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Bushfires: East Gippsland holidaymakers ordered to leave, new fires expected in NSW amid worsening conditions

Tens of thousands of holidaymakers in East Gippsland region ordered to evacuate as fire forces the closure of a section of the Princes Highway.

Rebecca Urban and AAP
8 min read
9:40PMDecember 28, 2019.
Updated 8:00PMDecember 29, 2019
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Residents in Vic East Gippsland region urged to leave immediately

Fire activity has forced the closure of a section of Princes Highway in both directions between Cann River and Genoa in Victoria’s East Gippsland.

Emergency services said the closure will likely mean residents and visitors in East Gippsland will be unable to return to their homes for the rest of Sunday.

An emergency alert remains for the affected area, where emergency services have advised people to leave.

Significant fire activity in East Gippsland means further roads may be closed in the area.

The highway closure came after thousands of people holidaying in the coastal Victorian town of Lakes Entrance were ordered to evacuate ahead of severe weather conditions forecast across Victoria on Monday.

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said three actively burning fires in the region would be tested by soaring temperatures and strong winds.

“It’s going to be hot, it’s going to be dry, it’s going to be windy,” Mr Crisp said.

“There are a lot of people holidaying in east Gippsland, we believe 30,000 people are holidaying in Lakes Entrance.”

“If you’re holidaying in that part of the state it’s time that you left.”

Three fires in the far-east of the state have been burning since November 21 and have continued to spread.

“There’s every likelihood given the conditions we have got tomorrow that we’ll see further movement in those fires.

Residents east of Bairnsdale have also been urged to leave today if possible, amid concerns that the Princes Highway could close.

Mr Crisp warned that the conditions could be so difficult that a fleet of 70 aircraft and helicopters might not be able to be deployed to assist with firefighting efforts.

Bureau of Meteorology Kevin Parkyn said a wind change in East Gippsland about midnight is “very problematic when it comes to fires and the landscape”. “It’s a very serious life-threatening situation. Make no mistake about it,” he said.

If visitors and locals refuse to budge from the area, Mr Crisp warned there won’t be enough trucks to go around and people may be stuck for days due to road closures.

People in Goongerah and Martins Creek have also been told to evacuate as a bushfire burning easterly towards their communities was still not under control on Sunday.

A watch and act warning is in place for Goongerah, Martins Creek, Nurran, Sardine Creek and Errinundra, which states “leaving now is the safest option” before conditions change.

A warning has been downgraded to the lowest level Smokeytown and Springmount. On Sunday, temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-30s in East Gippsland with the risk of dry lightning from thunderstorms.

A warning has been downgraded to a watch and act alert for Bonang, Cabanandra, Deddick Valley, Dellicknora and Tubbut in the state’s East Gippsland region. A total fire ban is in place for the Mallee district in Victoria’s northwest on Sunday, with the ban extending to the entire state on Monday. About 9000 festivalgoers have been told to pack up and leave Falls Festival in Lorne with severe weather on the way, including winds up to 100km/h and storms.

“It is with a heavy heart we have had to cancel the remaining days of The Falls Festival in Lorne due to the predicted extreme weather conditions forecast for Monday December 30th in the Otways and surrounding region, creating a risk to health and safety due to potential fires, smoke, severe winds and tree hazards,” a statement on the Falls Festival website said.

Revellers starting to pack up and leave the Falls Festival in Lorne Victoria Picture: Twitter/@CherylCritchley
Revellers starting to pack up and leave the Falls Festival in Lorne Victoria Picture: Twitter/@CherylCritchley

“Forecasted conditions have gotten significantly worse in the past 12 hours, with information coming to light that has not been available to us before the event kicked off on December 28th.

“After consultation with local and regional fire authorities and other emergency stakeholders, it is clear that we have no other option. While conditions are fine at time of writing, we are taking the opportunity to move everyone offsite safely and in good time.

“For those 9,000 currently staying onsite we ask you calmly pack up your campsite and return to your place of origin. There is no need to rush, please ensure you have a sober driver. TAC will have breath testing facilities set up on site for drivers from the Vanessa Bus in the Main Arena.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was in Sydney announcing compensation for NSW volunteers on the fire grounds, told reporters other states were also on his mind.

“We are seeing a real difficult situation emerging in Victoria where we know of the weather conditions particularly changing over the next few days,” he said on Sunday.

“I want to assure Australians outside New South Wales ... our attention is equally there and ensuring the coordinated effort across states and territories is being put in place.” The temperature is expected to soar into the 40s on Monday across Victoria. Melbourne is expected to reach 43C on Monday - making it the third time this month it’s tipped over 40C, which hasn’t happened since 1897.

Catastrophic fire danger in SA

Catastrophic bushfire conditions have been forecast for three South Australian districts including the Adelaide Hills where a major blaze continues to smoulder.

Monday’s forecasts of high temperatures and rising winds have authorities fearing the worst and a possible repeat of the devastating blaze 10 days ago that burnt through 25,000 hectares and destroyed more than 80 homes.

Country Fire Service chief officer Mark Jones said it was regrettable that the same conditions had returned so soon.

“Particularly when firefighters have been labouring for five days already before Christmas and for five days since Christmas in the field addressing the fire and tackling hotspots to black them out,” he said.

“The potential for hot-spot breakouts tomorrow is incredible across the whole fire zone.” Catastrophic conditions will stretch across the Adelaide Hills, through the mid-north and across to Yorke Peninsula.

