Victoria bushfires: ‘state of disaster’ declared amid ‘unprecedented risk’
Daniel Andrews has declared a ‘state of disaster’ in Victoria and confirmed a second death amid ‘unprecedented risk.’
- State of disaster for Victoria
- Air operations begin for Mallacoota
- 17 people feared missing: Andrews
- Navy reaches Mallacoota waters
- Fires start in alpine areas
- Smoke grounds RAAF
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has declared a state of disaster, while 17 people remain unaccounted in remote areas of East Gippsland as the navy arrives in Mallacoota to begin efforts to evacuate up to 800 people by Friday morning.
Rachel Baxendale 12.20pm: Second person dead in Victoria
Mr Andrews said a second person had been confirmed dead in the East Gippsland fires, after Buchan man Mick Roberts was identified on Wednesday.
“There are 17 people that remain missing. We can’t account for their whereabouts. We hold grave concerns about their safety,” the Premier said.
“A second person has been confirmed as deceased, but we can’t provide the name of that person.
“I think there’s still some family members that need to be talked to.”
Rachel Baxendale 12.05pm: ‘We must send the strongest message’
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said the government was making the announcement so late on Thursday night because it was based on weather predictions published at 6pm which were then mapped out across communities.
“That clearly showed that both the footprint of this fire and the communities likely to be impacted was going to grow significantly, including on those communities that already are impacted,” Ms Neville said.
She said the Premier had endorsed a seven day state of disaster.
“We are aware that if what we predict or what the experts predict comes to pass, we will need to make sure that we have the powers to get in where we need to to provide relief centres, perhaps on private land, or staging areas, or the use of community halls, for example, that we may need to take over in order to provide security or food to those who have evacuated or might be at risk,” Ms Neville said.
She said the powers provided for evacuation orders which would be enforced by Victoria Police.
“Are we going to be arresting people who don’t leave? No we are not. There would be too many of those,” Ms Neville said.
“But we are trying to send the strongest message that we are using the strongest powers available to us to tell the Victorian community in those areas that this is a dangerous situation and lives are absolutely at risk.”
Ms Neville said more information would be provided at 9:30am on Friday regarding evacuations.
“We have a particular impact zone at the moment that is continually being refined from local knowledge that may see that impact zone grow,” she said.
“Certainly this covers significant communities, whether it’s Omeo, Bright, Orbost, so we’ve got significant communities that are in this impact area.
“As (Emergency Management Commissioner) Andrew Crisp has outlined we have sent people emergency warnings in those impact zones.
“We’ll continue to do that, but please, tomorrow heed this message.”
Rachel Baxendale 11.35pm: ‘If you can leave you must’
Mr Andrews said the state of disaster powers, which provide for formal evacuations of townships, were the clearest way to send the message: “If you can leave, then you must leave.”
“We cannot guarantee your safety, and we don’t want to see you in harm’s way,” Mr Andrews said.
“Others may be put into harm’s way trying to protect you, and you may well find yourself isolated and cut off for an extended period of time following fire activity that will almost certainly occur tomorrow, Saturday and potentially into Sunday.
“Nothing is more important than keeping Victorians safe. We have this tool available to us. It was a key recommendation of the February 2009 bushfires, the royal commission into Black Saturday and those fires, and it is appropriate that we use this, even though it is in unprecedented terms, these fires are unprecedented in their size, their scale and the risk they pose to so many people right across these affected communities.”
Rachel Baxendale 11.15pm: State of disaster to last a month
The local government areas covered by the state of disaster include East Gippsland, Mansfield, Wellington, Wangaratta, Towong, and the Alpine shire, while the resorts are Mt Buller, Mr Hotham and Mt Stirling.
“Conditions are expected to deteriorate from tomorrow and the Government’s priority is the safety of Victorians,” Mr Andrews said.
A state of disaster exists immediately upon the Premier’s declaration and remains in force for one month unless another declaration is made.
It can be revoked by the Premier at any time.
Mr Andrews said the declaration would give the government, through Minister for Emergency Services Lisa Nevill, the powers and resources it needs to keep Victorians safe, such as allowing her to direct any government agency to do, or refrain from doing any function, power, duty or responsibility.
Ms Neville have the power to control movement in and out of the disaster area and to compel the evacuation of people from the disaster area.
