DELWP FIRES UPDATE 12PM – EAST GIPPSLAND MONDAY, 27 JANUARY
There are currently 4 Advice and 5 Community Information notices active in East Gippsland, where 8 ongoing fires have burnt over 1 million hectares.
More than 1,000 firefighters and Incident Management Team personnel are working across East Gippsland and the North East, plus 268 international and interstate personnel who are supported by over 23 aircraft.
Staff are hosting two drop-in sessions to answer your questions about the fire situation, control strategies and outlook:
• Tuesday 28 January, 4.30pm to 6.30pm - Lindenow CFA Shed, 108 Henry St, Lindenow
• Wednesday 29 January, 4.30pm to 6.30pm - Mount Taylor CFA Shed, 5 Gammons Rd, Wy-yung.
Staff will also be in Omeo today, reinforcing the message that fire behaviour will increase during the week spiking on Thursday and Friday.
Due to the calmer weather conditions, our aerial intelligence gathering helicopters have been identifying hot spots across the landscape.
Around 30 hot spots have been identified around the western edge of the original Barmouth Spur fire in the area of Jones Road. A specialist ‘hotshot’ crew of around 25 people from the US will be working closer at the fire edge on foot to treat identified hot spots and any other hot spot that may not have been identified. A further 40 US ‘hotshot’ personnel are also at Swifts Creek with another 2 CFA strike teams.
Crews will be directly attacking the fire north of Omeo, in the Wattle Circle area and Dartmouth Track north of Benambra and water bombing helicopters and fixed wing air craft will be assisting with direct attack in the Benambra area.
Fire has also been active to the north of Buldah and spot fires are close to the Victoria and New South Wales border. Crews will be undertaking back burning over the next few days and smoke will be visible throughout the area.
On Sunday, 26 January 8 flights transported 349 people (26 residents and 323 visitors) to Mallacoota. In addition, the Princes Highway between Genoa and Cann River has also been open to allow residents and visitors with permits to collect their vehicles, caravans, boats and other personal belongings. After Monday, the road between Genoa and Cann River will be closed again to allow clearing works to continue.
A lot of work has been done to clear major roads and reopen them for public access. The following roads are currently open:
• Princes Highway, Melbourne all the way through to Cabbage Tree Creek
• Great Alpine Road from Bruthen to Wangaratta
• Bruthen-Buchan Road – Caves Road in Buchan to Bruthen-Nowa Nowa Road (Red Knob).
Work is continuing on the Princes Highway from Cabbage Tree Creek to the NSW border, and other fire affected roads and tracks in and around parks and forests.
Please stay aware of the conditions around you and keep up to date through VicEmergency, your local emergency radio broadcaster and other trusted sources of information.
