Emergency services issue bushfire warning for public to be on high alert
Emergency services are pleading with people to take their safety into their own hands this bushfire season as a blaze continues to burn in Gippsland.
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Emergency services are pleading with people to take their safety into their own hands this bushfire season as a blaze continues to burn in Gippsland.
Firefighters have been working around the clock to keep Victorians safe but they can only do so much, according to CFA Chief Officer Steve Warrington.
“The main message for me is people accepting their own responsibility for their own safety,” Mr Warrington said.
MASSIVE BUSHFIRE RAVAGES GIPPSLAND TOWNSHIPS
“Do your homework if you’re going to travel on the roads.
“We’re limited in what we can do by the community accepting their own responsibility.”
Mr Warrington reminded everyone to check the VicEmergency app and listen to the media.
The community wake-up call comes as the bushfire, about 6km south of Rosedale, has been contained but continues to burn.
Since Friday, the fire has destroyed more 11,000ha and police were last night still investigating the cause of the blaze.
Emergency services and the Bureau of Meteorology are meeting regularly now the bushfire season is in full force.
“We meet now on a pretty regular basis, twice a week formally,” Mr Warrington said.
“If we look at Friday’s events, it was pretty severe across the state.
“We had 200 fires burning right across the state.”
Victoria is set to swelter through more heat as parts of the state hit 40 degrees this week, according to weather bureau senior forecaster Tom Delamotte.
“Temperatures will really jump on Friday in the north of the state, getting up to around 40 degrees in Mildura.,” Mr Delamotte said.
“It’s across the northwest of the state.
“We’re just going to sit between 40 and 44 degrees through to next Wednesday.”
Dozens evacuated as fireys contain Buninyong bushfire
Firefighters have managed to contain a bushfire near Ballarat that forced the evacuation of dozens of residents, who have been warned to stay alert as temperatures — and the risk of more fires — soar again on Friday.
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