Last night, emergency warnings were issued for Cherrypool, Glenisla, Glenisla Crossing, Hynes, Brimpaen, Grampians, Mooralla, Nurrabiel, Rocklands, Telangatuk East, and Zumsteins, after strong winds pushed the fire within the Victoria Valley in a north-easterly direction.
Cool temperatures last night made for favourable firefighting conditions.
There are two major bushfires in the Grampians – the Bullawin fire in the Victoria Valley along the west of the national park.
It has and continues to threaten communities such as Big Cord, Mirranatwa, Strachans, Victoria Point and Victoria Valley to the east, and Cavendish, Mona Park, Mooralla, Rocklands and Woohlpooer in the west.
The Bullawin fire has joined with the fire ground from the Yarram Gap fire, which started on December 17 and was contained on January 6.
The Henty Highway is closed due to the Bullawin fire, as are many other roads across the region – either due to fire damage or threat, or to allow emergency services vehicles easy access.
Police – both local and from the Public Order Response Team and other divisions – have also increased their presence in the fire-affected communities to man traffic management points and assist fire services.
The Wallaby Rocks fire in the north of the national park has spent the past fortnight threatening the Zumsteins, Brimpaen and Wartook communities.
Firefighters put in containment lines in the past week, in an attempt to stop the fires from spreading into surrounding communities.
Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman said firefighters were working ‘incredibly hard’ to contain the fires that had jumped out of the park, using bulldozers, heavy equipment and aviation assets.
Mr Hardman said more than 600 firefighters were battling the Grampians fire, with a strong focus on asset protection.
“They will be there for some time to come,” he said.
“If you’re in those areas, it’s really important to know it’s a long way from over.
“It’s really important the communities stay aware and focused on what’s happening in their local areas.
“It’s been a very long season and we are still very much at the beginning of that season.
“We can expect this fire season to go through toward the end of February and even into March.”
Little Desert
The Little Desert National Park fire is not yet under control, and changed from moving in a south-westerly direction to a north-easterly direction towards Lillimur South yesterday afternoon.
A new fire was started by lightning in the western block of Little Desert National Park yesterday.
Overnight, firefighters had stopped the spread of the fire but will remain on scene today.
A watch and act message remains in place this morning for Goroke, Lawloit, Miram South, and Peronne; and Kaniva, Miram, and Yanipy.
After starting on January 27 and threatening Dimboola and neighbouring communities early last week, Horsham’s Incident Control Centre announced on Saturday the fire was contained.
However the fire jumped containment lines to the south of the national park on Sunday, threatening the communities of Goroke, Minimay, Morea, Peronne, Neuarpurr, Kaniva, and Lillimur.
Crews remain on site to build containment lines, suppress fire activity and black out hot spots.
There was a community meeting in Goroke last night to update residents about the fire, which has now burnt more than 90,500 hectares.
Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said a New South Wales fire command vehicle was destroyed by fire in the Little Desert on Monday.
“Thankfully, the firefighters through them managed to escape the vehicle before it was fully engulfed,” he said.
Mr Nugent thanked the ‘incredible volunteers and paid firefighters across the state who have been working tirelessly’ for a couple of months.
“Thanks also to their families and employers who support them to do their volunteer work. We are so thankful for that,” he said.
“I’m also so thankful for 114 interstate firefighters and specialist incident management team personnel who are joining our firefighters on the ground or in the incident control centres to fight these fires.
“My final thanks is to the community of Victoria. It is clear that they are staying informed. They are listening to the messages and they are leaving, and leaving early.”
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