Victoria got its first glimpse of the coming fire season on Sunday, with evacuation alerts issued in Gippsland as strong winds fanned several out-of-control blazes that threatened lives and homes.
Four emergency alerts were active at one point on Sunday afternoon for fires near Loch Sport, Briagolong, Rawson and Forge Creek.
The Briagolong blaze, on the southern edge of Victoria’s alpine region, about 180 kilometres east of Melbourne, was downgraded to a “prepare to evacuate” watch and act alert on Sunday evening, but remained out of control.
Briagolong is home to about 1000 people, but the main township was outside the warning area. Campers in nearby hills were urged to leave as “numerous fires” were burning.
Residents of Culloden, Moornapa, Cobbannah and northern parts of Briagolong were advised to leave before 6pm because evacuation after that time would be “considered life-threatening”, before the alert was lowered.
However, several roads remained closed, and residents of the Glenaladale area were told to “act now to protect your life” around 7.30pm as the Briagolong blaze moved north-east.
Holidaymakers and locals in the Gippsland Lakes hamlet of Loch Sport, about 20 kilometres south of Bairnsdale, were told earlier on Sunday afternoon to take shelter immediately as it was too late to leave as a grass fire approached.
The warning was downgraded to a watch and act message just before 4pm.
The downgraded alert still told residents on Loch Sport’s western edge to “leave now” on Sunday evening because the blaze was out of control, pushed towards the town by a wind change.
The small town is home to about 1000 people but swells on sunny days due to its idyllic location wedged between Ninety Mile Beach and Lake Victoria.
A separate blaze from an unattended campfire sparked an emergency warning for Forge Creek on the other side of Lake Victoria, north of Loch Sport. But that was downgraded to an advice message around 3.30pm.
A “prepare to evacuate” watch and act alert was also active for much of Sunday for the towns of Erica, Walhalla and Rawson – 125 kilometres east of Melbourne near Mount Baw Baw.
The alert was downgraded at 5pm to an advice message as CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria crews tried to suppress the blaze in state forest just south of Rawson.
Jonathan Wood, the incident controller at Rawson, said authorities had “gone out and evacuated some campers” in the area. A firefighting helicopter also doused the blaze.
A grass fire also flared up in Werribee South in Melbourne’s outer west on Sunday afternoon, but was brought under control quickly.
Unseasonable spring heat continues to build up across Australia’s eastern seaboard ahead of a cool change arriving later this week.
The AFL grand final was played in 29-degree heat in Melbourne on Saturday, one of the hottest grand finals on record.
Wind gusts above 100km/h were recorded in parts of west and south Gippsland on Sunday as the mercury dipped below 20 degrees following the prolonged hot streak.
A helicopter douses an out-of-control fire near Rawson with water on Sunday.Credit: Nine News
A total fire ban has been issued for the Mallee on Monday as hot weather hits the state’s north-west. However, the fire danger rating for Gippsland on Monday will be lower than Sunday.
With AAP
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