She will also be able to take possession of any person’s property to respond to the disaster.
This is the first time the Victorian government has used these powers since they were included in the Emergency Management Act following the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.
“Dealing with the immediate aftermath of the fires while many fires continue to burn across the state is a significant challenge that involves all levels of government,” Mr Andrews said.
“Essentially this declaration is the first time these powers have been used because we face unprecedented risk to life and property in coming days, with so much fire in the landscape, with such a large fire edge, with hot weather, windy weather, and unprecedented dryness - so the level of humidity in the air will be tomorrow and Saturday at unprecedentedly low levels,” Mr Andrews said.
“The Bureau of Meteorology in fact can’t recall a time when we’ve had such little humidity in the air this early on in the summer.”
Rachel Baxendale 11.00pm: Andrews declares state of disaster
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has declared a state of disaster for six local government areas ravaged by fire in the state, as well as Victoria’s alpine resorts, ahead of temperatures forecast to exceed 40C on Saturday.
This gives the Minister for Emergency Services broad power to direct government resources, and will allow for forced evacuations.
8.30am: Mallacoota evacuation to begin at 7am
The evacuation of up to 4000 people trapped at Mallacoota will begin at 7am on Friday, with the first 800 people leaving on the naval vessel HMAS Choules.
Smaller boats will ferry passengers to the ship, which can carry around 1000 people.
HMAS Choules is expected to sail to Port Welshpool in South Gippsland, a voyage of 16-17 hours; or to Western Port on the Mornington Peninsula, which will take 20 hours..
Commander Scott Houlihan, who is in charge of the evacuation, said people should be fit enough to climb up ladders and stairs on the ship.
Evacuation from Mallacoota is “priority” said ADF Commander Joint Task Force 646 Brigadier Doug Laidlaw.
There are a few hundred beds available for the evacuees but many of the passengers will spend the voyage on deck.
Lachlan Moffet Gray 8.20pm: Fuel short in Victoria
Tourists and residents alike have been urged to leave Victoria’s East Gippsland and Alpine region ahead of catastrophic fire conditions forecast for Saturday. The rush of people has affected fuel supplies in some locations in the state’s east. Below is an updated list of Caltex petrol stations and their fuel availabilities as of 5.30pm Thursday.
Eastern Victoria
Bairnsdale – open, diesel available
Benalla (34 Sydney Road) – open, petrol and diesel available
Benalla (191 Bridge Street) – open, petrol and diesel available
Corryong – closed, no stock. Re-opening with stock 3 January, approx 9.00am
Everton – closed, opening 6 January
Lakes Entrance Caltex – open, petrol and diesel available
Lakes Entrance Caltex Woolworths – open, unleaded available, diesel out
Mallacoota – open, petrol available, diesel out
Mansfield (261 Dead Horse Lane) – open, diesel available
Mt Beauty – open, petrol and diesel available
Mt Beauty – open, petrol and diesel available
Myrtleford (59 Myrtle Street) – open, petrol and diesel available
Myrtleford (158 Myrtle Street) – open, diesel available
Oxley - open, petrol and diesel available
Tawonga South - open, petrol and diesel available
Traralgon – open, petrol and diesel available
Whitfield - open, petrol and diesel available
6.50pm: Daniel Andrews - how you can help
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has tweeted information for anyone who wants to donate to victims of the bushfires.
He has suggested people donate money rather than goods, citing advice from the emergency services. ‘You can donate to the Bushfire Disaster Appeal online or at any branch of the @bendigobank,’ he tweeted.
“All funds raised will go directly to those communities hardest hit by the bushfires.”
You can donate to the Bushfire Disaster Appeal online or at any branch of the @bendigobank.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) January 2, 2020
All funds raised will go directly to those communities hardest hit by the bushfires.
5.45pm: Video shows extent of Gippsland fires
Victoria police have released this incredible footage, filmed on New Years Eve, showing the extent of the fire front around Mallacoota. The fires have burnt through more than 766,000 hectares across Victoria.
Rachel Baxendale 4.40pm: Mallacoota group ask for donations
Mallacoota resident Mariska Ascher said smoke had cleared in the town shortly after 3pm, enabling her to see two navy ships docked off the coastal town.
HMAS Choules is due to evacuate 800 people tomorrow morning, while MV Sycamore is also providing assistance.
