Up in smoke and down in a hole

IN hot and blustery conditions following lightning strikes last week, fires took hold across several parts of the shire, including Maindample and Sawmill Settlement. The largest fire ignited at the Paps, sending thick plumes of smoke across the region. Several local fire crews battled the flames on the ground, while aircraft, including helicopters and planes, dropped pink fire retardant to slow the fire’s spread. Once contained, crews spent the night assisting with blacking out and patrolling the fire, with crews remaining in attendance days later. Further fires broke out, with one along the Maroondah Highway at Maindample and two in the Sawmill Settlement/Mt Russell Reserve area. One fire, located 1.5km northeast of the Sawmill township, saw six emergency vehicles respond. The other was successfully contained earlier in the morning. It burned through two hectares, with five emergency vehicles attending. Tolmie and District Fire Brigade formed part of the response to the fires ignited by lightning last week, sending its tanker and crew firstly to Sawmill Settlement and then its Ultralight to the grassfire at Maindample. The fire at Maindample was in steep and rugged (but spectacular) hilly terrain. Crews spent the whole night at the scene patrolling the perimeter of the burned area to ensure the fire did not escape. Many tyres needed repairing after the job was done. Tolmie's Captain, Milton Taylor, spoke about the current conditions across the region. "The pattern of weather we are getting at the moment of thunderstorms developing late in the day, results in hundreds of strikes across the landscape," he said. "Fortunately not many of them actually result in a fire, but when they do, they often start in country that is difficult to access, or grassfires that run quickly. "The availability of aircraft to drop water and retardants early on makes a huge difference in containing fires quickly, but when multiple fires break out in a short space of time those resources can become stretched. "During the course of the Tolmie Sports our Ultralight Tanker was called to assist at a new fire at Howes Creek. "Again, a grass fire in hilly terrain. "Dramatic assistance from aerial support was a decisive factor in containing this relatively small fire." Earlier in the week a smaller fire was also reported on Hutchinson’s Road in Bonnie Doon and over the weekend, another south of Woods Point. Firefighters warned that dry conditions, combined with wind, had increased the risk of fast-moving grassfires across the region. Authorities continue to monitor hot spots and urge residents to remain vigilant. For updates on fire conditions and emergency warnings, visit the VicEmergency website or listen to the local emergency broadcaster.