The latest from the Victoria fires

Update on the Victoria fires

At the moment it looks as if some rain may be helping the fight against the fires in Victoria.

Once again the reported (or forecast winds), at 14 km/hour seem unremarkable.

Here is reporting from last night.

IN THE MEDIA

What is it about the media?!

I went to bed last night with the most alarming reports but this morning when I perused the Australian media for updates and could find - NOTHING

News.com.au

Australia's national broadcaster, the ABC

The Australian Guardian - 'progressive' which prides itself on covering climate change and the environment

 Scrolling down....

This alarming headline on Facebook...

Turned into this headline. There were only two paragraphs devoted to this revelation.

'It was like raining ash': Homes lost as bushfires rip through Victoria

"The Bunyip fire is worse than one that burned in the same spot on Black Saturday," Country Fire Authority assistant chief officer Trevor Owen said.


"Whilst it damaged some property [in 2009] it was a very narrow finger compared to what we're facing with this fire, because this fire has been growing," Mr Owen told a community meeting in Pakenham.

Read about the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires HERE

Do we really have to turn to the UK's tabloid, the Daily Mail to get this reflected in the article.

'Paint your phone number on the horse': Residents get chilling advice on surviving Victorian bushfires - as authorities warn the inferno is worse than the Black Saturday blazes that killed 173

• Vic Emergency said its too late to leave on Sunday as four major fire closed in
• Properties in Victoria's east have been razed to the ground by bushfire
• Lightning first sparked the fires, which have since covered 4663 hectares
• Owners were told to mark horses so they could be found after fleeing the fire

DailyMail,

3 March, 2019

Firefighters have warned that the inferno raging through east Victoria could be worse than the Black Saturday bushfires almost a decade ago.

Lightning sparked the fires in Bunyip State Park, about 65km east of Melbourne, on Friday night.

Authorities initially thought the fires could be maintained, but then four separate blazes merged into one, burning out of control and resulting in evacuation orders for more than 20 suburbs.

At least five homes have been destroyed as the out-of-control blaze continues to threaten residents.

Vic Emergency issued a dire emergency warning at 7pm on Sunday for suburbs located between Bunyip and Tonimbuk, from the south to the north, and Tynong North to Labertouche, from the east to the west.

'You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately,' the warning said.

'It is too late to leave. Leaving now would be deadly.'

Earlier on Sunday, residents in Bunyip, Budgeree, Dargo and Licola were forced to flee their homes as the fire continued to close in.

Country Fire Authority Assistant Chief Officer Trevor Owen said the fire is more dangerous than 2009's Black Saturday bushfires, which killed 173 people and were also sparked by a lightning strike. 

'It's not a matter of if or may for further property damages that we might see today, it's a matter of we will,' he said. 

'Under those very strong conditions experienced on that day (in 2009), it travelled neatly, whilst it damaged some property it was a very narrow finger compared to what we're facing with this fire, because this fire has been growing,' Mr Owen told a community meeting in Pakenham today. 

The owner of Jinks Creek Winery on Tonimbuk Road, Andrew Clarke, told the Herald Sun he found out his property was lost while watching the news in a nearby cafe. 

'We've lost our livelihood, we've lost horses, we've lost our whole vineyard, we've lost our whole cellar door,' he said.

'Everything we've worked for our entire life, it's all gone in a couple of hours.

'It's surreal. I'm too scared to go back to look at it.'

Tina Forte, from Tonimbuk, about 70 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, is fearful her home, which has belonged to her family since the 1800s, has burned to the ground.

'I'm just really worried about the animals because we just had to run yesterday,' she told reporters on Sunday.

'We don't sleep, we don't care about our house we care about our livestock,' she said.

A former Country Fire Authority volunteer has posted a desperate plea to Facebook about how to help horses amid the blaze.

If it's too late to evacuate, the post tells residents to turn off their electric fences and strip the horse.

'Strip them down to nothing, no halter, no rugs, no fly mask, Nothing!' the post shared by Animals Voice Equine and Canine Therapy said.

'We do not want the metal to burn or anything to get attached or caught.'

'Purple spray or horse make up or your makeup even! paint your phone number onto the horse.'

The advice also urges horse owners to cut the their tail so it doesn't touch the ground.

'Open all gates but first! Move them to a paddock with the shortest amount of grass,' the post continues.

'Horses are not dumb, don't keep them trapped, allow them to run from fire.' 

The advice has been shared almost 4000 times and some said they followed similar instructions during the 2009 Black Saturday fires.

Kiery-Anne Clissold, from Longwarry North, said it was the right decision to leave.   

'You could see flames hundreds of feet high across the whole ridge and it'd just woosh up and the flames were reaching for the sky,' she said of the Bunyip blaze.

Other residents have made the difficult decision to stay behind as the fire closes in. 

Steven Clarke, from Garfield, about 70 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, watched the fire from his property and has decided to stay the night despite an increase in wind.

He said the sun was blocked by smoke all day on Saturday.  

The owner of Jinks Creek Winery on Tonimbuk Road, Andrew Clarke, said he found out his property (pictured) was lost while watching the news in a nearby cafe

Frank Gibbons, the owner of Robin Hood Inn, in Drouin West, said he was fully booked out as people flocked for accommodation after fleeing fires. 

'Last night we had pretty much all the rooms booked ... I reckon they might be sleeping on the bloody pool tables tonight,' he said on Sunday.

Mr Gibbons, who survived the Black Saturday bushfires, said: 'I never thought I'd have to do this again,' as he hosed down the pub.  

Premier Daniel Andrews urged residents to follow warnings from authorities at a press conference alongside Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp.

At least five homes have been destroyed (pictured) as a result of the fires this weekend

'Don't put yourself in harm's way and potentially add to the already considerable workload our firefighters have,' he said.     

There are about 19 fires still burning across the entire state of Victoria and about 4663 hectares of bushland has been burnt.

The hot and windy conditions are expected to linger until Wednesday.

The Bureau of Meteorology's senior forecaster Tom Delamotte said the conditions could get the best of those fighting the fires. 

'This means that if we have fires in the landscape, they could challenge firefighters,' he said.

'This is the hottest start to autumn in 30 years, following the hottest summer on record.' 

A total fire ban is in place. 

• Victorian bushfires: House explodes as massive Bunyip blaze threatens to burn more homes
• www.heraldsun.co...
• Victoria bushfires: Bunyip Park fire 'worse than Black Saturday' blaze