Healesville on alert as Victoria's bushfires continue to rage

Healesville on alert as Victoria's bushfires continue to rage
NEWS.com.au
February 10, 2009

Insurance Australia

THE town of Healesville and more than a dozen other communities are on high alert from the raging Victoria fires.

Healesville were told this morning to watch for ember attacks.  Fire authorities have urged residents in Yarra Glen, Chum Creek and Toolangi to be on alert, Melbourne's Herald Sun reported.

The communities of Acheron, Connellys Creek, Crystal Creek, Scrubby Creek, Native Dog Creek and Molesworth have been warned they may be directly impacted by the fire.  It is also threatening communities in Rubicon, Thornton-Taggerty Rd, Bulls Ln and in Cathedral Ln to the east of Little River.

The fire is also burning near Glenburn and is threatening communities in Kalatha Creek Rd and east of Two Hills Rd near Glenburn.

Earlier, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) says southerly winds are expected to strengthen which will fan the fires that are continuing in the area.

"There's an urgent threat message out to the community there," said a spokesman.

"It's not critical but the fire is spotting around there so the community is asked to be very vigilant as the winds are moving around a bit and there are some strong southerlies coming in later today."

The CFA says residents in the vicinity of Dowd, Romeo, Anderson and Gibbs roads, Juliet Avenue and Donald Street may get heavy ember attack.

Department of Sustainability and Environment spokeswoman Nina Cullen said: "There was a water outage for Healesville residents (late yesterday) but that has since been rectified and water supply is back on.

"There hasn't been any reported losses at this point."

Meanwhile, the Beechworth blaze has burnt 30,000ha and continues to pose some threat to the communities of Dederang, Gundowring, Gundowring Upper, Kergunyah South, Glenn Creek and Running Creek.

Residents in those communities have been asked to enact their fire plans.

"At the Dederang area particularly during the day (yesterday), the fire significantly escalated," Ms Cullen said.  "Work has occurred on the north side of that fire, and that activity has gone extremely well.

"There remains a few spot fires but the crews on the ground are working really hard and getting somewhere on that fire. The threat has now been downgraded."

The deadly Churchill-Jeeralang fire in Gippsland, which was threatening the township of Won Wron and remains out of control but has been downgraded.