Articles tagged: Bushfire
Renewed calls for fire refuge
Otways community members have raised renewed concerns about where they can go on a fire danger day, after a bushfire on the weekend left some locals “confused” about their options.
Otways on fire: Crews battle two bushfires
Corangamite group officer Mark Billing has warned of the danger of this year’s fire season, with the Otway Ranges sparking up in two separate bushfires over the weekend.
CFA warning ahead of bushfire season
A CFA survey has revealed that 45 per cent of Victorians living in bushfire-prone areas including the Otways are not concerned about bushfire safety despite being at increased risk.
Council considers plan to rebuild at Wye River
Land that has sat empty since the 2015 Wye River Christmas bushfires destroyed 116 homes in the coastal communities could soon have a brand-new house, after plans have reached council desks.
Call to support residents seeking refuge on extreme-fire-danger days
An Otways resident has called on Colac Otway Shire Council to undertake an urgent review to help the community plan refuge options and potentially save lives, ahead of the predicted hotter and drier fire season.
Emergency fire bore for district town
Southern Rural Water has selected Timboon as one of six regional Victorian towns to receive a new emergency fire bore to help residents access water during a crisis.
Call for fire bunkers next to busy roads
Otways resident Peter Bell has called for the construction of strategically placed fire bunkers and refuges along main roads in the Otways.
Summer campfire warning
Fire authorities have warned of the risk of campfires heading into the Australia Day long weekend.
Fire risks rising as district grasslands dry out
Colac and district firefighters have had a relatively quiet start to the fire season, but have attended small grass and scrub fires in recent days.
Fire helicopter on call to fight Otways fires
A water-bombing helicopter is back in Colac to help forest fire crews and volunteer firefighters tackle the flames this summer.
Fire chopper returning to protect Colac
A firefighting helicopter will return to the Colac airbase to help combat fires this summer.
Fire warning for campers
Campgrounds across the Otways will fill up this summer, and Forest Fire Management Victoria is urging campers to follow campfire safety rules.
Colac emergency control hub gets big upgrade
Bushfire authorities will have a state-of-the-art refurbishment to their Colac headquarters.
Community say on local fire breaks
Consultation is underway for planned new fuel breaks around bushfire-prone Otways communities.
Summer firefighters start work
Forest Fire Management Victoria is stepping up preparations for the fire season across the Otways, with extra firefighters, serviced vehicles and aircraft arriving.
Campfire warning ahead of state’s busy weekend
Forest Fire Management Victoria has urged people to be vigilant around campfires as Victoria opens up and people flock to parks and forests.
Rough look will ease
Authorities say the appearance of new fuel breaks around Lorne and other coastal towns will soften over time.
Bureau tips warm autumn
Weather watchers expect the Colac district to have higher-than-average autumn temperatures as a La Nina weather pattern subsides across Australia.
Coastal blaze barriers
Authorities are ramping up work on new strategic fuel breaks and removing hazardous trees around townships along the Great Ocean Road.
Mulch pile spontaneously combusts on farm
Soaring temperatures caused a mulch pile at Cooriemungle to spontaneously combust this week, requiring more than six hours of fire brigade attention.
Colac fire restrictions will start next month
Colac’s fire chief expects fire restrictions to take effect across the district during next month but is yet to sign off on an official start date
Community pulls together in times of need
In an emergency, it’s always comforting to know that help isn’t far away. That was the experience of the Gellibrand community in January, when a series of fires ignited around the township and spread to within a few kilometres of private property.
Patrols target illegal campfires
The Conservation Regulator is stepping up patrols across the Otway Ranges targeting illegal and unsafe campfires.
Forest burnoff in district
Forest Fire Management Victoria ignited a 27-hectare forest burnoff near Gellibrand at the weekend.
