General News
20 January, 2025
Grampians blaze 'under control': CFA
Almost a month after being ignited by dry lightning, a bushfire that consumed close to 80,000ha of public and private land in the Grampians has finally been declared "under control".
The incident began on December 17 when multiple fires were reported in the southern area of Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park and quickly joined together.
In the lead-up to Christmas, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) several times issued emergency warnings urging residents to consider "leaving immediately ... before conditions become too dangerous".
Halls Gap and the national park were closed to visitors.
Firefighters conducted burning-out operations to reduce vegetation and strengthen containment lines and ground crews and aircraft patrolled throughout periods of elevated fire danger, attacking hotspots early to prevent the fire spreading.
In total, four residential properties at Moyston and Mafeking and 40 outbuildings at Moyston, Willaura, Willaura North, Mafeking, Pomonal, Glenthompson and Mirranatwa were destroyed.
The CFA delivered an update on January 6, saying that "with a fire footprint circumference of 422 kilometres, more than 76,000ha of national park and agricultural land has burned".
"The bushfire is now contained," a CFA spokesperson said at the time.
"This means there is no active or running fire and the perimeter is within control lines."
CFA incident controller Peter West said preliminary assessments showed agricultural losses including 775 sheep, one beef beast, one horse and 1285 beehives.
"More than 13,538ha of farmland, including 10,053 ha of pasture, was burnt and 540km of fencing was damaged," Mr West said.
“Firefighters will continue to monitor and patrol the fire; this could still take a number of weeks.
"It is likely we will see smoke and small flare-ups in the area but we will continue to be present to deal with these when and as they arise."
Mr West said declaring the fire "contained" was the first step in enabling the affected districts, including Halls Gap, to reopen for business.
The status was amended to "under control" on the evening of January 10.
Earlier in the day, parts of the national park had been reopened.
“This fire represents a significant environmental and social incident and one that deeply affects people connected to the national park, including Traditional Owners, tourism operators and visitors," Mr West said.
“Coinciding with what is typically the busiest season for tourism in the area, the fire has resulted in considerable hardships and financial losses for local businesses and communities.
"While we continue to focus on the suppression of the fire, planning is well under way to ensure a prompt and thorough recovery from this event.”
Mr West said the CFA thanked "the community and the public for their remarkable patience during our battle with this fire".
"We understand that many plans had to be altered and that the resulting inconvenience has had a significant impact on daily life and events such as Christmas," he said.
“Co-operation in following our messaging and adhering to road closures has been invaluable, allowing our crews to focus their efforts on fighting the fire effectively while prioritising community safety."