Grassfire threatens homes: fire risk remains

Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Supplied

Several houses were threatened when a grassfire broke out on Mount Glasgow near Clunes on the border of Hepburn and Central Goldfields shires in recent days.

The cause of the fire at this stage remains subject to police investigation and, at the time of writing, remained classed as undetermined.

Nineteen CFA brigades including those from Talbot, Clunes and Creswick, Air Bendigo crews in Firebird 305 and Helitak 335, plus police traffic control and Forest Fire Management Victoria were involved in the incident which began on Saturday February 4 around 3pm.

Talbot CFA captain Ross Andrews said it was lucky that conditions were not more severe, noting that the changeable whirling nature of the fire direction complicated efforts to bring it under control. Several houses were threatened as the fire burnt in hilly terrain off McCallums Creek Road.

About 94 hectares, and one campervan, were burnt after fire crews had battled for about an hour before being able to contain it.

“It would have burnt about 300 acres and travelled well over a kilometre,” Ross said. “The cause is still to be determined.”

Clunes CFA captain David Freelove said air support – including monitoring and water bombing - was used to protect several threatened houses.

Looking at the wider picture, Daylesford CFA captain Alistair Grant says this year’s milder season has been comparatively kind in the Daylesford patch of the state’s central fire region – but cautioned against complacency.

“Daylesford is still relatively green but we could get a week of hot weather and it could dry off quickly. We’ve had a grassfire at Yandoit a few weeks ago, and we recently had a grass fire at East Street caused by mowing. The weather’s been reasonably mild and we haven’t had either extreme or catastrophic conditions this year.

“But north of Daylesford it is quite dry and CFA Region 15 will soon be running some bushfire planning sessions – one at Daylesford and one at Eganstown. They will be advertised.”

While the conditions have been milder this year, the next couple of months will be telling, David Freelove says.

“February and March will be the tell-tale months,” he says, cautioning against being lulled into a false sense of security by any cooler days.

“From the start of this year we’ve had four larger grassfires and calls to several (illegal) burn-offs during the fire danger period,” he says.

“Although it’s been a mild season the grassfires we’ve had have run fairly fast and have not been as predictable as in previous years. It’s been a different system.”

CFA brigade captains are all keen to remind landholders that restrictions remain in force, and while ambient temperatures may drop it does not mean restrictions – or the risk of serious outcomes – have ended.

DEECA (formerly DELWP) Midlands District manager David Watson said FFMV were continuing to monitor forest and weather conditions and conduct fuel management works, such as planned burning, slashing, or mulching whenever conditions allow.

“We’re hoping to complete a series of high priority burns in the Daylesford, Gisborne, Macedon and Blackwood areas over the coming months,” he said.

For planned burns head to www.vic.gov.au/plannedburns or call 1800 226 226.