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Live coverage: Mass evacuations amid Victoria bushfire emergency

Not everyone benefited from the ADF's help today. Some of the most vulnerable people there were told they could not be evacuated.

Charis Chang, Stephanie Bedo and Sam Clench
less than 2 min read
January 3, 2020 - 7:14AM
Trapped people evacuated by Defence Force from Mallacoota

Victorians in the state’s worst-hit bushfire regions are being urged to leave, with conditions expected to deteriorate further heading into the weekend.

Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed Thursday night that a second person had died in the East Gippsland region, but could not reveal the man's identity.

This morning Mr Andrews said the number of people missing in East Gippsland had jumped to 28 people, from the previous estimate of 17. None of them are emergency services personnel.

For NSW updates, please follow our other live blog.

A state of disaster has been declared for six local government areas and three alpine resorts across Victoria.

The declaration involves powers introduced in the aftermath of devastating 2009 blazes which have never been used before, including the power to compel people to evacuate.

The areas covered by the declaration, which has been made for seven days, are East Gippsland Shire, Mansfield Shire, Wellington Shire, Wangaratta Rural Shire, Towong Shire and Alpine Shire.

RELATED: What we know so far about the fires

RELATED: How you can help bushfire victims 

Updates

Our fire coverage is moving

We're consolidating our live bushfire coverage for the rest of the night into one story. Please click this link for all the latest updates from Victoria, as well as the rest of the country.

Heartbreaking image from trapped town

Not everyone in Mallacoota benefited from the Defence Force’s help today. Some of the most vulnerable people there were told they could not be evacuated.

Laura Freeman, 35, has holidayed in Mallacoota for more than two decades. She was staying at a caravan park with her husband and two children, who are aged one and three, when the approaching fire trapped them in the town.

In the ensuing, terrifying hours, Ms Freeman and her family watched the sky turn black and red. They spent some time sheltered in their car, but smoke seeped in and forced them out. Later, stuck indoors with dozens of others, she texted her mother, believing they were not going to make it.

Those conditions would obviously be hard enough to endure as an adult, but Ms Freeman and her husband also had to deal with the stress of keeping their children safe.

At the suggestion of authorities, they wrote an emergency contact number on the kids’ arms with black marker, in case they became separated.

Picture: Laura Freeman

So, you can imagine Ms Freeman’s relief when she heard the ADF was going to evacuate the town.

That relief was short-lived. At a community meeting last night, her husband was told the family would not be able to go with the ADF, because anyone on board the ship would have to climb a rope ladder – something the young children couldn't do.

On top of that, the couple learned aerial extraction would also be unavailable because of the weather conditions.

Ms Freeman's family ultimately got lucky, as two privately owned "luxury" boats showed up this morning to evacuate them. They're safe and well now, but if not for the generosity of those strangers, they would still be stuck in Mallacoota.

She said the biggest frustration was their lack of access to accurate information during the ordeal. The lack of power stopped people from charging their phones, and some of the information they did get access to was downright misleading.

"We'd rather have no information than have misleading information, and false hope," she said.

But Ms Freeman was also struck by the incredible strength of her fellow evacuees. One elderly woman stood out – she had lost her home, but stayed relentlessly positive.

The most terrifying of events do have a way of bringing out the best of humanity.

Pictures: Laura Freeman

Hours left to evacuate

We have some more evacuation warnings to tell you about.

The fire north west of Anglers Rest is growing and heading towards the settlement, along with Dinner Plain and Cobungra.

People in those areas are being told to evacuate now. If you choose to stay, emergency services will not be able to help you.

The other warning applies to Bruthen, Bumberrah, Double Bridges, Mossiface, Ramrod Creek, Tambo Upper and Wiseleigh.

If you're in any of those places, be aware that evacuation after 12.30am will be considered life threatening and if you wait that long it might be too late to leave.

Fresh evacuation warning

The CFA has issued two more warnings to "evacuate now".

The first is for people located in Dinner Plain, Falls Creek and Hotham Heights.

There are multiple bushfires burning in the Abbeyard area that are not under control.

"Victoria Police are supporting evacuations in the area. However you cannot rely on emergency services to evacuate you," the CFA says.

"Fire weather on Saturday is predicted to be extreme, creating fire storm conditions which may not be survivable."

From 10am tomorrow morning, evacuation from the above areas will be considered life threatening and it might be too late to leave.

