A BUSHFIRE that started at Colignan and ran into Hattah Kulkyne National Park is “getting very close to being contained” according to authorities.
Forest Fire Management Victoria’s Incident Controller for fires in the Mallee, Les Vearing, said calmer conditions and two water bombing helicopters had helped get a handle on the situation.
“That one at Colignan, which has burnt into the top end of Hattah National Park is getting very close to being contained,” he said.
“We’ve got no running edges there at the moment, they’re just tidying a few little corners and they’re hoping it should be classed as contained by tonight.
“We’re fairly confident it should hold OK, the containment lines there should hold OK if it gets through today. We’re quite confident that it’ll actually will hold, it’s a bit still breezy there, so there’s still a chance that it could get out.
“But we’re still fairly hopeful it will hold, so theoretically it is contained now, because there’s no running edge at the moment, but it could jump out again.
“So we’re not prepared to call it contained until we at least get through today anyway.”
Mr Vearing said the fire’s close proximity to the Murray River, and the ground conditions in the northern sections of the national park had aided the fire fight.
“There’s more water available,” he said.
“In fact we had two, two helitankers, the firebombing helicopters, in there yesterday because they could access water out of the river with very, very quick turnarounds.
“Generally, the terrain was a bit more accessible even though there’s sandy areas in there and some big sand dunes and things, overall it was easier to traverse the country around that section of the fire at Hattah.”
In the early afternoon on Friday the first was first reported in the Brown Road area of Colignan.
It subsequently burned into Hattah Kulkyne National Park and has been under the control of FFMV with the help of Country Fire Authority crews since and has burned more than 1000 hectares of mostly national park.
There is currently still a stay informed advice for the fire, with the next public update from VicEmergency expected this evening.
For the most up-to-date information on the fires across the state visit the Emergency Victoria website or use the smart phone app, as well as via emergency broadcasters ABC Local Radio, commercial and designated community radio stations, and/ or Sky News TV.
