Rush for residents to get out of town as massive fire approaches

Zeehan residents are hoping a bushfire burning north of the town will not repeat the tragic circumstances of 1981, when 40 properties in the West Coast town were lost.

ZEEHAN residents are hoping a bushfire burning north of the town will not repeat the tragic circumstances of 1981, when 40 properties in the West Coast town were lost.

Many Zeehan residents packed up and left town yesterday morning as a bushfire came within a few kilometres of the town and the air filled with smoke.

By 1pm, Tasmania Police had told residents living north of Nike Creek it was time to get out as significant smoke covered Zeehan and ash fell.

An hour later another fire at Western Hills impacted the Murchison Highway south of the Renison Bell tin mine and at 3.30pm police advised the only available route out of Queenstown was the Anthony Link Rd with the Lyell highway closed due to fire.

The Western Hills fire was listed as one of three priority blazes in the state.

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Allie Collier, who runs the Zeehan Bush Camp and Caravan Park, said visitors staying in the park had been evacuated early and those due to arrive for the long weekend had been told to stay away.

Ms Collier then packed up her children and left for Queenstown as well.

“It’s scary not knowing what is going on back in Zeehan. It really is a waiting game and fingers crossed everything goes well,” she said.

“Everyone at the park was pretty keen to get going once the emergency warning was issued.”

The fire front approaching Zeehan. Picture: DAWN WRIGHT

The TFS said the fire started at Lynch Hill and had burnt 10,000ha by midday yesterday.

Another resident, Dawn Wright, said she and her family were prepared to stand by their property.

“I was at work at our local hardware store when fire crews came in and told us to vacate,” she said.

“But we were pretty well prepared at our property and decided to stay.”

Mrs Wright said by 5pm the smoke in the sky had dramatically decreased and she expected vacated residents would return to what she described as a “ghost town”.

Mayor Phil Vickers also stayed in town to defend the West Coast Heritage Centre, where he works in Zeehan’s main street, but said many people including tourists staying at the Heemskirk Hotel had gone.