Fears Western District Blaze Could Flare Again

The Age

Thursday January 13, 2005

SASHA SHTARGOT

TOM Silcock spent yesterday surveying the charred remains of much of his sheep stud property near Balmoral in Western Victoria.

Mr Silcock lost 2500 sheep on Tuesday, including lambs worth $10,000 each, as a massive bushfire, fanned by strong northerly winds, swept through his property and other farms bordering the Black Range State Park.

"It's a pretty tough situation, we've lost nearly all our rams. The first just hit so quickly. One minute it's way away and the next minute, boof," Mr Silcock said.

The local community had rallied to help him and other farmers affected by the blaze, he said.

Sheep farmer Wendell Timms watched in horror as a wall of flame descended on his property from nearby scrub land.

"We've been very lucky. We've saved the house and nobody got burnt," he said.

Last night 400 CFA and Department of Sustainability and Environment firefighters were struggling to contain the blaze in the state park.

The fire had burnt through 8200 hectares of the park and nearby farmland after starting just after 2pm on Tuesday.

Four planes and three helicopters, including the Elvis firefighting helicopter, yesterday dropped water on the blaze.

One house was lost on Tuesday, but no people have died.

Firefighters said they were concerned the fire could break containment lines today with hot conditions expected.

"With the severe conditions of heat and wind, we are concerned that the fire could flare up again," a CFA spokesman said.

© 2005 The Age

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