Local Paper ‘Too late to leave’, residents told

■ ■ FLOWERDALE and Yea residents were under threat from a fast moving grass fire that blew up on Tues. afternoon (Feb. 21).

An alert was issued at 3.56pm, with Vic Emergency’s first warnings focused on the Spring Valley Rd area.

Dozens of Country Fire Authority volunteers were called to the area as the fire started to spread over the Yea Spur and Minto hills, towards Homewood, west of Yea.

More than half-a-dozen aircraft fought the blaze from the sky, covering an area measuring hundreds of hectares.

Residents were warned that it was already “too late to leave”

Local homes were under threat, as there were fears of a wind change taking the fire into more built-up areas.

ABC Radio and UGFM Radio went live with reports of the fire fighting efforts. The fire story led the news on the Seven and Nine networks. There were the obvious memories of the Black Saturday fires from February 2009, in which 173 lives were lost.

Media reports through Tuesday afternoon and evening described the blaze as “out of control”.

Blake Johnson and Sara Jones reported on location for Seven News. Adam Hegarty of the Nine Network was based at Strath Creek. Residents were advised to stay inside. Emergency warnings were updated on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.