Vic: Firefighters race to quell fires ahead of hot change
By Edwina Scott and Simon Mossman03 Feb 2009 3:10 PM
MELBOURNE, Feb 3 AAP - More than 500 firefighters are racing against the clock to contain a cluster of bushfires in remote parts of Victoria before weather conditions worsen later in the week.
Moderate temperatures and humidity had helped fire crews in their battle to get on top of several outbreaks in Gippsland and mountainous areas in the state's northeast, the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) said.
But temperatures are expected to rise again from Thursday, fanned by increasing winds and further lightning strikes and storm activity, DSE state duty officer Caroline Douglass (Douglass) said.
The warnings follow the posting on Tuesday of a $100,000 police reward to catch firebugs believed responsible for lighting the devastating Delburn Complex bushfires in Gippsland last week.
"Fortunately we've been able to get on top of a lot of the fires started so far by lightning strikes, but we're expecting temperatures to heat up from Thursday, which will be the main concern heading into Friday and Saturday," Ms Douglass said.
As many as 490 frontline firefighters backed by 14 aircraft and dozens of tankers and bulldozers are gathering momentum after low cloud over Gippsland initially kept helicopters and air tankers grounded on Tuesday.
Ms Douglass said a major effort has been launched to fight a blaze that broke out on Monday at Nariel, in the Upper Murray region, despite it being only five hectares in size.
"We're concerned because of the country it's in, it's critical that we get on the top of that quickly," she said.
Elsewhere, crews had to spend two hours walking into a remote site before being able to tackle a fire at Bonang-Camp Creek, in Victoria's far east.
The 6,400-hectare Delburn Complex blaze has destroyed 30 houses and at least 79 sheds, five cars, a truck and a piggery near the towns of Boolarra, Yinnar and Mirboo North.
Ms Douglass said the fire had stopped growing in size as it was believed to be burning within itself though it was still a bit early to declare it contained.
"There's one small sector that's proving a bit difficult, but there's a lot of blacking out going on in a lot of areas.
"It is close to being contained but until we get that confirmation that the containment lines have been completed, we can't say for certain."
