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Update On Bogong (South) Complex Fire

The massive Bogong Complex fire has now burned through over 400,000 hectares of country in the Gippsland region.

By DSE/CFA - 3rd February 2003 - Back to News

The massive Bogong Complex fire has now burned through over 400,000 hectares of country in the Gippsland region.

"We’re now into day 27 of fighting this huge fire and there’s a lot of work still to be done," Regional Fire Manager David Tainsh said.

"We need to continually acknowledge the enormous efforts of DSE/DPI and CFA crews that have worked tirelessly over the past month to safeguard communities and to work together on this fire."

Statewide resources previously deployed to the North East fires are now starting to move into Gippsland to concentrate on asset and community protection and to assist with our firefighting efforts.

Fire planners and strategists are working on constructing a major containment line along the Yalmy Road in far east Gippsland in an effort to contain the southern and eastern extension of the fire.

Quieter conditions overnight have allowed crews to do some valuable work on backburning and containment lines around the most susceptible communities in the Dargo, Swifts Creek, Tubbut and Deddick areas.

Successful backburns in the Snowy River National Park are aimed at holding the fire to the north and west and will link with backburns coming south from New South Wales.

Some resources at the Gelantipy Staging Area are relocating to the Buchan Caves Reserve today as that Staging Area is established to give better access to the fire as it moves south. There will be CFA and DSE/DPI crews remaining at Gelantipy for community protection there.

Anyone who has suffered fire damage and has not yet been approached by Departmental Damage Assessment staff should contact the 1800 668 066 number.

Dr Kit Button, who has been coordinating agricultural damage assessment and livestock welfare said that he and his teams need to get a better picture of the extent of damage and losses in order to build the most suitable recovery programs.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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