AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2008
Vic: Firefighters scaled back at Bunyip bushfire
By Michelle Draper
MELBOURNE, April 27 AAP - Firefighters have scaled back efforts at a bushfire in state
forest south-east of Melbourne as overnight rain prevented it spreading.
More than 10mm of rain has fallen in the area of the fire, which has burnt up to 800
hectares in the Bunyip State Park, about 9km south-east of Gembrook.
But while the rain has stopped the fire spreading, it is not under control yet.
Incident Controller Rocky Barca said work still needed to be done to build containment
lines around the fire.
"We haven't called the fire contained because there is still a fair amount of work
to do to track the edge of the fire," he told AAP.
"The fire has really died down and the cooler conditions prevented the spread of the fire."
About 40 Department of Sustainability and Environment and Country Fire Authority members
remain at the scene patrolling the fire front and surrounding areas.
Firefighters numbers have been reduced from about 200 yesterday, as rain stopped the
fire spreading but also caused steep terrain to become muddied and too hazardous for trucks
to access, Mr Barca said.
"The rain is a blessing but also a curse," he said.
The fire is continuing to burn in a slight southerly, but more easterly direction, he said.
But properties which were just 1.5km from the fire yesterday should now be in the clear, he said.
The Bureau of Meteorology's forecast for more rain over the next few days was good
news and it is unlikely firefighters numbers would be boosted again, Mr Barca said.
A community meeting scheduled for 10.30am (AEST) today will still go ahead at the Tonimbuk
Hall to update residents on the fire situation.
Firefighters and police will continue to investigate the cause of the fire, which broke
out on Friday and is being treated as suspicious.
AAP md/gfr/jt
KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC DAYLEAD
2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
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