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| Victoria fires live: thousands evacuated from East Gippsland on day of huge bushfires threat – latest | Victoria fires live: thousands evacuated from East Gippsland on day of huge bushfires threat – latest |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Vic Emergency has ordered the mass evacuation of a vast area, with catastrophic conditions also forecast for South Australia. Follow latest news and live updates | Vic Emergency has ordered the mass evacuation of a vast area, with catastrophic conditions also forecast for South Australia. Follow latest news and live updates |
| About 1,000 firefighters, a mixture of department and CFA volunteers, had been positioned at strategic locations around East Gippsland today and tasked with protecting key assets and communities. It was too dangerous to send firefighters into the forest itself. | |
| Rankin said that not all of the properties and small towns throughout East Gippsland were “fully defendable” and if the fire behaved in a particularly aggressive way even towns like Metung could be at risk. | |
| “I don’t want to make judgments about specific towns because if the fire behaves really aggressively it could move more into towns.” | |
| He advised everyone in the East Gippsland and Gippsland area to listen to ABC local radio, keep on top of fire alerts, and follow their bushfire safety plan. | |
| The Gippsland fires are being managed by Delwp because they are primarily on crown land. Firefighters in lime green overalls, many of whom have taken on the role as a summer job from university, are leaving the centre in groups holding biodegradable plastic bags filled with provisions. | |
| The incident controller Ben Rankin said the conditions were “quite extreme” for Gippsland, “comparable almost to Black Saturday in some ways, if the forecast does eventuate as given to us”. | |
| The text message sent to everyone in East Gippsland on Sunday, telling them to get out, angered some locals and had been ignored by some tourists. Rankin said that larger tourist towns – like Lakes Entrance itself, not the parks or small campgrounds surrounding it – would be a “relatively safe place to go today”. | |
| He said the warning was issued to ensure people knew the risk and that people remained off the road on Monday afternoon and evening, when it was likely fires would cut off the Princes Highway. | |
| “If we get through today and we don’t have a significant fire run within this area I am speaking of in East Gippsland, we would be very fortunate.” | |
| The perimeter of the largest fires in East Gippsland is more than 1,000km long and any area near that perimeter should be considered a risk today, authorities say. | |
| “I think it’s inevitable that there will be some significant run of fire today,” said the Gippsland fires incident controller Ben Rankin. | |
| “Where that occurs we will have to react to that as best we can. There is a large perimeter of fire, well over 1,000km of fire perimeter, and on a day like today none of it can be guaranteed to be safe. | |
| “There is a risk that it would run, and already we are starting to see a significant buildup of some of the fires now, and in the next hour or two we will start to see some movement I would think.” | |
| Rankin addressed local media outside the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (Delwp) headquarters in Bairnsdale a short time ago. | |
| As we hit midday, here is what we know so far: | |
| There are now four emergency alerts and four watch and act alerts in place in Victoria’s east. | |
| Holidaymakers in East Gippsland were warned to leave before 9am today, but some have stayed. | |
| A fire at Mallacoota is generating its own lightning, while two bushfires near Ensay and Tambo Crossing merged and remain very active. | |
| In South Australia, firefighters are battling catastrophic fire conditions in the Adelaide Hills, mid-north and Yorke Peninsula. | |
| Hobart is tipped to reach 40C, as Tasmania also braces for a day of fire danger. | |
| Another emergency warning has been issued in Victoria, this time for Suggan Buggan. That is in the Alpine region, right on the border with NSW. | Another emergency warning has been issued in Victoria, this time for Suggan Buggan. That is in the Alpine region, right on the border with NSW. |
| Emergency Services Victoria says: | Emergency Services Victoria says: |
| There is a bushfire at 5km north of Suggan Buggan that is not yet under control. | There is a bushfire at 5km north of Suggan Buggan that is not yet under control. |
| This fire is becoming increasingly active and travelling south. | This fire is becoming increasingly active and travelling south. |
| There is also a fire in NSW 13km north of Suggan Buggan moving south towards Victoria that has produced a significant smoke column. | There is also a fire in NSW 13km north of Suggan Buggan moving south towards Victoria that has produced a significant smoke column. |
