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Tambo Valley Communities Bracing For Fire

Tambo Valley will be tested today by gusty northerlies driving the Bogong fire in their direction.

By DSE/CFA - 30th January 2003 - Back to News

After more than a fortnight of fires burning in alpine regions, communities along the Tambo Valley will be tested today by gusty northerlies driving the Bogong fire in their direction.

From Bindi, through Tongio, Swifts Creek and Cassilis to Ensay, landholders have been grading breaks in their paddocks, cleaning up yards and checking water pumps and pipes.

While residents have had a long time to prepare, Incident Controller, Peter McHugh says the reality of fire, as unleashed last Sunday, is truly awesome.

"The landscape is so dry that this fire has been jumping containment lines, and spotting well ahead of fire fronts. The fact that we haven’t lost more properties so far in this blaze is great credit to the firefighters and the preparatory work of landholders.

"Without a significant change in the weather, this fire will keep us busy for weeks, and threaten towns and properties well beyond the Tambo Valley," Mr McHugh said.

Overnight, crews maintained containment lines around the Splitters fire east of Omeo, and below Mt Sam. A CFA Strike Team patrolled at Mt Hotham, and spot overs occurred near Dinner Plain Track and at the junction of Nunniong and Limestone Roads, east of Benambra.

Weather forecasts predict northwesterly winds gusting to 50km/h, ahead of a southerly change due before nightfall, bringing the possibility of some rain.

However fire conditions are still expected to be extreme throughout much of the day, so there will be no let up in the efforts of firefighters and local people to prevent the fires spreading further.

Firefighter safety will be of paramount importance throughout today.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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