A band of dry lightning moved across East Gippsland on Wednesday afternoon and sparked approximately 19 fires in remote, steep terrain, with fire fighting resources deployed from across the state to support the fire fighting effort.
Incident management teams have been established at Heyfield, Bairnsdale and Orbost to manage the fires.
With further lightning yesterday and more forecast across East Gippsland today, Forest Fire Management (FFM) and CFA crews are closely monitoring the situation.
Several fires were started by lightning north west of Bruthen around Waterholes, all of which were contained with crews working yesterday on blacking out.
At time of going to press, three fires, located in the Nunnett State Forest east of Swifts Creek, north east of Bindi and Limestone west of Wulgulmerang, were not yet contained. FFM Vic rappel crews, ground crews and machinery are responding to these fires supported by aircraft including the Large Air Tanker.
There are numerous fires burning close to the border between New South Wales and Victoria, north of Tingaringy in the Alpine National Park.
Rappel crews, aircraft, heavy machinery and fire fighters are all responding to these fires.
The Rosedale – West Boundary Track Fire is controlled, however fire crews continue to work on hotspots. The road network is still closed in and around the burnt area.
Lightning strikes ignited three fires north west of Dargo around the Crooked River area late Wednesday afternoon.
One of these fires is close to the Dargo High Plains Road and is within eucalypts killed by the 2003 and 2009 fires, which poses a safety risk for fire fighters.
Aircraft and fire fighters including rappelers are working on these fires.
CFA’s Chris Lewis said while the last couple of years have seen fewer fires as a result of dry lightning strikes, 10 to 15 years ago it was “certainly not unusual”.
“We haven’t had the heat in the last couple of years like we have now,” Mr Lewis said.
“The landscape is so dry at present. It’s not taking much for a fire to ignite with the lightning, with everything so tinder dry and no rain coming with the storms.
“In the last days we’ve had 18 starts in the Tambo district, so from here (Bairnsdale) through to Omeo, and three of them are still going.
“The fires are in difficult terrain, so access is difficult. It’s pretty much the case of waiting for the fire to come to us sometimes. We’ve had the large air tankers doing runs.
“We’re lucky we haven’t had much wind.”
There will be smoke visible to communities in the north from fires in NSW as well as Victorian fires.
There is close cooperation between the NSW and Victorian fire management agencies including sharing of airstrips for aircraft operations.
