Southeast Australia’s fire season to last all summer long

As blazes rage across Victoria and southern NSW, authorities are warning the worst of southeast Australia’s bushfire crisis may be yet to come.

The skies above Mallacoota wharf were red yesterday morning as residents and holiday-makers fled to the foreshore. Picture: Bradley Deacon

AUTHORITIES have warned the worst of southeast Australia’s bushfire crisis may be yet to come, as blazes rage across Victoria and southern NSW.

Several fires totalling more than 300,000 hectares were burning out of control in East Gippsland, the North East and Riverina yesterday causing widespread damage to property and forcing the evacuation of Mallacoota as well as areas around Buchan, Sarsfield and Orbost. Corryong and surrounding districts in the North East were also under threat.

A NSW volunteer firefighter — Samuel McPaul — was killed on Monday after his truck flipped in the Green Valley blaze at Jingellic, east of Albury.

In East Gippsland, the Princes Highway was closed from Lakes Entrance to the state border with the most concerning blaze at Cann River scorching 72,898ha – an area equivalent in size to Singapore. More than 4000 residents and holiday-makers were forced to take shelter at Mallacoota’s hall and foreshore yesterday morning as the Cann River fire raced towards the coastline.

A number of houses around Mallacoota had been destroyed by yesterday morning with firefighters working to save the main part of the seaside town.

At the time of going to print yesterday, no fatalities had been reported in the East Gippsland fires although Premier Daniel Andrews said four people were unaccounted for.

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said property and livestock losses between Bairnsdale and Orbost were significant, although a full assessment could not be undertaken as the fire was still burning.

Mr Crisp said extra helicopters had been sent to Gippsland yesterday to assist with evacuations. Property and livestock loss was also likely with the Corryong fire, it was noted.

Emergency Management Victoria has warned Friday’s forecast temperatures in the high 30Cs and low 40Cs presented another risk for fire break outs.

EMV state control spokesman Luke Heagerty said most parts of Victoria were now tinder dry following two statewide scorchers prior to Christmas and sweltering conditions earlier this week.

“There were some parts of Victoria, particularly in the southwest of the state, that still had a bit of moisture left but with those recent hot days, that’s dried those areas out too,” he said.

“From what we’ve seen in East Gippsland this week, the fire risk is here to stay until at least February. East Gippsland and parts of central Victoria have been dry for a while with fuel loads just ready to go.”

Southeast Australia is set for a warmer-than-average January, according to the Bureau of Meteorology seasonal forecast, with the Indian Ocean Dipole phase reducing rain hopes.

In the short term, BOM senior forecaster Michael Efron said today was set to be mild, with the mercury climbing back to searing conditions on Friday.

In southern NSW west of Tumut, Marc Greening, who runs a 450ha farm at Oberne Creek, said the fire began from a lightning strike in bushland 600m from his property on Saturday night and was heading in the opposite direction on Monday.

It then swung around yesterday morning and wiped out 90 per cent of his property within minutes.

The house on the property was spared, along with more than 300 cattle.

“I picked the right paddock to put them in,” Mr Greening said. “It was scary, though.

“I got stuck in it (the fire). I had to drive through flames.”

By yesterday morning the Ellerslie fire had burnt 26,000ha.

Elders Adelong store manager David Crooks said most of his clients had lost land and livestock in the blaze.

“The farmers are still on the fire trucks but I am sure they are dreading going to look to see what has happened to their cattle,” Mr Crooks said.

The Green Valley and Talmalmo fire, near Jingellic, started on Sunday night with a dry lightning strike and went from 40ha on Monday to more than 27,000ha by yesterday morning as hot winds drove the fires towards Corryong and further south.

The fire claimed the life of 28-year-old Mr McPaul from Culcairn, NSW, who was killed in a truck roll over.

Graham Costello has a farm at farm at Cudgewa and said his house had been saved but he had lost equipment sheds. He was yesterday unsure of the fate of his cattle.

Mr Costello, who also runs a stock and station agency in Corryong, said the Upper Murray had dried off quickly after a good spring, but now much of the feed was burned.

“I’ve been here for 56 years and it’s the biggest fire I have ever seen,” Mr Costello said.

“It just moved so quickly.”

Many producers were still stranded at Corryong and had not had the chance to assess losses, Mr Costello said.