Yea-Murrindindi

Photos and story from Yea-Murrindindi taken by Keith Pakenham, CFA Public Affairs, on Thursday 12 February 2009


Here's my story for 12 Feb 2009:

As I enter the lovely surrounds of Healesville there's still smoke rising from the surrounding hills. In the main street, there's hustle and bustle as usual around the shops with the added smell of smoke drifting through the township. Two Erickson Air-cranes are raising water from the edges of the Maroondah Reservoir to drop in the nearby Black Spur region. There are several outbreaks along the highway in amongst the soft leafy green tree-fern fronds and tall gums which are quickly dealt with by a team of DSE fire-fighters.

Relief crews on Boho tanker were chasing hot-spots and blacking out. There are a multitude of workers clearing trees with machinery and chainsaws, power companies replacing poles and rewiring dropped cables. Phone linesmen were checking telephone exchanges and patching circuits destroyed by the heat while vets were visiting properties along the way. Although some stock was lost other animals survived and were grazing on what feed remained as new supplies were arriving.

The heat has melted the numbers from petrol bowsers. Buxton brigade is hosting meals in the station for passing strike teams which were enjoyed in the midday sun. In nearby Taggerty, the hills to the east were putting up a smoke plume from the Murrindindi fire, which was being worked by Helitacks and ground crews controlled by the ICC at the DSE HQ in Alexandra. Incident Controller Steve Grant chats to the media prior to hosting a briefing for the incoming and outgoing crews. As the weary day shift crews come down from the mountains they tuck into a hearty meal prior to assembling their beds on the huge tent city in the middle of the Alexandra Football Ground. Meanwhile CFA and DSE vehicles are all lined up ready to roll at 8:00 am in the nearby Staging Area with fresh day crews keen to stop the fires.

As night falls, the fresh country air with a chilly breeze drops a layer of dew upon our tents making us think summer is over, but we know better . . .

Yea-Murrindindi