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Update On Razorback Fire - 0700 Hrs 17/01/03

The Razorback fire has now burned nearly 11,000 ha

By DSE / CFA - 17th January 2003 - Back to News

The Razorback fire has now burned nearly 11,000 ha in steep rugged country north west of Benambra in Victoria’s high country.

Fire crews from Government agencies and the CFA are continuing to work together on containment lines, with 160 firefighters and 56 support staff currently active on the fire suppression effort, supported by 20 bulldozers and, 35 tankers and slip-on units.

Primary lines on the southern boundary are almost completed, extending from Knocker’s Track, along a network of tracks to Taylor’s Crossing on the Mitta River. Crews are also working on a secondary line extending along Knocker’s Track itself.

The fire is still a considerable distance from private property, but planning work on the protection of private assets, particularly in the Benambra area is continuing and containment lines are being established to protect the communities in the area.

Most of the fire activity overnight has been on the northern and western boundaries, where work is continuing on backburning. Residents are warned to expect more smoke as backburning operations continue.

Incident Controller at Swifts Creek, Ben Rankin said that the backburning work is slow, to ensure that whatever is lit is contained to ensure the safety of both firefighters and communities.

"We are still experiencing a number of escapes and spotovers as this burning is undertaken and these must be carefully monitored," Mr Rankin said.

There will be close liaison today with other Incident Management Teams in the North East to coordinate resources and strategies and to plan future joint operations.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: support@gippslander.com

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