But if you choose to stay emergency services might not be able to help you.

The second warning applies to people in Buchan South, where the weather forecast is expected to result in "extreme" and "unpredictable" fire behaviour.

An increase in northerly winds tonight will push the fire in a southerly direction, and then south westerly winds tomorrow will push it to the north east.

"If you choose to not leave today, it is highly likely you will be impacted by this fire. You are also likely to be isolated for an extended period of time as roads in the area will be closed," the CFA says.

The last boat out of Mallacoota

The last boat carrying evacuees from Mallacoota to the HMAS Choules left at 4.20pm.

Those evacuees are now facing a 17-hour voyage to Western Port, and an evacuation centre is likely to be set up at the HMAS Cerberus naval base.

"The ADF is also working now with the state government on setting up evacuation centres and providing accommodation, but not at a tent city," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said earlier.

Picture: The last boat out of Mallacoota. Image by David Caird


State of disaster areas

'These are dire circumstances'

Mick Granger from the Victoria Police State Emergency and Support Command says it's been challenging times for Victoria.

"These are dire circumstances, there is no doubt," he said.

He said the numbers of deceased and unaccounted for remained the same.

"We have very, very hot fire zones," he said.

"We have areas that have been damaged by fire but are not safe to proceed into. So those numbers will jump up, up and down, in respect to the missing persons, the unaccounted for persons."

'Hundreds and hundreds of kilometres' of uncontained fire

Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp says there are 14 watch and acts mainly in the east of the state, with one down in the south-west.

There are also four "evacuate now" messages out as well – two of those for the Corryong fire, on the east and west sides of that 
particular fire, one down in East Gippsland and one down in the south-west. 

"So we literally have hundreds and hundreds of kilometres of active reach, of uncontained fire," he said.

"So that's the situation we find ourselves in at the moment.

"If you can get out, you must get out now because, who knows, there could be further fires start this afternoon or even tomorrow and cut further roads. So it will be too late to leave."

'Evacuate now'

The Country Fire Authority has issued several warnings for people to "evacuate now". They include:

  • Budj Bim National Park, west of Long Paddock Track. There's a bushfire in the area that is not yet under control. This fire is travelling from Budj Bim National Park in a southerly direction towards Old Mill Road. Firefighters are uncertain if they can hold the fire at its current location.

  • 8km east of Abbeyard at Freeburgh, Harrietville, Smoko, Wandiligong and surrounding communities. There are multiple bushfires burning in the Abbeyard area that are not yet under control. Victoria Police are supporting evacuations in the area from 4pm today. However, you cannot rely on emergency services to evacuate you.

  • Abbeyard, Bennies, Cheshunt, Cheshunt South, Dandongadale, Edi, Edi Upper, King Valley, Rose River, Whitfield, Whitlands & surrounding areas.

  • Upper Snowy Cluster -Bendoc, Bonang, Cabanandra, Deddick Valley, Delegate River, Dellicknora, Haydens Bog, Roaring Camp, Tubbut. Fire is moving in a north, north easterly direction. You must leave by midnight tonight and travel north toward Bombala. 

  • North of Mount Taylor in Boggy Creek, Bullumwaal. Fire activity is increasing and is expected to move in a southerly direction on Friday night and through Saturday with extreme fire behaviour.

  • Buchan Valley in Suggan Buggan, Wulgulmerang, Wulgulmerang East. This fire is now south west of Suggan Buggan and Wulgulmerang and will move in a north easterly direction on Saturday. 

  • Buchan South, where an increase in northerly winds tonight will push the fire in a southerly direction, followed by south westerly winds tomorrow, which will push it to the north east.

  • Dinner Plain, Falls Creek and Hotham Heights. Multiple bushfires are burning in the Abbeyard area that are not under control.

  • Bruthen, Bumberrah, Double Bridges, Mossiface, Ramrod Creek, Tambo Upper and Wiseleigh. It's strongly recommended that you leave now, as evacuation after 12.30am will be considered life threatening.

  • Anglers Rest and Cobungra. Fire activity is increasing to the north west of Anglers Rest, and evacuation will be life threatening after 11pm tomorrow.

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/live-coverage-mass-evacuations-amid-victoria-bushfire-emergency/live-coverage/0280ddebd4516baa2d49beeee334a8ba