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Spotovers Causing Concern At Hotham

Fire crews fighting hard to protect private property

By DSE/CFA - 28th January 2003 - Back to News

Fire crews are still fighting hard to protect private property and to contain spotovers from the southern sector of the Bogong Complex fire.

The fire is burning north of Omeo, on a rough line between Harrietville and Benambra. Escapes at Mount Blowhard and Mount St Bernard, north west of Hotham Village have been causing concern today, but teams are doing all they can to keep the fire from buildings and property.

A mineral earth break has been established around the Mount Blowhard spotover and dozers and crews are currently working on the Mount St Bernard outbreak.

The situation has been quieter on the eastern side of this fire towards the Benambra-Corryong Road, where the communities of Glen Wills, Shannonvale, Omeo Valley, Cobungra, Gibbo River, Tablelands, and Uplands continue to be patrolled and monitored by CFA and DSE/DPI units.

Milder weather than predicted has enabled more successful backburns to be undertaken in these areas, with dozer protection lines also being established around the Cassilis community south of Omeo.

Community Support Centres have been set up in Swifts Creek, Omeo and Benambra to give people in these areas the opportunity to take some time out, catch up on the latest and relax with a cuppa. Information on the latest situation will be made available here. The Centres are at Benambra Neighbourhood House, Omeo CWA Hall and Swifts Creek Hall.

There will be Community Information meetings held in Nowa Nowa tomorrow at the Community Health Centre at 10.00am and at Gelantipy Fire Station at 2.00pm. These meetings are run jointly by the CFA and Department of Primary Industries staff and give residents the opportunity to hear the latest situation, find out how it may affect them and ask questions about the fire control effort.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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