Residents in Mafeking, Watgania, Bellfield and popular tourist spot Halls Gap have been told to leave the area immediately as the Grampians bushfire spreads north towards townships.
With hot, dry and strong wind conditions yesterday, the fire grew to over 28,000 hectares, forcing emergency services to close the Grampians National Park last night.
As of Saturday morning, the bushfire had reached Lake Bellfield in the northern part of the Grampians, after starting near Yarram Gap Road in the southern section of the national park on Tuesday.
The fire could burn for weeks, as Grampians National Park has a lot of fuel and very little rain has been forecast.
A relief centre is open at Alexandra Oval Community Centre at 1 Waratah Ave, Ararat.
Two other bushfires broke out yesterday at The Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve, in West Gippsland, and Bullengarook, near Gisborne – neither are yet to be brought under control.
State Response Controller Garry Cook said with a little respite from the extreme weather conditions over the next couple of days, firefighters will work on consolidating their containment lines ahead of the increased fire danger forecast for Boxing Day.
“We are concerned about the weather over the Christmas period which will likely see further spread of the Grampians fire,” he said.
“The fire is expected to burn for several weeks due to the dry and rugged bushland it’s in. The terrain is also inaccessible to many of our crews on the ground so we’re doing our best to attack the fire from the air where safe to do so.
“We understand the disappointment for many with the closure of the Grampians National Park but our number one priority is the protection of life.
“People in surrounding areas to the fire need to remain alert and ready to take action.”
Several roads are closed in the vicinity of the bushfires, please visit VicTraffic for more information.
Victorians are reminded to never rely on one channel for emergency information. Connect to official sources of emergency information, including:
- VicEmergency app or website www.emergency.vic.gov.au
- Tune in to local emergency broadcasters such as ABC local radio, commercial and select community radio stations, or SkyNews TV
- Phone the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226
- Follow VicEmergency on Facebook and Twitter
