity."

DSE firefighters are attacking the fire directly with three water bombing helicopters and two fixed wing bombers, supporting ground crews with tankers and slip-on units.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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