Central Victoria has been fortunate this season to escape fires of the sort that have devastated parts of the state’s south-west this week, but the danger has far from passed.
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While the fire danger period continues until May 1, CFA District 2 operations officer Hugh Kelly said so far the Bendigo area had “been quite lucky on the grass and bushfire front”.
Emergency management regional controller for the Loddon Mallee, Rob Price, said the wider region had likely seen more fires than average this season, but the difference was most had not grown to a size of concern.
It was not simply luck that saw the region mostly avoid significant fires: he credited this to a strong response from firefighters, coupled with good support and placement of aircraft.
Mr Kelly, too, said quick, efficient responses to fires had limited the damage.
Community education also played a part, he said.
Mr Kelly said the largest fire within the CFA’s District 2 was a 30-hectare grass fire at Mount Camel on February 1.
Across the entire Loddon Mallee region, Mr Price said, there had been two major fires: 280-hectare crop fire at Mincha, north-west of Pyramid Hill, and another of about 5500 hectares within the Big Desert National Park.
While temperatures are cooling, both Mr Kelly and Mr Price stress there is no cause for complacency.
Mr Kelly said the landscape was extremely dry, with vegetation 100 per cent cured, and surface water to the north of Bendigo was also drying up or already evaporated.
“We are as dry as what we’ve ever been,” he said.
Bendigo’s climate station had recorded no rain in 24 days and Mr Price said there were no significant falls on the horizon.
The Loddon Mallee was in the same boat as Victoria’s fire-ravaged south-west, Mr Price said, in terms of dryness and the high quantity of fuels.
The public is urged to remain vigilant, particularly as Easter approaches, when more people will be camping.
For information on restrictions in the fire danger period, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au.