Victorian communities brace for bushfires over Christmas as hundreds of firefighters battle huge blaze
Christmas plans have changed for communities in western Victoria as a large bushfire continues to burn out of control in the Grampians region.
Emergency warnings to leave immediately remain in place for Halls Gap and surrounding areas, while nearby Pomonal, where 46 homes were destroyed earlier this year, is on high alert.
The bushfire has been burning for six days, but grew rapidly between Friday and Saturday, tripling in size to more than 30,000 hectares.
On Sunday morning, the fire had grown to more than 34,000 hectares.
CFA deputy chief officer Garry Cook said conditions overnight had been favourable for firefighters, who had managed to extend the control lines on the northern edge of the fire around Halls Gap.
“But there will be southerly winds of some strength across the fire ground today, that will put pressure back on all those edges.
Hundreds of fire crews are working around the clock in the Grampians. (North Hamilton Rural Fire Brigade/Facebook)
“So it’s a pretty dynamic situation. It’s a big fire, there’s a lot of unburnt fuel in the Grampians still, so it’s quite a challenge for the days ahead.”
He said Christmas Day, and Boxing Day in particular, posed a threat.
“Really hot temperatures coming in, temperatures sort of 40 degrees-plus, strong, hot northerly winds, and then a blustery south-west change coming through later in the evening.
“So that’s going to be a really challenging day, not just because of the risk of the fire, but the fires we’ve already got in the landscape.”
Mr Cook said the bush was very dry, with no significant spring rain falling.
“The fuels are there. And we’ve got ignition sources from lightning that caused these fires … and that’s just what we’re going to have to deal with now for the remainder of summer.”
‘Really on edge’
Long-time Halls Gap resident Robyn Murphy, who is staying at a caravan park in Stawell with her partner and their pets, said being forced to flee her home was nerve-wracking.
“[I’m] really on edge at the moment, very exhausted. It’s been a really bad couple of days, so I just think we’ve got a lot of painful waiting ahead of us,” she said.
“The weather has been terrible. The wind’s been here, there and everywhere. It’s been just really unpredictable.”
Robyn Murphy and Brad Moore had to evacuate Halls Gap on Friday night. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher)
Ms Murphy said she was still feeling shaky.
“I think I’m going to be on edge until this is all over.”
The couple evacuated late on Friday night, heading straight to the evacuation centre in Ararat, before shifting to a cabin in the caravan park.
“We just wanted to be as close to home as possible and we were lucky enough today to find accommodation, so it’s a little bit of relief,” she said.
“We have a roof over our head for now.”
The couple are relieved to have found accommodation that’s not too far from home. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher)
Ms Murphy said evacuating right before Christmas was tough.
“All the presents, all the yummy food in the fridge, all prepared to have a nice Xmas and now we’re sort of out of home. It’s sad.”
Caravan park owner Shane Dale said many Pomonal residents with the memory of bushfires fresh in their minds had already left.
Mr Dale has opened up his caravan park to tourists from the Grampians National Park area who have had to leave their campsite, as well as residents from Halls Gap who need a place to stay.
Caravan park owner Shane Dale is taking in evacuees from the Grampians bushfire zone. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher)
“That’s what we’re here for, to help them out,” he told ABC News.
“It’s not the best time for all this to be happening but not much you can do about it.”
Relief centres remain open at Alexandra Oval Community Centre in Ararat, and Grampians Community Health in Stawell.
Two other fires in Victoria continue to burn out of control in Bullengarook in central Victoria and The Gurdies in South Gippsland.
Warnings were downgraded for both fires on Saturday.
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