Homes lost to Grampians fires, but cool change eases threat
Residents have begun to calculate the damage done by bushfires the ‘size of Singapore’ which are expected to continue wreaking havoc for weeks.
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Thousands of wild animals and livestock have been killed as authorities begin to assess the full damage of the Grampians bushfire.
Speaking in Horsham on Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it has been a “devastating fire event”.
“We live in a country which has harsh conditions,” he said.
“It has always had fires, it has always had these extreme weather events, but the truth is they are becoming more frequent and more intense”.
The Prime Minister announced that the federal government will open support payments for businesses from 2pm on Monday.
Businesses can get 13 weeks of income support through MyGov or the Australian Government Emergency Information hotline.
It comes after the state government had already unlocked payments of $680 per adult and $340 per child (up to $2380 per family) for food, clothing medication and accommodation.
Speaking alongside the Prime Minister on Sunday, Premier Jacinta Allan said there had been “significant” livestock losses, including at least 1000 sheep.
She said the fire was still “very active” and authorities had a large task to determine how many power and telephone lines, fences and other infrastructure had been lost.
“There is a lot of assessment work going on right now while the fire is still going,” the Victorian Premier said.
She emphasised summer was far from over and hot weather was predicted in the forecast.
“Which is why the crews are in there, while the weather is a bit more benign, doing everything that they can to suppress the most dangerous parts of the fire,” Ms Allan said.
She noted the region’s tourism industries would be hard hit by the bushfires over the holiday period.
“Look, it is devastating to see the Grampians burn at any time but particularly in peak summer season, which we know is the key period for people to come and visit this beautiful part of the state,” the Premier said.
“I visited here, I’ve holidayed here on many occasions with my family and I know the joy and the beauty of visiting this region.”
Three houses and nearly a dozen sheds have been lost to bushfires, with property losses expected to rise as scorched land is properly surveyed.
The message couldn't be clearer: today's a day of total fire ban across Victoria. Don't be a dickhead. No fires to be lit.
— Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) December 25, 2024
Mr Albanese said it was “extraordinary” that of the three houses confirmed to have been lost so far, only one was owner-occupied.
“That is quite extraordinary, given the extent and the intensity of this fire,” he said.
The bushfires at the Grampians National Park are expected to continue to burn for weeks, but a cool change is helping firefighters on Sunday.
Residents in some towns have been told they can returns to their houses, and rebuilding plans, fundraisers and support funds are starting to take shape.
The threat of fire has reduced in some areas, but residents still need to monitor conditions east and north of the national park.
State Control Centre spokesperson Luke Heagerty said fully containing the fire was expected to take about two weeks.
“We’re not seeing, at this stage, a day where there’s any significant increase in fire danger,” he said on Saturday.
The fire has burnt about 74,000 hectares of land.
Three houses have been confirmed as destroyed in Moyston, and 11 sheds have been levelled in Moyston and Pomonal.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done to confirm the rest of the impact assessment,” Mr Heagerty said.
“These numbers will continue to evolve over the next couple of days.”
Several fires in the Grampians National Park remain out-of-control on Sunday morning, having burned through a patch of land estimated to be as large as Singapore.
Conditions have eased in the few days as the “high” fire danger warnings have been pulled back to “moderate”.
Halls Gap Zoo owner Mark Treweek took the animals to his home as the fires bore down on the town.
He told the ABC the zoo had not been destroyed, but a large clean up was required, and a fundraiser has been established.
“Like many other local businesses, we’ve been devastated by the recent bushfires that forced us to close our doors during our busiest season – a critical time for us to generate revenue and ensure the wellbeing of our animals,” Mr Treweek shared on the fundraising page.
“The closure has made it incredibly difficult for us to meet our daily operating costs, and without support, we risk losing the progress we’ve made.”
As of Sunday morning, more than $85,000 has been donated to the zoo.
About 20 per cent of the land burnt by the fires at the Grampians National Park is private property.
Victoria’s emergency management commissioner Rick Nugent said on Friday that while fire would keep burning, the work of more than 600 firefighters meant some residents could now return.
“(The fire) will continue to burn for weeks as the wind continues to change over the coming days and weeks,” Mr Nugent said.
“The good news is all emergency warnings have now been downgraded to watch and act, and it is likely now that the residents of Moyston, Pomonal, and Willaura will have permission to return to their homes this afternoon.
“There’s also been livestock losses, crop losses, powerlines and all the environmental damage that has occurred as a result.”
He said one of the fire-damaged telecommunications towers had been restored, but that a second used by Optus and the NBN remained offline.
The Victorian government has announced that personal hardship grants will be available for residents living in council areas affected by the fires.
The grants of $380 per child and $680 per adult can be accessed by residents of affected local governments areas by calling the Vic Emergency hotline.
Four relief centres have been established in Ararat at the Alexander Community Oval and at Grampians Community Health in Stawell.
Hundreds of homes in Moyston, Willaura and Pomonal have also lost power after the fire devastated crucial components of the region’s network.
A spokesman for Powercor said 363 customers in the region are currently without electricity.
“We are working with emergency service agencies to safely gain access to the area to allow us to assess the damage and conduct repairs,” he said.
Some telephone communications have also been disrupted or cut off after the Mt Williams communications tower was destroyed on Boxing Day.
Victoria Police said in a statement on Friday that while it was aware of reports of looting in fire-impacted areas circulating online, it had not received any reports of that type of offending.
“Public Order Response Team members have been deployed to the fire zones to assist the local police response to the ongoing emergency situation,” the statement read.
“Their duties include conducting patrols of areas where residents have left their homes to deter any criminal activity such as looting.”
Originally published as Homes lost to Grampians fires, but cool change eases threat
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