Community prepares for ‘nasty’ day ahead
A blaze burning in the Central Highlands could “spread rapidly” and threaten multiple communities when “very nasty conditions” hit.
Tasmania
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GREAT Pine Tier fire incident controller Ian Bounds says the blaze could “spread rapidly” and threaten a number of communities when “very nasty conditions” hit on Friday.
A watch and act alert last night remained in place for Miena, Penstock Lagoon, Shannon, Liawenee, Barren Tier and Tods Corner warning people that there could be embers, smoke and ash falling on the areas.
A house at Skittle Ball Plains was destroyed by the fast-moving and uncontrollable fire overnight on Tuesday.
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Despite some respite from the warm weather yesterday, Mr Bounds said the 19,000ha bushfire was expected to grow as a heatwave pushed temperatures up to 33C in the Central Plateau on Friday.
“We’re heading into a very nasty day on Friday and any of these fires have great potential to spread rapidly,” he said.
“The firefighters face a challenge in this terrain. It’s rocky but the vegetation is quite volatile and it flares up.
“Any of those areas that are currently under any alert should stay very aware of the situation, make sure they’re ready to enact their bushfire plan and follow the instructions of TFS crews, Tasmania Police and State Emergency Service personnel.”
The most active edge of the fire was yesterday burning between 2km and 3km from Shannon.
Eight aircraft and about 80 firefighters used the “favourable conditions” to put in containment lines and light back burns to prevent further spread to vegetation.
“We really need substantial rainfall to bring this fire to a complete standstill. We’re certainly planning ahead a number of weeks,” Mr Bounds said.
“The crews have been absolutely amazing, especially around the township of Miena. Their effort has been outstanding and we expect that to continue. They’re always in good spirits as long as we feed them and tell them what to do.”
Mr Bounds couldn’t confirm how many people had evacuated the towns near the fire but said TFS was continuing to update them on the situation.
Claude Road brigade volunteer Tara Felts, who was sent to the fire on Tuesday, said crews had been working to protect as many properties as possible.
“It’s been pretty full on, it’s pretty rough out there,” she said.
“We’ve been driving up the really rough tracks, putting out fires which are in the areas that we don’t want to burn. We’ve also done a large area back burn … making sure that nothing is going to cross the road.
“Zero properties destroyed would have been the goal, but if we could lose no others this fire, that would be really good.
“Tuesday was a really big day, I didn’t have dinner until about 9pm.”
Ms Felts said bulldozers and excavators had also been used to clear tracks on the fireground.
Jackson Marshall, of the Sheffield brigade, said crews would continue working to do everything they could to “stop the fire in its tracks”.
“We’re always thinking about what it’s going to impact first, what we can do to help and what we can do to stop the spread of fire,” he said.
“Firefighters come from every different area, we all get know each other and within a day we work like we’ve been together our whole lives.”
Volunteer firefighter of 22 years Robert Dawes, of Somerset fire brigade, described the mateship between crews as “bloody brilliant”.
“We worked until something like 2am this morning, just keeping an eye on the town while other people were leaving and having a rest,” he said yesterday.
“It’s just a big family and that’s the way we tend to operate. We all put our hands up but the families who let their husbands and wives, or boyfriends and girlfriends, come up here need to be appreciated too. It is a big family effort.”
Keep updated by listening to ABC Local Radio or via the TFS website at www.fire.tas.gov.au
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