Ms Ascher, who runs the Mallacoota Fundraising Group for local emergency services, said the group had reached $25,000 in funds raised for firefighting efforts and those who have lost homes.
People wishing to make donations can visit the Mallacoota Fires Support Fund GoFundMe page, or visit the Salvation Army/Bendigo Bank fundraising page
“We just want to help as much as we can. People are hurting,” Ms Ascher said.
As many as 80 homes are feared to have been lost in Mallacoota alone, with the extent of property losses in East Gippsland yet to be confirmed by authorities.
Rachel Baxendale 3.58pm: Air operations commence as smoke clears in Mallacoota.
Smoke has cleared in Mallacoota, enabling air operations to recommence.
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said two Black Hawk helicopters left Bairnsdale shortly before 3pm with Victoria Police and Red Cross personnel on board.
“They will pick up any sick or vulnerable people who need to leave and undertake more re-supply missions as the day continues,” Mr Chester said.
“We will have additional heavy lift helicopters in the region helping out from tomorrow to replenish supplies in isolated areas.
David Ross 3.30pm: Terrifying footage
As evacuees await rescue in Malacoota in Victoria’s East, footage has emerged of huge flames in Buchan, East Gippsland on Monday.
Fire front south of Buchan on Monday. Nothing stopping this one. pic.twitter.com/tuPSAWVrTg
— Glen MOREY (@somers3927) January 1, 2020
Rachel Baxendale 2.56pm: Second navy vessel to land at Port Welshpool or Westernport
Australian Defence Force commander of the East Gippsland fires joint task force Brigadier Doug Laidlaw said HMAS Choules had arrived off the coast of Mallacoota at dawn on Thursday morning, and a second vessel, MV Sycamore, had also arrived.
He said that in consultation with Victoria Police, the defence force had set up a series of community meetings in Mallacoota on Thursday afternoon .
“We will know more about the demand for people to be relocated by sea as we go through that process,” Brigadier Laidlaw said.
He said the defence force crew would also set up a consultation process in consultation with Victoria Police to understand the needs and priorities of those in Mallacoota who do not wish to evacuate.
“Once people have made their decisions about what they are seeking in terms of relocation, and priorities have been established, the current plan would see loading commence at first light tomorrow,” Brigadier Laidlaw said.
“We are transferring personnel from shore to ship it 7am tomorrow. An hour or so later hopefully the vessel will be in a position to sail.”
Brigadier Laidlaw said the Defence Force intended to take evacuees to a Victorian port.
“As we understand more about the weather from the middle of this afternoon, a decision will be made as to whether that will be to Port Welshpool or Westernport.
“There are different considerations that apply in relation to each. A decision will be made about that later this afternoon.”
Brigadier Laidlaw said the ADF would also assist with air evacuations, with smoke impeding operations so far on Thursday.
He said the ADF was also helping with movement of personnel and equipment, and planned to assist with efforts to reopen roads.
Rachel Baxendale 2.46pm: Vulnerable children to be prioritised
Victoria Police assistant commissioner Michael Grainger said police had set up operation centres at Bairnsdale and Wangaratta to manage responses to the fires in East Gippsland and north east Victoria.
He said police work working closely with the defence force to provide supplies and evacuation opportunities for those in Mallacoota and other isolated communities.
“We will prioritise who will leave Mallacoota at community meetings at 3pm, 5pm and 7pm,” Mr Grainger said.
“That process will focus on relocating those that are sick, the children, vulnerable people, and those inclined to leave in that order.”
Mr Grainger said police and the defence force would also have evacuate some people by air from Mallacoota late this afternoon, with another 800 set to be evacuated on navy vessel HMAS Choules tomorrow morning.
“We are working very hard across agencies to try to restore some form of communications,” he said.
“We are dropping satellite phones.”
Mr Grainger said additional police were also being sent to Mallacoota to relieve those who have been working since before the fires hit on Monday and Tuesday.
“Those additional police will be in the vicinity of 30 police, helicoptered in, to support the community, provide them reassurance that we are there to make sure their safety, and to manage in security issues that may flow, as they are relocated,” he said.
Mr Grainger said police and the defence force were still “working through” where they would disembark those who are evacuated on HMAS Choules.
