Vic: Residents in alpine town on high alert

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2006
Vic: Residents in alpine town on high alert

MELBOURNE, Dec 22 AAP - A township in Victoria's north-east is facing the prospect
of evacuation tonight after gale-force winds fanned massive bushfires towards the area.

About 200 residents of Sawmill Settlement, near Merrijig at the foot of Mt Buller have
been told they are under immediate threat, as fire approaches its outskirts.

In a cruel twist of irony, the people of the alpine communities have also been told
to expect snow on Christmas Day.

Country Fire Authority (CFA) spokesman Martin Anderson said the fire had crossed Doughty
Road and was approaching Sawmill Settlement from the north-east.

"It's quite a difficult area to defend," Mr Anderson said.

"Due to the intensity of the fire and the difficulty of the terrain, we've had to warn
residents that DSE and CFA firefighters might not be able to stay in the area."

Mr Anderson said there was a risk embers could land ahead of the approaching blaze,
causing spot fires and trapping townspeople.

"There's always a danger you could be surrounded, even if fire is only coming from
one direction," he said.

Further south, residents of the historic gold mining settlement of Walhalla in Gippsland,
were also told to be prepared for flying embers on their properties.

With total fire bans in force across the state today, firefighters had to contend with
winds gusting up to 100km/h in elevated areas including Mt Buller, Falls Creek and Mt
Hotham.

Even in the valleys winds were gusting at speeds of 60-80 kilometres.

The Bureau of Meteorology said strong winds were unlikely to let up until a change
comes through the state late tonight or tomorrow.

Light rain fell in several parts of Victoria today, but not enough to make a difference,
duty forecaster Stuart Coombs said.

"There have been some light showers around the north-east ranges but according to people
we've spoken to thus far it doesn't seem it's amounted to much yet," he said.

Mr Coombs said rainfall later in the day was expected to be heavier and more widespread.

There was expected to be some respite for firefighters when a south-westerly change
swept through overnight, causing winds to moderate.

The change is likely to hit the fire-affected areas of Gippsland late tonight, before
making its way north tomorrow morning.

More rain was expected overnight and tomorrow morning, particularly on the northern
side of the ranges.

Areas north of the Dividing Range could expect from 10-25 millimetres of rain, while
in the south 5-10 millimetres was expected, he said.

"Ten to 25 millimetres will provide a great deal of assistance even putting out in
places some of the fires," Mr Coombs said.

"It will certainly help in making them burn much less vigorously and making it easier
to put them under control."

The bushfires have so far burnt more than 830,000 hectares of bush, destroyed more
than 30 homes and resulted in one death.

AAP mi/mh/jt/nf

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC NIGHTLEAD

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