The Great Divide Fires of 2006/07 were the longest running bushfires in Victoria’s fire history. On 1 December 2006, over 70 fires were caused by lightening strikes. Many of these fires eventually merged to become the Great Divide Complex, which lasted 69 days and burnt approximately 1,048,000 hectares of public and private land. Multiple other fires occurred simultaneously across the state. Fifty-one houses, including twenty-one principle residences, and hundreds of stock and farm fences were lost in the fires. One man died in a vehicle accident while assisting a property owner to prepare for fire impact. By the 7th February, more than 1400 firefighters had been injured (including bruises, cuts, blisters, burns, dehydration, broken limbs and spider bites). More than 400 St John Ambulance volunteers, including doctors, nurses and first aid officers provided first aid. On 16 December, eleven New Zealand firefighters were injured while fighting the fire in the Howqua Valley in north-east Victoria. Six of the eleven firefighters were affected by serious burns, including to the face and airways, and smoke inhalation and they were admitted to hospital. Five other firefighters were taken to hospital and treated for a range of less serious injuries and returned to crew accommodation. Several major public infrastructure assets were threatened. Major power lines were cut on 16 January 2007 and severely disrupted Melbourne power supplies. On the same day, a fire threatened to close Tullamarine Airport. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) worked with Melbourne Water to keep the fires out of the water catchments. Hundreds of people across the state were evacuated as a result of the fires. Relief centres were established for evacuees. The tourist complex at Mount Buller was evacuated on the 9th December and was closed due to the fire threat, resulting in significant loses in tourism trade. Snow making machines were used to protect the multimillion dollar infrastructure. Between 700-1000 guests at Thredbo Village in NSW were also evacuated on 17 January after a fire that was started by lightning at Hermit Mountain in Victoria on 12 January spread across the border. The Victorian community was significantly impacted by the fires. Numerous schools were forced to close due to the fire threat in the high country and into Gippsland, and some schools banned outdoor play due to the smoke haze. The smoke haze caused respiratory symptoms and aggravated conditions such as asthma. It also slowed traffic and delayed flights in and out of Melbourne airport. The environment Protection Authority recorded its worst bushfire smoke since records began, with visibility reduced to 2km in Melbourne’s central business district on 20th December. Throughout the fire season, the Country Fire Authority, DSE and Parks Victoria received operational assistance from other states and a significant international contingent: - ACT - 37 personnel
- NSW - 1050 personnel
- NT - 108 personnel
- SA - 10 personnel
- Qld - 14 personnel
- WA - 20 personnel
- Canada - 52 personnel
- New Zealand - 115 personnel
- USA - 114 personnel
The Department of Defence also provided 22 personnel and engineering equipment to support to the bushfire operations. Other support agencies included Victoria Police, Victoria State Emergency Service (more than 800 volunteers) and the Victoria Department of Human Services.
The Victorian Government and Federal Government provided financial assistance to assist personal, physical and economic recovery from the fire disaster. Further information on the fires is obtained in the July 2007 report by Ross Smith - Key issues identified from Operational Reviews of Major Fires in Victoria 2006/07, available on the Department of Sustainability and Environment website: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/dse/nrenfoe.nsf/Home+Page/DSE+Fire~Home+Page?open |