David Ross 2.41pm: Man arrested over fire in East Gippsland
A 36-year-old man, of no fixed address man has been arrested and charged last night by Victoria Police following reports he started a fire in bushland in Johnsonville, East Gippsland, close to evacuation areas about 6.45pm last night.
He has been charged with recklessly cause bush fire and drug related offences and appeared in the Bairnsdale Magistrate Court today.
Rachel Baxendale 2.15pm: 50 fires still burning across Victoria
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says there are still 50 fires still burning across Victoria, with temperatures as high as 44 forecast for the state’s north east on Saturday.
He urged Victorians to listen to emergency services authorities and heed their warnings.
“We’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got a very challenging weather pattern coming our way,” the Premier said.
“It’s why we’ve been down here these past couple of days hearing first hand what extra material, what extra support, what extra is needed.
“I’ve just missed a phone call from the Prime Minister. I’ll speak with him again.
“Things are working as well as they could be expected to, but we do have very real concerns about Friday and Saturday, and to that end … I just again say, if you’re issued with an instruction, please follow the advice that’s provided to you, and please be quick about it.
“That is why so many people, albeit they’re in difficult circumstances, but they were kept safe during these fires only a few days ago, principally because people really worked together and heeded those warnings, and that’s something that’s going to be very important for the next couple of days.”
Rachel Baxendale 2.07pm: School visit delivers ‘sense of horror’
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said a visit this morning to the razed Clifton Creek Primary school, north of Bairnsdale, had given him a “vivid sense” of the damage done by the fires in East Gippsland on Monday and Tuesday.
“We will rebuild that school, but it does give you a really vivid sense of just how horrific, how ferocious, how fast-moving, how intensely hot this fire was,” he said.
“That school, much loved by the local community, really is a testament to just how ferocious this fire was and just how lucky we’ve been to this point, but not just luck, a lot of good management, a lot of planning, a lot of dedication and skill, and I take this opportunity to again thank all of those who were there on the fire ground in the midst of that, and everybody who’s working so very hard right now as we head towards a couple of days of very difficult weather on Friday and Saturday.”
Debbie Schipp 1.30pm: Fires to burn for ‘many, many months: PM
PM Scott Morrison says the Commonwealth will continue to support operational — and recovery — efforts with the fires set to burn “for many, many months”.
“I have already had a number of discussions about the various payments and forms of assistance that go to small businesses that have been impacted and the category C assistance which is already available in so many local government areas around the country, in these affected areas,” he said.
“That support will be very important and there are other levels of assistance that we can move to as we saw was so effective in response to the north Queensland floods.
“Unlike a flood, where the water will recede, in a fire like this, it goes on and it will continue to go on as those in the agencies have advised us, until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months.”
He’s asked people in the fire zones to have patience.
“My simple request is to be patient. To have confidence in the State agencies that are leading the operational response on the ground.
If you are in a position where you can get yourself to safety, please do that and follow the instructions that are available to you.
If you are in a position where you have to hold and wait, then know that there is support that will get to you.”
There is a major evacuation, I have alluded to it and what is happening in Victoria at the moment with the [HMAS] Choules assisting with that.
There has been no request from New South Wales of a similar ADF support for an evacuation of that nature on the South Coast given that the roads are open.
Rachel Baxendale 1.24pm: Remote support by old road, sat phones
Premier Daniel Andrews says an old road out of Cann River — where 100 people had been sheltering at the local school — had been cleared to enable a route out via NSW.
“We are getting people out of Cann River by car,” Mr Andrews said.
“Not everybody wants to go but anyone who wants to go, we are steadily moving them out and providing support, assistance, relief, all the basics, as well as a satellite phone into that community for those who seek to stay.
“To give you an example of how challenging it is to get into these remote communities, we have nine satellite phones that have been dropped into isolated communities.
“There are 15 others that we are providing those phones to and that will be done steadily throughout today and as soon as we possibly can.”
Rachel Baxendale 1.18pm: Smoke hinders Mallacoota effort
Smoke is hindering efforts to evacuate about 500 people by sea from Mallacoota on navy vessel HMAS Choules.
“Excuse the language but conditions are sh**house off the coast of Mallacoota,” Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester tweeted.
: HMAS Choules barely visible as CO Scott Houlihan leads a liaison team to meet with community leaders in town. Hoping to get people on board this arvo.”
