The number of homes destroyed by bushfires in Victoria’s west has jumped as residents return to assess damage.
Premier Jacinta Allan on Feb. 16 confirmed 44 homes have been lost at Pomonal on the edge of the Grampians National Park, up from 24 the previous day.
“That’s pretty much half the town that has lost their homes as a result of that fire,” Ms Allan told reporters at Mirboo North in Victoria’s southeast, which suffered heavy damage from Tuesday’s extreme wind conditions.
“There is going to be a lot of rebuilding.”
At least three businesses and 23 outbuildings have also been razed in Pomonal.
Another home was lost at Dadswells Bridge to the north of the national park, in a separate bushfire.
Pomonal and Dadswells Bridge residents in Victoria’s west began returning to their properties on Thursday afternoon to survey the damage, after fire threats were downgraded.
Northern Grampians Shire Mayor Rob Haswell said Pomonal locals were met with dangerous residual electricity still running through wires despite powerlines going down when they returned to inspect the town.
Animal carcasses were strewn everywhere and water systems were polluted with fire retardant from the aerial battle against the flames.
Residents of Pomonal have been advised local tap water is unsafe to drink even if boiled.
“Many have lost houses and there’s a lot of broken hearts and broken dreams out there,” Mr. Haswell told AAP.
Ms. Allan said between the bushfires in western Victoria and the damaging storms in the east, around 15,000 calls were made to triple zero and Victoria’s State Emergency Service recorded its fourth busiest day for call-outs.
Grampians Tourism chief executive and community member Marc Sleeman said he was lucky his Pomonal home was still standing.
“It’s bittersweet when I know lots of friends and family have lost homes and lost businesses,” Mr. Sleeman told AAP.
“I know we’ve lost a few sheds and boats and things like that, but small things in comparison to what other people have lost.”
Emergency relief payments of $640 per adult and $320 per child are available to affected residents, with a maximum of $2240 for a family.
Payments of $49,000 are available to help eligible people who have lost their homes to rebuild.
Pomonal Primary School and two early learning centres remained shuttered on Feb. 16 due to fire impacts.
Almost all fires sparked in Victoria on Feb. 13 are believed to have been started by lightning strikes as severe storms lashed the state.
