Fires Rage Through Victoria Destroying at Least 1 Home

Fire crews control bush fires as they approach properties on Copley Road in Upper Swan in Perth, Australia, on Feb. 2, 2021. Paul Kane/Getty Images

Around 80 bush and grass fires ignited on Nov. 16 in Western Victoria, destroying at least one home. Authorities believe two other homes may have burnt down in addition to stock and crops.

Two fires are currently burning out of control, with hundreds of firefighters racing to manage them.

One is near the Victorian border with South Australia at Kadnook, and the second is threatening communities along Great Ocean Road in Southwest Victoria.

Tourists on the Great Ocean Road had been evacuated but roads have since been reopened. However, authorities still advise sightseers against visiting the area.

Hikers and campers had also been evacuated from Otway National Park walking trails near the fire were closed off. They were closed for around six hours overnight over concerns around smoke and fire.

Evacuation Recommended

The blaze at Chapple Vale ripped through about 700 hectares. Nearby individuals are advised to evacuate, including those in Crowes, Johanna, Johanna Heights, Lavers Hill, Stalker, Wattle Hill, Gellibrand Lower, Wangerrip, and Yuulong.

Vic Emergency states that people should not wait and were urged to leave immediately. It warned that conditions may change and rapidly take a turn for the worse.

“Emergency services may not be able to help you if you decide to stay,” Vic Emergency states.

“By choosing to stay, you and your family may be at risk of serious injury or death.”

Action to Stop the Fire

Water bombing aircraft were used to combat the rapidly moving fire engulfing rough terrain.

CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said 1,000 hectares of a private bluegum plantation had been destroyed.

“[It is] quite undulating country, which will be challenging for firefighters to be able to get in there and get containment around it,” he told reporters at the State Control Centre on Nov. 17.

Temperatures have since cooled, but there is now concern about lighting and strong winds exacerbating fire conditions.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall and damaging winds for parts of northeast Victoria and its southwest coast.

Senior meteorologist Keris Arndt said it was concerning that they had seen lighting through the part of Victoria where there were fire conditions. She said that with the elevated westerly winds this afternoon, it will impact the firefighting efforts.

Over 200 assistance requests were made to the State Emergency Service in the 24 hours before 10 a.m. on Nov. 17; 70 requests concerned falling trees and powerlines in Shepparton, Central Victoria.

AAP contributed to this report.