Excuse the language but conditions are shithouse off the coast of Mallacoota. HMAS Choules barely visible as CO Scott Houlihan leads a liaison team to meet with community leaders in town. Hoping to get people on board this arvo. #TYFYS @DeptDefence @CDF_Aust #lovegippsland pic.twitter.com/a5KmoD0rOA
— Darren Chester MP (@DarrenChesterMP) January 2, 2020
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said smoke was hampering rescue efforts in Mallacoota.
“We ourselves were going to travel to Mallacoota but we’d be clogging up air space if we could get in, and we can’t get in at the moment because of the smoke, and that’s presenting a real challenge for all of us,” the Premier told reporters at a media conference today.
He said public meetings would be held in the town at 1:00pm, 3:00pm, 5:00pm and 7:00pm on Thursday.
“At each of those meetings people will be encouraged to register through a formal process, a well-established process that the ADF have used in many different parts of the world assisting with evacuating large numbers of people,” Mr Andrews said.
“Those who want to leave will be able to register, and the plan is to have up to 800 people leave using that Navy vessel from 7am tomorrow morning.
“I can’t provide further details about where those people will go. It will be a lengthy trip, and we will work through that orderly process today.”
Mr Andrews said some people would want to leave, but others would be happy to stay.
“The key point here is it’s got to be done with absolute precision, with an eye to safety, making sure that we do this properly, and I have full confidence in the arrangements and the partnership principally between Victoria Police and the ADF, co-ordinating in Mallacoota on the ground the evacuation, the orderly and safe evacuation of in the first instance up to 800 people, and then multiple trips thereafter.
“Air becomes an option too to evacuate further people, but not while this very, very dense smoke makes it unsafe, fundamentally unsafe, for us to get in there by air.”
David Ross 1.13pm: Alpine National parks closed
The entire Alpine and Mount Buffalo National Parks are now closed due to fires believed to have been sparked by lightning. Access to the surrounding area may be restricted due to fire-fighting activity.
Parks Victoria rangers will be notifying hikers and campers who have registered their visits.
The CFA this morning issued warnings for all campers and hikers in the Alpine area to leave ahead of dangerous fire activity in the coming days after several fires ignited across the region.
Access to the surrounding area may be restricted due to fire-fighting activity.
Bushfires in the area are travelling in a north-easterly direction and are not under control.
Many other national parks are also now closed, check the Parks Victoria website for details.
Victorian Deputy Emergency Management Commissioner Debra Abbott urged people to leave the state’s alpine areas or risk being trapped by fires like those in East Gippsland ahead of temperatures as high as 44C forecast for Saturday.
“The fires in our landscape are in predominantly in the Alpine areas and East Gippsland,” Ms Abbott said.
“In these areas, these fires mean that, with the impending weather conditions, that we have on Friday, we have a small window of opportunity.
“It’s a window of opportunity for people in those areas to leave now. We want them to leave now.”
Ms Abbott said there were currently large numbers of people holidaying in alpine areas, along with those who live there.
“We don’t want those people to become isolated like some of the communities that we have down in East Gippsland,” she said.
“Again, I ask, please leave now, while we have this opportunity, the window that we have, and move to areas where it is much safer.”
Rebecca Urban 1.10pm: Isolated communities a priority
There are 24 communities that remain isolated in far east Victoria due to bushfires.
Police and Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said the priority was to get people out of those isolated areas ahead of the weather heating up at the weekend, but it was currently not yet safe to evacuate them. Many roads remain closed due to the danger of trees falling. State Control Centre is planning to provide specific advice for each of those communities, which include Cann River and Genoa.
Rachel Baxendale 1.00pm: Fears for 17 missing in East Gippsland
Seventeen people are unaccounted for in Victoria’s East Gippsland bushfires and one has been confirmed dead, Premier Daniel Andrews has said.
“I’m sad to have to report that there are at least 17 people that at this stage we cannot account for,” Mr Andrews said.
“Their whereabouts is unknown to us, plus there is one person confirmed as deceased.”
Buchan great-grandfather Mick Roberts was yesterday identified by his family as having died trying to save his home on Monday.
“While Victoria Police have not been through the official identification processes, it is clear that the Roberts family have identified Mr Roberts and we send our condolences to their family and the Buccan community to whom he was so well-known and very highly regarded,” Mr Andrews said.
