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Fire at Elaine south of Ballarat
Fight to control blaze
A BUSHFIRE which burnt 400 hectares of bushland near Elaine yesterday was still blazing late last night.
The fire, believed to have begun in a hay shed, also forced the evacuation of the nearby township of Morrisons.
Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman Kevin Love last night warned the fire was still increasing in size and could escalate dramatically in today's predicted hot temperatures if it wasn't brought under control overnight.
"The priority is to get on top of it today," Mr Love said.
"The difficulty is the country we're fighting the fire in."
The blaze began about 1pm on private property in Atchison Rd, Morrisons, before moving swiftly in a southerly direction due to a strong, northerly wind.
Thick black smoke billowed up into the sky as CFA spotter planes flew overhead.
Mr Love said while early reports indicated the fire began in the hay shed, the cause was yet to be fully investigated.
The fire quickly spread into grass and scrubland, which proved difficult for firefighters to access.
Forty tankers from around the district attended the blaze, including units from Napoleons, Meredith, Elaine, Bungaree, Mt Wallace, Mt Mercer, Millbrook, Gordon, Maude and Bungaree.
Two CFA helicopters were used to dump water on the fire, with spot fires also breaking out around the main blaze.
DSE bulldozers were brought in to help units access the fire through the heavy bushland.
"The CFA had strike teams prepared and ready to go due to the predicted weather conditions," Mr Love said.
Morrisons residents were advised to activate their fire plans, with most evacuating to the Elaine Hall.
No property had last night been damaged in the fire but the townships of Meredith and Steiglitz were also at risk last night from smoke and embers.
An urgent threat alert for the towns had been downgraded with conditions lessening overnight, but predicted to strengthen again early this morning. Ballark was also being warned a possible south-west wind change today could turn the fire toward their township.
"There will be significant fire behaviour overnight due to the hot weather so there will be no respite overnight," Mr Love said.
"Tomorrow there's predicted to be a strong wind and for it to be very hot and very dry."
Mr Love also warned drivers to be careful through the area with a lot of traffic present.
http://www.thecourier.com.au
Fight to control blaze
A BUSHFIRE which burnt 400 hectares of bushland near Elaine yesterday was still blazing late last night.
The fire, believed to have begun in a hay shed, also forced the evacuation of the nearby township of Morrisons.
Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman Kevin Love last night warned the fire was still increasing in size and could escalate dramatically in today's predicted hot temperatures if it wasn't brought under control overnight.
"The priority is to get on top of it today," Mr Love said.
"The difficulty is the country we're fighting the fire in."
The blaze began about 1pm on private property in Atchison Rd, Morrisons, before moving swiftly in a southerly direction due to a strong, northerly wind.
Thick black smoke billowed up into the sky as CFA spotter planes flew overhead.
Mr Love said while early reports indicated the fire began in the hay shed, the cause was yet to be fully investigated.
The fire quickly spread into grass and scrubland, which proved difficult for firefighters to access.
Forty tankers from around the district attended the blaze, including units from Napoleons, Meredith, Elaine, Bungaree, Mt Wallace, Mt Mercer, Millbrook, Gordon, Maude and Bungaree.
Two CFA helicopters were used to dump water on the fire, with spot fires also breaking out around the main blaze.
DSE bulldozers were brought in to help units access the fire through the heavy bushland.
"The CFA had strike teams prepared and ready to go due to the predicted weather conditions," Mr Love said.
Morrisons residents were advised to activate their fire plans, with most evacuating to the Elaine Hall.
No property had last night been damaged in the fire but the townships of Meredith and Steiglitz were also at risk last night from smoke and embers.
An urgent threat alert for the towns had been downgraded with conditions lessening overnight, but predicted to strengthen again early this morning. Ballark was also being warned a possible south-west wind change today could turn the fire toward their township.
"There will be significant fire behaviour overnight due to the hot weather so there will be no respite overnight," Mr Love said.
"Tomorrow there's predicted to be a strong wind and for it to be very hot and very dry."
Mr Love also warned drivers to be careful through the area with a lot of traffic present.
http://www.thecourier.com.au