| This was the scene at a fire at Cabbage Tree Creek yesterday. | This was the scene at a fire at Cabbage Tree Creek yesterday. |
| A new emergency warning is in place in Gelantipy, Wulgulmerang, Wulgulmerang East. Those are townships in East Gippsland. | A new emergency warning is in place in Gelantipy, Wulgulmerang, Wulgulmerang East. Those are townships in East Gippsland. |
| The CFA says: | The CFA says: |
| There is a bushfire 5 km west of Wulgulmerang that is not yet under control. | There is a bushfire 5 km west of Wulgulmerang that is not yet under control. |
| It is too late to leave, this fire is moving rapidly. | It is too late to leave, this fire is moving rapidly. |
| This fire is threatening homes and lives. | This fire is threatening homes and lives. |
| “You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive.” | “You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive.” |
| Over in NSW, the deputy premier, John Barilaro, has called for Sydney’s NYE fireworks display to be cancelled. | Over in NSW, the deputy premier, John Barilaro, has called for Sydney’s NYE fireworks display to be cancelled. |
| The Nationals leader has shared that view in a tweet posted this morning. | The Nationals leader has shared that view in a tweet posted this morning. |
| It puts him at odds with the City of Sydney, which says the fireworks will proceed, and the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, who has also said they should go ahead unless the NSW RFS says otherwise. | It puts him at odds with the City of Sydney, which says the fireworks will proceed, and the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, who has also said they should go ahead unless the NSW RFS says otherwise. |
| Some more from AAP. | Some more from AAP. |
| Just to follow up the fire at Mallacoota that is generating its own lightning. Guardian Australia environment reporter Graham Redfearn put together this piece on Pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCB) this month. | Just to follow up the fire at Mallacoota that is generating its own lightning. Guardian Australia environment reporter Graham Redfearn put together this piece on Pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCB) this month. |
| About a dozen holiday makers with caravans and tents have set up temporarily in Howitt Park, Bairnsdale, after being advised to leave East Gippsland. | About a dozen holiday makers with caravans and tents have set up temporarily in Howitt Park, Bairnsdale, after being advised to leave East Gippsland. |
| Among them are Craig Anderson and Brendan Gaffey and their families. They had been camping at Kalimna near Lakes Entrance since Saturday and are hoping to return tomorrow to finish their week-long holiday before returning to Melbourne. | Among them are Craig Anderson and Brendan Gaffey and their families. They had been camping at Kalimna near Lakes Entrance since Saturday and are hoping to return tomorrow to finish their week-long holiday before returning to Melbourne. |
| “Today is the only day that is forecast to be really bad,” Anderson said. “Hopefully if it doesn’t go terribly we can go back.” | “Today is the only day that is forecast to be really bad,” Anderson said. “Hopefully if it doesn’t go terribly we can go back.” |
| Anderson said there were still some people at the caravan park at Kalimna when they left this morning, including a number of permanent residents. He and Gaffey and their families decided not to risk it. | Anderson said there were still some people at the caravan park at Kalimna when they left this morning, including a number of permanent residents. He and Gaffey and their families decided not to risk it. |
| “If the highway is closed we would rather be on this side of it,” Anderson said. “We had wanted to come into Bairnsdale anyway to do a bit of shopping, and we thought we may as well just do that and bring our gear with us just in case.” | “If the highway is closed we would rather be on this side of it,” Anderson said. “We had wanted to come into Bairnsdale anyway to do a bit of shopping, and we thought we may as well just do that and bring our gear with us just in case.” |
| Here is some more information about this from the Bom website: | Here is some more information about this from the Bom website: |
| I’ve been chatting with the author and journalist Lucie Morris-Marr, who has been sharing updates from Gippsland at @luciemorrismarr on Twitter. | I’ve been chatting with the author and journalist Lucie Morris-Marr, who has been sharing updates from Gippsland at @luciemorrismarr on Twitter. |
| Morris-Marr was holidaying with her family at Metung, East Gippsland and received the evacuation warning text message. She left with her family this morning, but others have decided to stay. | Morris-Marr was holidaying with her family at Metung, East Gippsland and received the evacuation warning text message. She left with her family this morning, but others have decided to stay. |