“That’s at least 17 people whose whereabouts cannot be accounted for, plus one confirmed deceased. As we get further information we’ll update you.”
Mr Andrews said he would not reveal the locations where the 17 missing people were last seen.
“That doesn’t serve any purpose. They are from East Gippsland, from a number of smaller communities across East Gippsland,” he said.
“That number may grow or indeed people may report to authorities or we can get to them either via mobile phone coverage or getting people into those communities.
“It may be some of those people are safe but we hold very significant fears for the welfare of anybody who is missing at this time.”
12.43pm: Road closures update
The Princes Highway remains closed between Narrabarba and Cann River.
A number of smaller local roads are also closed in the South Coast and Snowy Mountains areas, and many roads crossing the New South Wales-Victorian border are also closed, including the Monaro Highway between Rockton and Cann River
Rachel Baxendale 12.30pm: Holiday-maker plans to stay put
Melbourne man Jake Giuliano, 26, and his wife Laura are among many holidaymakers who plan to remain in Mallacoota despite opportunities to evacuate, preferring to be able to return to Melbourne with their car and boat when the road eventually reopens.
“Because the shops still have food and more is coming in and also because there is water for us we are going to wait until the roads open,” Mr Giuliano told The Australian.
He said Mallacoota was extremely smoky on Thursday.
“We don’t feel like we are in any immediate danger for the time being, other than the horrible air quality,” he said.
“We can get back into the boat if the fire comes back through.”
Mr Guiliano and his family are currently camped at a Mallacoota caravan park, having spent almost 24 hours in their boat on the lake seeking refuge from the fire on Monday and Tuesday.
Rachel Baxendale 12.18pm: Smoke grounds RAAF
Air operations have been grounded due to thick smoke in the area, with RAAF personnel at Bairnsdale hoping they can resume as soon as possible.
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said he wanted to assure East Gippslanders that help is on the way.
“We’ve got Navy, army, defence force personnel working with agencies to provide relief,” Mr Chester told ABC TV.
“Importantly, across East Gippsland at any time we have isolated communities but right now communities have been cut off as their major road links have been taken away from them.
Bit of bad news: thick smoke has grounded air operations but I met up with the RAAF ground crew who will be supporting operations out of Bairnsdale once we can get things moving again. #TYFYS @DeptDefence @CDF_Aust #lovegippsland pic.twitter.com/nyR5KCQgCn
— Darren Chester MP (@DarrenChesterMP) January 2, 2020
“As the tasks come in, as people make requests for assistance, the helicopters are being deployed to provide additional supplies for them on the ground.”
Mr Chester said authorities were looking for ways to get hay and other fodder to stock stranded by the fires.
He said there was a large number of people in Mallacoota who wanted to leave the coastal holiday town.
“People have been there on holiday and have had their holidays cut short quite traumatically and we’re doing everything we can to help those people leave as soon as we can,” Mr Chester said.
“We understand the sick, the elderly, the vulnerable will be taken out first, perhaps by Black Hawk helicopters but we’re also looking at evacuating more people with the navy as soon as we can today ahead of the fire conditions for the weekend.”
Rachel Baxendale 11.32am: Death toll may rise, Premier warns
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says he fears more people could have died in the state’s East Gippsland fires than first thought.
East Gippsland man Mick Roberts was found dead in his Buchan home yesterday, and authorities say they have been unable to find at least three other people.
Mr Andrews said it was likely he would confirm more people are missing feared dead later today.
“We have lost lives as part of this fire, and that is a terrible tragedy” Mr Andrews told ABC radio.
“That just sees our resolve even stronger to support those who’ve been affected by these fires and to do everything we can in the coming days and weeks to stand with everybody.”
Mr Andrews is visiting Bairnsdale in East Gippsland, and is due to give a press conference with emergency services at 12:45pm on Thursday.
Rachel Baxendale 11.24am: Navy reaches Mallacoota
Humanitarian Navy vessel HMAS Choules has reached the waters off Mallacoota in Victoria’s fire-ravaged East Gippsland region, with about 500 people likely to be moved out of the town today.
Deputy Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Chris Stephenson told a media briefing at Bairnsdale on Thursday morning that a number of holidaymakers in Mallacoota wanted to stay in the town so they could take their cars and caravans out by road.
However, Mr Stephenson said it could be several weeks before the roads to Mallacoota reopen.
