VICTORIA BURNS
VICTORIA'S summer of searing temperatures erupted yesterday into bushfires that killed one, destroyed 44 homes and forced the evacuation of almost 500 people.
Late last night firefighters in the Dandenong Ranges were battling fires at Ferny Creek, Tremont, Upwey, Kalorama and Mount Dandenong for more than 12 hours.
After a south westerly cool change in the early evening brought temperatures down by 15 degrees the fires were still causing havoc and at 10pm the fire front at One Tree Hill Road, Ferny Creek, broke over its control lines.
The blaze was once again threatening communities in Tremont, Ferny Creek and Upwey where at least 35 houses had been lost earlier in the day.
At Goughs Bay near Lake Eildon another blaze threatened a pine plantation and electricity transmission lines. Other fires at Creswick and Golden Beach near Seaspray were also burning out of control but fire fighters had managed to contain a large blaze at Arthurs Seat on the Mornington Peninsula.
As every available fireman in the state was put on standby last night fire officers expressed fears that this was the prelude to a further two months of wildfire devastation.
The CFA's chief fire officer, Mr Trevor Roche compared the situation to days prior to the Ash Wednesday fires on February 1993 and said he was concerned that the outbreaks were so bad so early in the summer.
``This is a rea problem for us. There are six weeks of summer to go and there seems to be a pattern to the hot weather and no sign of significant rain ahead.''
Mr Roche appealed for public co-operation especially from householders in vulnerable areas to clear up around their homes.
The Premier, Mr Kennett was given regular updates on the situation during the afternoon but said that he would be guided by the CFA on whether to declare a state of emergency.
As hundrds of evacuees were marshalled on to recreation reserves and community halls in the Dandenongs and the Mornington Peninsula the Red Cross set up a 24-hour emergency information telphone service on 03-9686-8333 for people anxous to learn the whereabouts of relatives and friends.
The evacuees were being held at Ferny Creek recreation reserve, the Belgrave Football ground, the Mount Dandenong Hotel, the Upwey Recreation reserve and the Ferntree Gully Community centre.
However, families and friends returning to the area found it difficult to find information. All roads into the area were blocked, the train line to Belgrave washalted at Bayswater and the bus route along Burwood Highway cut at Upper Ferntree Gully.
For more than 100 people who could not get home the Department of Human Services arranged emergency accommodation.
From the air the view earlier in the afternoon gave no prospect of victory to the firefighters. Beyond the pyre of the Dandenongs, the suburbs shimmered in the heat, with long drifts of smoke marking other fires. The clouds on the horizon were high and white and far away. The ceaseless north wind ruffled the tops of the unburnt trees. The cool change that would bring a measure of salvation was nowhere to be seen.
Below, formations of firetrucks sent forth their squirts and a growing force of planes and helicopters scooped up water from nearby farmers' dams and sprayed it into the smoky gullies. But they were feeble Davids trying to stand up to a rampant Goliath; the fires marched relentlessly and mindlessly forward.
They save some houses in Belgrave but in Tremont, Upwey, Sassafras and Kalorama 44 houses were destroyed.
Along the ridge to One Tree Hill, where a fire had raged in the morning, houses had been reduced to smouldering ash by a malevolence leaping from the very bush that attracted their owners to the hills in the first place. The randomness was terrifying; neighbors' houses were seemingly unmarked.
By late afternoon, Ferny Creek had been saved. Now Upwey was ablaze, flames rushing down from the national park to engulf two houses and send up a cloud of smoke that even at 1000 metres was like a fog. Fire chiefs redirected their forces there.
