Farmer News
31 January, 2025
Grampians fire devastates towns, unites residents
FIVE days before Christmas, the Grampians National Park was on fire.
Started by a lightning strike in thick, inaccessible bush, the fire flourished out of control.
In its path were towns and homes, families, animals and livelihoods.
It took 21 days to bring this fire under control.
More than 76,000 hectares of national park and agricultural land were burnt.
The fire claimed four residential properties in Moyston and Mafeking, and 40 outbuildings in Moyston, Willaura, Willaura North, Mafeking, Pomonal, Glenthompson and Mirranatwa.
Preliminary data indicates livestock losses include 775 sheep, one horse, one beef cattle and 1,285 beehives.
Additionally, more than 13,538 ha of farmland, including 10,053 ha of pasture was burnt, and 540 km of fencing was damaged.
The impact of these fires on so many people was enormous and profound.
The impact on businesses, in what would normally be an incredibly busy time of year, was devastating.
I have heard figures of a 25 per cent reduction in annual income lost – accommodation venue cancellations, cafes, hotels, supermarkets with no patronage… the list is large.
Then there is the emotional toll, the trauma.
For those of us on the outside, we worried for the loved ones fighting the blazes to protect people and property.
For those fighting the fires, there is always a toll.
The weight of decision making; being responsible for other members of your team.
Coming to grips with images that become imbedded in your head.
Christmas becomes a non-event in situations like this – because the fire is ‘the event.’
There are no words that can adequately express our gratitude for the work of our CFA volunteers and emergency services who have valiantly protected communities yet again.
Charlie Blackwell is a lieutenant in the Dunkeld CFA.
His family has been farming at Dunkeld for over 100 years and has a proud history of involvement within the community and the CFA.
He said it was a “harrowing few weeks,” when the winds took hold of the fire and it escalated out of control.
“The fire was only 15 kilometres to the north of our property,” he said.
“We implemented our fire management plan; we had moved stock onto the summer crops and into containment areas. We were covered in smoke and dust as we patrolled for embers.”
Charlie had sent his family off farm early to keep them safe, and to join his CFA co-workers at the fire front.
In a de-brief within his Dunkeld brigade after the fire, Charlie said how amazing the volunteers and neighbouring strike teams were.
Conditions were really difficult but the teams coped well.
“There were some concerns over information getting to and from incident command and we will work on improving that,” he said.
“In 2006, the fires spread 22 kilometres in 16 minutes. That was fresh in people’s minds, and there was a real sense of panic; Pomonal, Moyston and Willaura copped the brunt of it.
“What did make a huge difference was the roadside burning that we had undertaken only days before the outbreak – it played a huge part in stopping the fire spread towards Glenthompson.
“That goes to show how important it is, to be able to do roadside burning and how we need the resources to carry them out.
“Unfortunately, regulation is making it more difficult to do roadside burns and reduce the fire fuel loads.
“Roadside burning is also a great way to initiate new CFA members and to gather experience with fire behaviour and to get accustomed with the trucks.”
Charlie was full of praise for his community, who held strong and gave enormous support to one another during the fire.
“We all just pulled together. There were a few beers on offer at the pub and coffees for volunteers at the shop,” he said.
“It was a job well done by all the volunteers and thanks to the many employers who allowed time off for their staff to fight the fires.”
Pat Millear is group officer for the Westmere CFA Group.
Battling the Grampians fire was a “steep learning curve” according to Pat.
“I believe we have done a good job. We were pretty well organised.”
The Westmere group consists of 18 brigades and about 20 fire trucks which were backed up by about 400 private fire trucks and units, as well as water tankers.
“There was helicopter water bombing and assistance from Forest Fire Management but it was a real battle – our resources were stretched over a huge area.”
Pat is very humbled by the experience.
“You only need to put the word out and the community rocks up,” he said.
“The conditions were bad but we knew that Boxing Day was going to be horrendous, with the forecasted temperature and the winds.
“We spent a lot of time early on in the Yarram Gap Road and Yaram Park; we had about eight tankers there.
“We were lucky that the pasture was low as the fire came out of the National Park, it was all about trying to protect the fire borders and keep the fire from entering open land.
“There was an ember spot fire that went about six kilometres out to Toora Road from Yarram.
“Christmas Day we had strike teams out towards Dunkeld, and then it really cranked up on Boxing Day when the wind picked up.
“Our area was all the way from south of Yarram Park to Mafeking – it was huge – we had a massive fight on our hands particularly in the Mafeking/Willaura area.”
Pat said the group had people on hills with UHF radios spotting fires and letting members know where it was breaking out.
While Pat was out fighting fires a spot fire started on his own farm on Delacombe Way.
“We were lucky that it ran to the Hopkins River and a private unit managed to control it – we only lost 150 acres.”