“That could be a number of weeks. That could be two to three weeks,” he said.
Mr Stephenson warned people in remote communities who could do so to get out before the weekend.
“If you’re in a remote area or an area at risk the best option is to leave and leave early,” he said.
“The risk we really have at the moment is isolating more communities.”
David Ross 10.20am: Military set for evacuations, fires start in alpine area
The effort to rescue thousands of people stuck in isolated towns in Victoria’s fire-ravaged east has started.
The military arrived in East Gippsland on Wednesday and Black Hawk helicopters are helping to get evacuees off the Mallacoota beach.
“Our focus today is we’ve got 4000 people in and around the beach there at Mallacoota and we’re working with the (Australian Defence Force) and all the authorities, Victoria Police, SES, all the agencies are working together and our primary effort is to get those people out of Mallacoota,” CFA chief officer Steve Warrington told ABC News.
MALLACTOOA: This is the first recovery craft to arrive in Mallactooa this morning. The rescue operation will begin shortly... the plan is to find a place where the large navy ship can dock @7NewsMelbourne #vicfires pic.twitter.com/wtuyTRE51a
— Cassie Zervos (@cassiezervos) January 1, 2020
Police shipped in supplies to the holiday town near the NSW border on New Year’s Day too.
The deadly fires have burnt through more than 766,000 hectares across Victoria. There are 47 fires currently going statewide, but most of the fires and burnt land are in East Gippsland.
However, new fires have now started in and around the Alpine National Park threatening popular ski resorts Mount Hotham, Mount Buller and Mount Buffalo.
A CFA spokesman has issued a warning strongly encouraging all campers and visitors to the Alpine area to leave today as the window to travel was closing.
“There is a significant fire in the area and with the fire risk in the area to increase over the weekend those that can leave should leave today before the severe weather picks up,” they said.
Further announcements from the CFA regarding these fires will be made today.
Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said yesterday that while the fires were only at watch-and-act level, significant effort was needed to ensure they didn’t join up with existing fires in the East Gippsland area.
“A lot of people holiday up in those areas,’’ he said.
“We’ll be prioritising those fires and hitting them as hard as we can. We don’t need any new fires in the landscape.’’ Mr Crisp said more than 500,000 hectares had already been burnt in Victoria, predominantly in East Gippsland, with another three months of hot weather to come.
Another fire straddling the NSW-Victoria border at Corryong is also threatening lives.
On Wednesday it was revealed Victoria’s fires had claimed a life. Mick Roberts had not made contact with family for more than 24 hours and on Wednesday his niece Leah Parson confirmed he had been found dead at his home. “He’s not missing anymore,” Ms Parsons wrote on the East Gippsland fire season 2019-2020 Facebook page.
“His body has been found in his house … very sad day for us to start (sic) the year but we’re a bloody tight family and we will never forget our mate and my beautiful Uncle Mick.” Victoria Police said a person had been found dead in Buchan, but the cause of his death has not yet been confirmed.
Premier Daniel Andrews lamented reports of Mr Roberts’ death. “It is of course the worst of all news, the notion that someone has lost their life,” he told ABC Gippsland.
Firefighters will be helped on Thursday by moderate conditions, with temperatures in East Gippsland in the low to mid 20s expected to be paired with fairly light winds of up to 20km/h.
As of 8.30am on Thursday, all of the fires remained at a watch and act level.
The mercury is forecast to creep up in the region on Friday, before reaching the 40s on Saturday, when the heat, hot winds and chance of some thunderstorms are expected to increase the risk of new fires.
Mr Andrews spent Wednesday in East Gippsland where he said emotions were running high.
“I spoke with people today and they just said it was hurricane-like, horrifying, terrifying, the most frightening experience of their life.”
The Victorian Premier said there was no time for firefighting efforts to ease, given the looming conditions.
“That makes this a long and dangerous and complex fight,” Mr Andrews said.
The high temperatures could also pose an issue for the NSW power grid, with the Australian Energy Market Operator on Wednesday issuing a warning to NSW power generators that Saturday’s soaring temperatures could put power stations under pressure.
So far, confirmed property losses are 24 structures at Buchan, 19 at Sarsfield, 10 at Mallacoota and up to 15 at Cudgewa.
About 24 remote communities have lost power and phone coverage.
Additional reporting AAP
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