For All Victorians!

http://forums.justcommodores.com.au...val-black-saturday-bushfires.html#post1057049 - Posted in the General Vic Section also:


Tuesday conditions to rival Black Saturday bushfires

SEVERE weather in Victoria on Tuesday could rival the horror conditions of Black Saturday, and wind will be the enemy, emergency services have warned.

Victorians should prepare for strong winds on Monday night, with damaging northerly gale-force winds of up to 150km/h predicted for Tuesday, followed by a strong south-westerly wind change that is forecast to continue until Wednesday.

Schools may have to close on Tuesday, depending on fire risk assessments, while travel and recreational plans in high-danger areas should be reconsidered, authorities have advised.

Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin said the predicted conditions were serious.

"The weather forecast is for conditions that could approximate Black Saturday or Ash Wednesday," Mr Esplin told a briefing on Sunday.

"There is no room for complacency and there is a very strong need for everybody to be prepared to play their part."

Country Fire Authority (CFA) crews are battling blazes at Wilsons Promontory, Bunyip, and two Kilmore-Murrindindi complexes.

The total area burnt from the four fires so far is 302,875 hectares.

Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) chief fire officer Craige Brown (Craige Brown) said the Kilmore East-Murrindindi North fire could breach containment lines on Tuesday.

"There is an expectation that under the wind event on Tuesday that fire will break out and make a run towards Melbourne water catchments," Mr Brown said.

He said authorities were likely to position strike teams around the Woods Point area to protect communities against any fire movement.

CFA chief officer Russell Rees said additional resources had been committed from Monday night to prepare for increased fire activity.

"History shows that fires that start in the night cause the most confusion and the most difficulty," he said.

"To wake up in the morning to have fire around and on your doorstep is a terrifying thing."

He warned that winds could grow even stronger after the expected change than the peak northerly gusts on Tuesday.

Fire plans should be activated early on Monday to avoid panic and traffic congestion on the roads in the event of fire outbreaks, Mr Rees said.

"Tomorrow, you need to put in place your plan ... because it may be that if you think you're going to move Tuesday morning, the trees are down across the road, fire is already in your area."

Police will suspend searches for people missing from the February 7 bushfires disaster on Tuesday due to safety concerns for members, Victoria Police assistant commissioner Steve Fontana said.

"We will be suspending our search activities in those particular areas," he said.

On Saturday, Australian Army Brigadier Michael Arnold, commander of the Joint Task Force assisting Victorian authorities in the fire relief effort, said new teams of soldiers would begin a repeat search of devastated properties for disaster victims still missing.

"We know that there are 37 missing persons still. The odds are we will come across human remains during this search," Brigadier Arnold said.

But Mr Fontana on Sunday said it was not known how many people remained missing.

"At the moment, police are going through all the records that have been provided on the National Registration Inquiry system," Mr Fontana said.

 

As much as it sucks to say, and it's extremely dissapointing Australians could be considered this low, but you're 100% right.. There will be fires, man made. i

 

Very true, but with Melbourne's unpredictability weather wise..... lol