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5.3 Murrindindi fire5.3.1 Fire Danger Index and driving influencesAccording to Sullivan and McCaw (2009), on 7 February the temperature at theColdstream weather station (in the proximity of the ignition site of the Murrindindi fire) wasclose to 45°C, with relative humidity down to 5 per cent, wind speeds exceeding 60km/hand gusts reaching 90km/h. Combined with a drought factor exceeding 9.5, Sullivan andMcCaw (2009) detail a grassland fire danger index reaching 140 and a Forest Fire DangerIndex exceeding 100 (see Figure 5.14).Figure 5.14 Coldstream weather station Forest Fire Danger Index and grassland fire dangerindex data for 7 February 2009 from 9am to midnight.(Source: Sullivan and McCaw 2009)5.3.2 Ignition of the Murrindindi fireThe Royal Commission (2009) notes that fire spotters at the Mount Despair fire lookout towerreported the Murrindindi fire to Broadford and Alexandra DSE offices just before 3pm on 7February. The Commission reports that the point of origin was estimated to be twokilometres south of Murrindindi on private land. Figure 5.15 details the area of ignition onpastoral and agricultural land, north of the Old Murrindindi Sawmill. ABC TV’s Four Cornersbroadcast allegations that the Murrindindi fire was deliberately lit (Four Corners b 2009). Theauthor has observed that the ignition point is entirely surrounded by farmland.5.3.3 Spread of the Murrindindi fireThe Royal Commission (2009) notes that early observations described the fire behaviour assevere. Flames were 20 metres high and the fire was spreading at a rate of around 12km/h, with spotting to 15 kilometres. The Royal Commission reported that the fire spreadrapidly into the forests of the Black Range from agricultural lands and began spotting whenit reached the top of the range. The Mount Gordon tower observer, west of Marysville,reported that the fire was crossing the Black Range at 4:20pm (Royal Commission 2009).27
Figure 5.15 View from the entrance to the Old Murrindindi Sawmill looking north-westtowards the ignition area. This area consists of cleared farmland.(Photo: Jonathan La Nauze, April 2009)Fire spotter, Mr Paul Jones, observed the ignition of the Murrindindi Fire from the fire toweron the summit of Mount St Leonards. Figures 5.16, 5.17 and 5.18 show the progression of thefire. The photographs were taken 15 minutes, 20 minutes and 75 minutes after ignition. MrJones (pers comm) stated that the fire began to exhibit extreme behaviour within 30minutes of ignition and gained this intensity primarily within the Murrindindi State Forest.Figure 5.16 Murrindindi Fire 15 minutes after ignition(Photo: Paul Jones, 7 February 2009)28
Page 2: 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................
Page 5 and 6: 2.0 Conditions leading up to the Fe
Page 7 and 8: of Victoria (excluding the Otways a
Page 9 and 10: Following the first period of the h
Page 11 and 12: 3.0 Rating the conditions of 7 Febr
Page 13 and 14: 4.0 Weather conditions and wildfire
Page 15 and 16: etween the Kilmore East and Murrind
Page 17 and 18: the fire initially spread to the so
Page 19 and 20: The Royal Commission (2009) explain
Page 21 and 22: Figure 5.6 Severe fire intensity im
Page 23 and 24: 5.2.4 Previous prescribed burnsA nu
Page 25 and 26: Figure 5.11 View of Mount Riddell,
Page 27: PrivateLand/Other42%National park28
Page 31 and 32: Figure 5.19 View of the Lower Acher
Page 33 and 34: Map 5.4 Murrindindi fire from ignit
Page 35 and 36: As the fire progressed throughout t
Page 37 and 38: to Classes 4 and 5, with light scor
Page 39 and 40: Figure 5.25 Thinned stand of Alpine
Page 41 and 42: conventionally logged coupes is pro
Page 43 and 44: north-east of Lake Mountain (downwi
Page 45 and 46: 5.5 Churchill fires5.5.1 Fire Dange
Page 47 and 48: Figure 5.36 Severely burnt Radiata
Page 49 and 50: Map 5.8 Severity of the Churchill f
Page 51 and 52: Figure 5.40 Evidence of a spot fire
Page 53 and 54: Figure 5.44 Radiata Pine plantation
Page 55 and 56: 6.0 Other fires in Victoria6.1 Delb
Page 57 and 58: 6.2 Bunyip fireSeveral fires were i
Page 59 and 60: 6.4 Beechworth fireAt 6pm on 7 Febr
Page 61 and 62: 6.6 Daylesford fireOn 23 February 2
Page 63 and 64: 7.0 Overall area fire affectedFor t
Page 65 and 66: days occurring at 22 sites, 19 of w
Page 67 and 68: 10. ConclusionsA number of key issu
Page 69 and 70: Clancy B (2009), Lines a threat in

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