Emergency Warning Issued for Residents North of Melbourne
An emergency warning has been issued for residents north of Melbourne due to a grassfire that is currently out of control. The fire is located in Clarkefield, northeast of Sunbury, and has not yet been contained. Firefighters are working tirelessly to stop its spread, but the situation remains challenging.
Residents in the surrounding areas are being advised to monitor conditions closely and stay vigilant, as a Watch and Act warning is currently in effect. In addition, another Watch and Act warning in the state’s west, covering Mount Mercer near Merrideth, has been downgraded to an Advice-level warning. Authorities have reported that a grassfire is moving from Grahams Road and Gumley Road towards Shelford-Mt Mercer Road in an easterly direction.
Firefighters Save Property
John Deering from the Gisborne Incident Control Centre shared some positive news with ABC Radio Melbourne, stating that a wind change has provided some relief. “The wind is coming more from the south, which has actually assisted efforts on the ground,” he said. “We’re going okay out there, the fires are actually burning back on itself a little bit.”
Deering mentioned that one house was under threat, but firefighters were able to save it. He also highlighted the efforts to protect caravan storage areas, which are currently safe. A second wind change is expected later tonight, and Deering expressed confidence in containing the fire by the end of the day.
Local Response and Community Efforts
Macedon Ranges Mayor, Kate Kendall, informed ABC Radio Melbourne that the location where the fire started was not very populated, but locals were acting swiftly. “I’ve had updates and people have already started to move their livestock out and things like that,” she said. “At the moment, it seems it is spreading, and I believe there are 54 vehicles responding.”
Councillor Jarrod Bell from Hume City Council noted that the area has many hobby farms. “It’s moving through what is known as our ‘green wedge zone’ in Hume that splits the two urban centres of Sunbury and Craigieburn,” he said. “There’s still a bit of distance to go before it gets properly close to dense housing in our part of the world.”
Bell added that the area has not seen much rainfall recently. “Other than a couple of days ago, the last time we had rain was about a month and a half ago, and it is incredibly dry,” he said.
Evacuations and Staying Behind
Faye Ridis, who owns the Mickleham Lodge, shared her experience with ABC Radio Melbourne. She mentioned that it had started raining there, which she hoped would help. “Over at the Oaklands estate, I can see flames quite high there in one spot,” she said.
Ridis received a message from the CFA before calling friends to help her evacuate all the dogs on her property. “We’ve got a van with cages, a proper set up for dogs and a dog trailer … we’ve also got a cattle trailer so all that got loaded,” she said. “I’ve chosen to stay because I’ve got three litters of pups in the welcome room that can’t be moved.”
Andrew, who has two farms in Clarkfield, shared his experience with ABC Radio Melbourne. “It’s pretty hairy at the moment, it is all the way around us … it’s literally everywhere I look,” he said. “It blew through, but now the wind has changed and it’s coming back on us.”
Weather Conditions and Fire Danger
The weather bureau warned that hot, north-westerly winds, combined with the driest start to the year since 2009, would elevate the fire danger risk across the state. Kevin Parkyn, a senior meteorologist from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), said, “It’s the hot north-westerly winds in combination with the parched landscape that’s elevating the fire danger risk across Victoria.”
Authorities have warned that some parts of the state will experience extreme fire danger, with strong winds and dry conditions. A total fire ban has been declared for much of the state, extending across all districts except the South West and East Gippsland.
Temperatures are forecast to reach 32 degrees Celsius in Melbourne and 40 degrees Celsius in Mildura. Additionally, several bushfires that destroyed homes and threatened communities across the state in January continue to burn, including the Carlisle River fire in the Otways, the Longwood blaze in central Victoria, and the Walwa fire in the north-east.