Other areas of the state will have either extreme or severe warnings in place, prompting the CFS to call in extra firefighting aircraft from Victoria. The worst of the conditions will occur on Monday morning, which Mr Jones said was unusual and meant people considering leaving should be ready to make the call early.

Temperatures are forecast to reach 40C in Adelaide ahead of a cool change just after midday. That change that will bring the worst of the conditions, with wind speeds to rise to about 40km/h.

Mr Jones said Monday’s forecast winds most likely risked fire breakouts along the southern flank in the Adelaide Hills fire zone, but shifting conditions meant that the whole fire perimeter could be at risk at different times.

Suspicious blazes investigated

A series of suspicious grass fires across Victoria are under police investigation.

A grass fire in Glenmore that broke out at 3.50pm yesterday, burning about 10 hectares, was followed less than 30 minutes later by another suspicious grass fire in Bacchus Marsh. A third suspicious blaze then broke out in Parwan just five minutes later.

It came after a suspicious grass fire threatened businesses and homes in the Bendigo suburb of White Hills about 3.30pm yesterday.

Arson charges

Meanwhile, police have charged a 71-year-old man for allegedly lighting a fire without a permit northwest of Moruya on the NSW south coast, causing a 40-hectare bushfire in the Wandera State Forest, and charged another man for allegedly lighting two bushfires near Cessnock in the Hunter.

Current bushfires throughout Australia.
Current bushfires throughout Australia.

NSW, ACT danger increases

As firefighters brace for tough days leading up to the heatwave’s expected New Year’s Eve peak, bushfire danger in the ACT has increased to severe as temperatures rise across the territory and NSW, prompting the declaration of four total fire bans.

A total of 85 fires were burning on Sunday morning in NSW with 36 not contained. Some 2000 firefighters were in the field preparing for worsening conditions on Tuesday, the Rural Fire Service posted on Twitter.

Total fire bans have been declared in the southern and central ranges, while 11 NSW regions and the ACT will be under “very high” fire danger. Penrith in western Sydney will rise to 41C on Sunday as a fresh heatwave kicks in, while regional centres in the Hunter, central west, central and southern tablelands will feel the heat with temperatures well above 35C. Temperatures are expected to peak on Tuesday, with New Year’s Eve forecasts of more than 40C across western Sydney and in regional NSW.

RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said deteriorating weather conditions are expected over the coming days.

Fairly widespread severe fire conditions are expected on Monday, especially through the state’s southeast, Mr Fitzsimmons told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.

Heading into Tuesday, these conditions will intensify as severe fire danger extends to the state’s central west and the Hunter region, combining with extreme fire danger forecast for broad parts of the state including the southern ranges, the Illawarra/South coast and likely down to the Monaro region, he said.

Fires of considerable focus include the Gospers Mountain and the Grose Valley fires, northwest of Sydney, the Green Wattle Creek fire, southwest of Sydney, and the Currowan fire in the Shoalhaven region.

The Currowan fire near Batemans Bay in NSW. Picture: Supplied
The Currowan fire near Batemans Bay in NSW. Picture: Supplied

Instability in the afternoon over the last few days - dry lightning storms and thunderstorm activity - has also created a number of new fires, Mr Fitzsimmons said.

This includes one blaze near Tarcutta in the Snowy Valleys which was on Saturday afternoon raised to “emergency” level as it burned erratically towards the east but has since been downgraded back to “advice”.

More thunderstorm and dry lightning activity is expected on Sunday afternoon, Mr Fitzsimmons said.

“There is every prospect of new fires as we head into the deteriorating weather conditions over the coming days,” he said.

“The work of the crews in the field ... on establishing and consolidating containment lines, ahead of the deteriorating weather conditions over the next two days has been quite remarkable in this last week and particularly through Christmas Day (and) Boxing Day.”

The RFS announced some good news on Sunday morning - the Grose Valley fire, currently impacting the Blue Mountains region, has been contained due to the “extraordinary work” done by crews over the Christmas period. “Crews will continue to monitor containment lines over the coming days and mop up and black out any hotspots,” the RFS posted on Twitter.

This fire season two firefighters have been killed and as many as 1000 NSW houses destroyed.

NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott, meanwhile, has gone on a family holiday overseas but says he’ll continue to receive bi-daily RFS updates. Frontbench colleague Anthony Roberts has stepped into the role.

WA fire jumps containment lines

A bushfire burning southeast of Perth has been upgraded to an emergency warning level after the blaze jumped containment lines.

Residents are encouraged to leave for a safer place if the way is clear. The fire, burning in the Stirling Range National Park, is moving east. Emergency WA says lives and homes in the area are under threat as conditions are constantly changing.

A lightning strike sparked the blaze, which has already burnt more than 10,000 hectares of scrub.

An emergency warning had been issued for the fire on Saturday night but was downgraded on Sunday morning.

As a result, an evacuation centre at the Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre was closed, although another at the Gnowangerup Sports Complex remains open. About 20 Parks and Wildlife Service firefighters are working to strengthen containment lines.

Another flame spread over containment lines at a mine site in regional WA has prompted a Watch and Act alert in the Shire of Coolgardie.

There is a possible threat to lives and homes as a fire is approaching and conditions are changing.

The blaze has caused the closure of the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway between Norseman and Coolgardie.

The fire has burnt 148,000 hectares and is moving in a westerly direction.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/bushfires-arson-charges-victoria-and-nsw-swelter-as-high-fire-risk-edges/news-story/0f7da1a1c041d7793680b8f8983deb91