Fires in the NE Victoria

Although not a 4wd club, a club I am a life member of, Australian Motorcycle Trailriders Association, www.amtra.com.au was advised today that we have lost nearly everything on our property. 10 years of hard work by the members. Our property is on the Buffalo River road about 15 kms from where the recent camp was for the Aulro members. Some people may know it as Cobbler Lake track runs through our property. Apparently all that is left is the (steel) toilet and shower block and a new steel garage. The property was very clear of scrub and the grass was very short. I suppose embers blew onto the property and with no-one there to stop spot fires it just all burnt.
Looks like many working bees coming up to help clear up the debris, including 5 or 6 caravans owned by the members and one large one owned by the club, and rebuild what we had, this time in steel. It seems that even the plastic water tanks have gone.
ian

Thats not good news mate, we saw some of the riders that weekend while there, good luck with the building process.

I too am a life member of a motorcycle orginisation and know how much hard work it is keeping and maintaining property and gear.

Baz.

A nephew of my late wife's has been working for about ten days as the night time controller for one of the sectors of the fire - he lives at Whorouly, near Wangaratta, not too far away. His planned Christmas holidays are very much on hold at present. (He is a trained forester and works for the Vic state government, not sure which department).
John

This info is from the current fire situation report I received today.


·DSE has recorded 37 fires Going, 26 fires Contained and 68 fires Under Control. CFA has currently listed: 19 fires Going, 6 fires Contained and 6 fires Under Control.
·Overnight linescans have detected significant increases in fire areas since yesterday and the merging of a number of the larger fires. The area of going fires is now more than 87,000 ha, based on linescan mapping interpretation. Gippsland and North East fire areas each cover half of this total area.

Weather
·The high pressure system will slowly move to the Tasman Sea on Friday. Conditions will be fine with the air becoming very dry. It will be warm to hot inland with light winds tending northerly later and milder along the coast with seabreezes. Fire Dangers will reach very high and possibly extreme in the north.

·The high in the Tasman Sea will strengthen on Saturday ahead of the next frontal system, currently expected to reach the southwest Saturday night. Dry, hot and windy conditions are expected with fire dangers reaching extreme throughout the state, except in the far east. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected near the change.

·The cold front will move slowly Saturday night then continue across the rest of the state during Sunday. At this stage it is expected to move faster along the coast and slower in the north. Dry hot and windy conditions will continue ahead of the front which will bring fresh southwesterly winds and isolated showers/thunderstorms. Fire dangers will be extreme ahead of the change then decrease behind the change.



·Fires are expected to spread significantly under the weather conditions forecast for Saturday and Sunday.
·Due to difficult terrain and limited resources, there are a number of fires that do not pose an immediate threat to private assets that have been subjected to minimal control effort and do not have control lines. Some of these have spread significantly and are likely to rapidly increase in area under the effects of the weekend’s extreme weather.



·Assets facing immediate risk include the townships of Kevington, Gaffneys Creek, Knockwood, A1 Mine Settlement, Cheshunt, Rose River, Tolmie and Whitfield. There were reports last night that fire had entered the hamlet of Kevington. DSE crews and CFA strike teams were engaged in asset protection.
·Assets at potential risk include the townships of Mt. Buller, Merrijig, Licola, Jamieson, Dargo and Woods Point. Contingency plans are being developed for those areas.


·The convection columns generated by these fires are likely to initiate thunderstorm activity. Over the coming days this will potentially create more lightning caused fires many kilometres down wind from the current fire areas.

Parks Victoria is asking all potential visitors to delay plans to visit the Alpine National Park and surrounding State Forest west and south of the Great Alpine Road (linking Bright, Mount Hotham, Omeo and Bairnsdale).
- Mt Buffalo National Park is closed to visitors.






Due to the potential rates of spread particularly if the SW change is strong I wouldn't be going anywhere within the high country until things ease off considerably, due to the long range spotting potential starting new fires down wind.

A potential fire perimeter map today had everything from Abbeyard out to Bairnsdale shaded black :eek::eek:


Martyn

I'm packing some gear and getting ready to go help my brother at Briagolong as I type (leaving tomorrow arvo)

he's got 2 places there, His house (on 80ac) up in the hills and a farm (tree nursery) on 100ac down on the flat closer to town.
He's torn between where to be (what property to protect) as he can't be at both, he's decided to stay at his house up in the hills (when it hits I don't think I'd be there for a million bucks) as he's got more $ to loose there and there's no way the CFA would have resources to guarantee station truck there and with no one there it's sure to go
so my other brother and I have volunteered to go protect his nursery we're taking my fire trailer (it's all calm near home thank f*#k)
The fires only 10kms form his house (it's only moved 6kms closer in the last 2 days) and 30 or so kms for the nursery
they are predicting it'll hit the nursery sat arvo (depending on the weather)
he's hoping the fire gets to his house early sat am before the weather get bad (if it gets bad before it gets to his house knowing where he is it'll look like a fire storm from hell)

the nursery (farm) is just your std cow paddocks and farm with a nursery & a few sheds set up in one corner (and a half built new house he's worried about loosing)
it still wont be fun in 37 degrees with a northerly wind but we should be fine there (fingers crossed)

wish me (him) luck & yes he's a landy guy also (always had disco & RRs)

talk to you all next week
Jase

Jase - good luck to you and your brothers. :thumbsup:

good luck jase :angel:

jase dont risk your lives over property.......

they can rebuild it but not you or your brothers

take care mate and good luck;)

Quote:

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He's torn between where to be (what property to protect) as he can't be at both, he's decided to stay at his house up in the hills (when it hits I don't think I'd be there for a million bucks) as he's got more $ to loose there and there's no way the CFA would have resources to guarantee station truck

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Unless the place is well prepared - and It doesn't sound like it is - its probably not defendable under wildfire conditions.

Theres a very valid reason that fire authorities say to make the stay or go decision early, lives are lost fleeing at the last minute.


Martyn

We are in Boisdale just before Briagolong so facing the same fire. Heaps of has been done in the area over the past 4-5 days with prevention works and back burning although we had a 300 ha burn cancelled last night. Lots of Community information sessions have been conducted to give people the best information on property defence (I hope they have attended). Briag. is a main staging area for the CFA so lots of troops on the ground. wish you and your lot the best of luck with the fires. may even see you out there