General News
28 January, 2025
Relief in sight for Dimboola residents, Grampians fire could burn for weeks
Emergency services provide updates on Wimmera, Grampians bushfires.
Dimboola residents could be allowed to return to their homes today as emergency services battle to gain an upper hand in the Little Desert National Park Bushfire.
Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said he expected advice to be downgraded after career and volunteer firefighters reduce the threat to the Wimmera township.
"The emergency warning for Dimboola is expected to be downgraded shortly to 'Safe to return'... we're just finalizing those arrangements," he said.
"I'd sincerely like to thank the community for actively monitoring conditions and listening to the advice provided.
"I'm incredibly thankful ... that no lives have been lost from this fire, and we have no reports of injuries either."
The Commissioner said the bushfire's spread was "incredibly fast," with 14-18km/h speeds helping it burn more than 63,000ha of land.
"We saw hot temperatures [on Monday] with strong north, northwesterly winds with gusts of up to 70km/h, particularly in the west of the state," he said.
"This was followed by a cool change with south-southwesterly winds and gusty conditions that moved across the state into last night."
He confirmed the Little Desert Nature Lodge was destroyed, while another two farmhouses are being assessed for damage.
Commissioner Nugent said an estimated 10,000 dry lightning strikes occurred in Victoria on January 27, resulting in multiple ignitions across the state.
"The very dry conditions and high fuel loads we have resulted in a number of fires," he said.
"There [were] around 60 to 70 new fire started in private lands, and around 80 fire starts in public lands and national parks."
Grampians bushfires continue to grow in unburnt areas
Five blazes continue to burn in the Grampians National Park, with three in the north and two in the south.
He said authorities believe the fires would join in the coming days.
"Five fires started by lightning strikes around 5-6pm yesterday; three of those in the northwestern part of the Grampians, and two in the southwestern part," Commissioner Nugent said.
"These files continue to grow in will continue to grow in size and will burn for some time.
"They'll be incredibly challenging for firefighters to contain that fire."
Forest Fire Management Victoria Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said the remoteness of the new fires was making it difficult for firefighters to reach them.
"Two of those [fires] are in the southwestern, unburnt part of the Grampians, and three in the northwestern unburnt part," he said.
"Those fires will continue to grow, and they will become what we would describe as a campaign fire.
"Those fires in the southern part of the Grampians will progress and eventually meet up with those fires in the northern parts.
"I just want to create an expectation that these fires will be in play for some time."
He said the Wartook and Halls Gap communities should monitor the fires throughout the week.
"Firefighters are planning to do everything in their power to protect the communities of Wartook and Halls Gap from the progression of this fire over the coming days," Mr Hardman said.
"That will mean that decisions around the closure of the park will be made at various times.
"We're not looking at evacuating Halls Gap at this stage, but certainly access into Halls Gap from the Grampians road will be available for an undefined period."
The public can no longer Halls Gap via Mount Victory Road as firefighters access the blazes.
A community meeting will be held at the Laharum Recreation Reserve from 6pm on Tuesday, January 28, to provide up-to-date information about the fires.