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Community Update – 1130 hrs Friday January 24/1/03

Incident Control Centres in full operation

By Gippsland Fire Information - 24th January 2003 - Back to News

The Fires

The Bogong Complex of fires burning in Alpine country north of Omeo has now burned through 150000ha.

The north east section of this fire is expected to join the Pinnabar fire, south of Corryong in the next few days.

The southern firefront stretches roughly from Harrietville to Benambra, with spotovers occuring below the southern control line on the Alpine Road at Mount Blowhard, north west of Hotham last night.

The Bowens Track fire south of Tubbut has burned approximately 1700ha and is no longer spreading. Spotovers occurred into private property twice during the week and DSE/DPI, Parks Victoria and CFA crews are now blacking out within containment lines.

Fighting the Fires

Ground crews were withdrawn from the Mount Blowhard spotover last night when the fire became too fierce to fight safely, but have been redeployed this morning. Aircraft will support this effort as soon as visibility allows.

Priority for today is the protection of communities at risk, including Omeo, the Cassilis Valley, isolated properties on the Benambra-Corryong Road, Uplands, Shannonvale, Bundar Valley and Benambra.

Successful backburns have been completed around many properties and heavy plant will be working in the Cassilis area today to prepare for the weekend.

Residents throughout the region are reminded that while everything possible will be done to protect them, it will be impossible to have a fire crew protecting every property under threat as resources will be stretched to the limit.

Monitoring the Fire

Cloud and smoke are still making it difficult to track the fire from the air.

All efforts are focused on preparation for worsening weather conditions.

The Weather

Severe fire weather is predicted for the weekend, making control difficult. High temperatures, with northerly winds and very dry conditions.

Where to from here?

Community Information meetings will be

held today in Buchan at 5.00pm at the Recreation Reserve and in Bruthen at 5.30pm at The Gardens.

These meetings will provide the opportunity for residents to hear the latest news from the Incident Control Centre as well as ask questions and have input into the fire control effort.

Community noticeboards are displaying information at: Omeo Hall, Omeo Fire Station, Omeo Staging Area, Benambra Fire Station, Blue Duck Hotel, Swifts Creek General Store, Ensay Store, Ensay Little River Inn, Cassilis Winery.

How will it affect you?

Residents in high risk communities are reminded to enact their fire plans now to protect themselves and their properties. Make the decision about whether to leave, or to stay and defend your property in plenty of time.

The more decisions you make now about what to take and what to leave behind, the quicker you will be able to move if the time comes to do so.

For residents in the Omeo and Benambra areas, the Omeo Oval is your designated refuge area. For residents in the Swifts Creek, Cassilis and Ensay areas, Swifts Creek Secondary College is your designated refuge area.

If you leave your home or town you are requested to inform the Australian Red Cross staff at your local refuge area, who are keeping track of all movements during the fires for safety reasons.

If you have already registered but you then change your plans it is important to inform the Red Cross. Also, if you leave your vehicle at a staging area they should be informed.

Road closures:

• Omeo Highway between Omeo and Mitta Mitta
• Great Alpine Road north of Omeo
• Benambra-Corryong road, between Omeo and Corryong
• Benambra Road between Uplands and Colac Colac
• Benambra-Suggan Buggan Road (Limestone-Black Mountain Road)
• Bogong High Plains Road between Falls Creek and Omeo Highway.
• Dargo High Plains Road between Dargo & Mt Hotham
• Lower Dargo Roads
• No public access to Bogong High Plains, Bogong Village, Mount Hotham Village and Falls Creek.

Safety Messages

Extreme weather conditions forecast for the next two days will make control of the fires difficult. Residents in affected areas are warned to be alert, enact their bushfire plans and to keep close watch for fire threat in their area.

Residents in affected areas are reminded to be on the lookout for falling embers and take all measures to extinguish them as soon as they land.

Tune your car and house radio to local stations (3HCR, High Country Radio on 97.3 and ABC Regional Radio on 100.7 FM or 720 on AM band) and keep listening for fire location information, spread of fires and weather conditions to monitor your local situation so you have an up to date snapshot of what is happening.

If there is a fire in your area have a bag of protective clothing set aside in case you need to be outside to defend your home.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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