At 11.30am today, emergency service leaders hosted a community information session for residents of Halls Gap and Pomonal in Stawell Town Hall.
Today an Emergency Warning Evacuate Immediately was issued for the residents of Bellfield, Bellfield Settlement, Flat Rock Crossing, Grampians Junction, Halls Gap and Fyans Creek.
Lake Fyans and Pomonal were issued an Emergency Warning Bushfire Leave immediately following the escalation of a bushfire within Grampians National Park.
A recording of the meeting is available here: https://fb.watch/wC7fZy0OrX/
Here are some of the key takeaway messages from today's meeting:
There is an evacuation order in place for Halls Gap until further notice. All roads into Halls Gap are closed and under the control of Victoria Police.
All residents of Halls Gap have been urged to leave immediately. If you decide to stay, there is no guarantee fire crews can reach you should an emergency arise.
Ensure you take important identification materials and medications with you. You will not be allowed back into the area when conditions ease without formal identification.
There is an Emergency Relief Centre open at the Stawell Health and Community Centre (Grampians Community Health), 8-22 Patrick Street, Stawell. Evacuated residents needing somewhere to go can head to this location; pets are also welcome.
The relief centre is also a gateway to other community services. Please visit a centre for assistance with anything you may need, including medical assistance.
Impacted residents will be contacted directly when it is safe and practical to return. Please keep up to date with conditions via the VicEmergency app.
Grampians National Park is closed until further notice. Those who made plans to visit the area over the coming days must make alternative arrangements.
The fire scar from the February Pomonal fire will aid containment efforts but is not guaranteed to stop the fire from entering the area. There is still unburned fuel available, and the environment that burned in February can still catch fire again.
Predicted conditions on Boxing Day pose a significant risk. Therefore, the focus for the next few days is building on containment strategies currently being implemented, using the CFA's predictive services team who are closely monitoring and mapping the conditions.
The trees within the national park are already under significant stress following an extremely dry 12 months and are more prone to dropping limbs. This poses accessibility and safety challenges for fire crews and will influence when it is safe for residents to return to their homes.
Ember attacks are being closely monitored and responded to accordingly. Please be aware that embers can travel some distance, with yesterday's conditions seeing spot fires up to 10km ahead of the fire front.
Fire crews are focusing on protecting the future of Grampians National Park as much as practically possible. As such, emergency leaders are planning for a heightened fire risk across the region during the next three to five weeks, however this will change depending on how events unfold each coming day.
Residents who notice pink retardant on their roof when they return home must block or disconnect their drains before cleaning, if they are on rainwater. This will help limit contamination of their water supply.
I need to evacuate – where can I go?
There are relief centres set up at:
Stawell – Stawell Health and Community Centre (Grampians Community Health), 8-22 Patrick Street. Services you might be able to access here include shelter, food and water, public information, personal support/counselling, material aid and financial assistance. Companion animals are also welcome.
Ararat – Alexandra Oval Community Centre, 1 Waratah Avenue
You can also evacuate to the home of family or friends away from the warning area. If you choose to do so, you should register at a relief centre to help others find you. You can also self-register on the Red Cross website: Red Cross Register.Find.Reunite
How do I stay up to date with what is happening?
Use multiple sources to stay informed:
VicEmergency Hotline - freecall 1800 226 226
Tune in to ABC Local Radio, commercial and designated community radio stations, or Sky News TV.
Accessibility services:
The following services can help you, or someone you know, access information during an emergency.
To access this information in other languages, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 (freecall) and ask them to call VicEmergency Hotline.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech/communication impairment contact National Relay Service on 1800 555 677 and ask them to call the VicEmergency Hotline.
If you are unable to leave, you should seek shelter inside:
Protect yourself by wearing long sleeves and trousers, made from pure cotton or wool. Wear leather boots and heavy-duty leather gloves.
Close all exterior doors, windows and vents. Turn off cooling systems.
Shelter in a room that has a door and/or a window to the outside. The building can protect you from radiant heat. It is critical to keep an eye on what is happening with the fire.
If your home catches on fire:
Move away from the rooms that are on fire, closing doors behind you.
As soon as the bushfire has passed the house, or the conditions inside become unbearable, you need to get out and go to an area that has already been burnt. Staying inside a burning building will almost certainly end in death.
It may still be too hot to remain outside, so you will need to seek shelter in another structure or last resort option.
