Firies set for ‘week of hell’

National snapshot

VICTORIA is on high alert for more bushfires, with authorities fearing the Surf Coast catastrophe which claimed 116 homes is only the precursor to a looming “week of hell”.

The 2286ha bushfire that ripped through the state’s south has been described as a “sleeping giant” as extreme temperatures are predicted across Victoria for New Year’s Eve.

Danger zones have been highlighted in Bendigo, Ballarat and the Otways, which is tinder dry.

The mercury is set to soar throughout the week, with Melbourne expected to face the hottest temperatures, rising to 37C on Thursday.

The weather forecast has concerned firefighters, who continue to battle the massive blaze near Lorne.

But the week of hell is tipped to start at the beginning of January when the fire ground dries out.

CFA acting operations manager Regional Commander Mark Gunning said the Surf Coast fire would likely flare up when temperatures rose to 34C in the Otways on Thursday.

“It is like a sleeping giant, that fire will still run,” he said of the blaze, which burned at up to 700C.

“Those communities need to be prepared and aware that there’s a big fire on their doorstep. It doesn’t need to be a code red day for (the fire) to destroy towns.”

There were also fears of a potential flare-up of the 4570ha fire at Scotsburn, near Ballarat, which firefighters have managed to contain.

The fire warning comes as authorities confirmed they thought they would lose 200 homes at the Great Ocean Rd town of Wye River, and a joint state and federal government scheme is offering fire-affected residents emergency relief funds of up to $1300.

Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said he did not want to alarm residents with the fire threat but warned people should be prepared.

“This week is a drying week,” he said. “The next belt of hot, windy weather will be the problem.”

Surf Coast locals yesterday questioned what had been done in the lead-up to Christmas to manage the blaze, which was ignited by lightning on December 19.

But Mr Lapsley said all aircraft had been used. Fire retardant and fire gel was also used before the flames flared.

Just before Christmas, 560 locals packed into a community meeting at Lorne and were told the fire was under control and unlikely to be an issue.

But Mr Lapsley said the Otways, normally a wet forest, had become a “tinderbox”.