the february 2009 fires - 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission

The February 2009 Fires
1.115
The main communities affected in this fire were Callignee (population 495) and Hazelwood South
(population 533). 296
1.116 At 13:33 a fire was reported in open country but rapidly spreading uphill into a Blue Gum plantation on
the south side of Glendonald Road, 3 kilometres south-east of Churchill. 297 This report was received
concurrently with one from the public direct to the Churchill CFA Fire Station. As the point of origin was on
private land, the CFA was identified as the control agency for the fire. 298 The ICC was located at Traralgon,
initially as a Divisional headquarters, then as an ICC. 299 The Churchill fire was originally considered a division
of the Delburn fires before it was independently managed. 300
1.117 At 13:35 4 brigades were paged to respond to the fire. On arrival at 13:39 additional tankers were
requested. At 13:36 aircraft were requested although, at the peak of the fire, aircraft were unable to operate
because of weather conditions. The fire quickly burned into pine and gum plantations to the south and
south-east, through steep gullies, north facing slopes and valleys of the Strezlecki Ranges. 301 Fuel loads
were high due to a mixture of natural and plantation fuels. The main fire front travelled 7 kilometres in
50 minutes and, by 14:20, the fire had reached Jeeralong Creek West Branch. 302
1.118
Spotting was reported up to 20 kilometres ahead of the fire outside Yarram and then, by 14:40 near Balook.
303
At 15:02 a spot fire was reported at Jack River, 6 kilometres west of Yarram. At 16:50 there was reporting
of multiple spot fires around the township of Yarram. 304 By 17:15 the main firefront was approaching Mount
Tassie, with spot fires on the east side of the mountain. 305
1.119 Between 18:00 and 18:30 the wind change altered the direction of the fire, resulting in continued spotting
but in a north-easterly direction towards Callignee, Traralgon South and Koornalla. 306 At 18:04 a spot fire
was reported 9 kilometres east of Yarram on the South Gippsland Highway. At 18:05 a further spot fire was
reported on the Hyland Highway, 4 kilometres north of Yarram. It burnt into the Won Wron State Forest.
At 18:10 a spot fire was reported on the Currajung Woodside Road, 4 kilometres east of Carrajung South. 307
1.120
The wind change meant that 13 kilometres of the eastern flank, from near Churchill to Mount Tassie,
was burning through steep, inaccessible country that carried high fuel loads of native forest and pine
and Blue Gum plantations. 308 This had a progressive impact on areas such as Hazelwood South, Koornalla,
Traralgon South, Callignee, Callignee South, Callignee North, Jeeralang North, Devon, Yarram and
Carrajung South. 309 By around 20:00 the rate of spread had slowed; however, the fire was continuing
to spread in a north-easterly direction. 310 While much of the fire was stopped on 8 February, some areas
remained inaccessible and burning continued in heavy fuel areas. The fire was listed as contained at
17:00 on 19 February. 311
1.121 Loy Yang Power Station was identified as strategic infrastructure at risk, and substantial planning for its
protection was undertaken. Ultimately, the fire did not affect this area but there was concern about the
critical communications assets on Mount Tassie, including Loy Yang system controls and a variety of
commercial and emergency communication transmitters. 312 The ABC FM transmitter failed on
Mount Tassie; however, the ABC continued transmitting on the AM band. 313
Warnings
314
1.122 From 13:51 there were a series of alerts and urgent threat messages. An urgent threat message
was posted to the CFA website at 14:05 stating that the communities of Hazelwood South, Jeeralang,
Jeeralang North and Jeeralang Junction might be affected by fire. At 15:45 alert messages were posted
for the communities of Jumbuck, Le Roy, Budgeree East, Valley View, Traralgon South and Balook, and
an urgent threat message was extended to the communities of Balook, Le Roy, Jumbuck, Valley View
and Budgeree East. 315
1.123 At 16:20 alert messages were posted to the CFA website for the communities of Madalya, Womerah,
Callignee, Callignee South, Callignee North, Carrajung, Carrajung South and Won Wron. These were
upgraded to an urgent threat message for Womerah and Macks Creek at 16:30. The communities of
Devon North and Yarram were also included in urgent threat messages at 16:40. 316
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