Between 18 and 21 November 2019, many high temperature records were set across southern Australia and followed very much warmer than average and drier than average conditions through most of the year. Victoria's (VIC) bushfire season started in earnest on 21 November when a total fire ban was declared for the entire state and code red (catastrophic) fire danger conditions were forecast for the state's west. In Northern Country and the Mallee, 221 schools and early learning centres were closed as a precaution. Elsewhere, several national parks and state forests were also closed, before lightning ignited a series of fires in East Gippsland, initially endangering the communities of Buchan, Buchan South and Sunny Point.
Storm activity increased during the day, with the VIC State Emergency Service (SES) receiving 2,042 requests for assistance, primarily for fallen trees and building damage. The storms also caused power outages, with a peak of approximately 130,000 households without power.
One hundred and fifty fires started in Victoria that day, burning 326,000 hectares (ha). By day's end, around 60 fires remained active, including a large fire in the state's north near Shepparton, three large fires in East Gippsland, and a fastmoving grass fire at Mount Glasgow, north of Ballarat. By 25 November, two of the East Gippsland fires, near Bruthen and Gelantipy, had grown to 1,750 ha and 600 ha respectively, while in the north-east of the state, a 300 ha fire was burning in the Mount Bogong area.
On 20 December, another total fire ban was declared for Victoria and a new December maximum temperature record of 47.9C was set at Hopetoun and Horsham. One hundred and ten new fires broke out that day; a fire near Marthavale grew rapidly, endangering the communities of Tambo Crossing, Ensay and others. The Great Alpine Road was closed between Ensay and Bruthen and by next morning, the fire had caused power and mobile phone outages north of Ensay and from Bruthen to Omeo. Over the following days, several smaller fires began to combine, creating large fires that threatened several communities and critical infrastructure.
Due to predictions of worsening fire conditions, VIC authorities broadcast warnings to residents and visitors to leave high risk areas in a 15,000 square kilometre area stretching from Bairnsdale to Cann River and the New South Wales (NSW) border. More than 60,000 people are estimated to have evacuated the East Gippsland and Hume regions as a result.
On 30 December, another state-wide total fire ban was declared as multiple new fires started from dry lightning in the Grampians, Hume and Gippsland regions. Three fires in East Gippsland with a combined area of more than 130,000 ha remained active; some fires burned with sufficient intensity to create pyrocumulonimbus clouds that generated local thunder and lightning. The road network was significantly impacted by these fires and access was cut to a number of communities, sometimes for several days. A Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) contractor died in a vehicle rollover.
Early in the morning on New Year's Eve, the Banana Track fire reached the coastal town of Mallacoota in the state's far east. Several thousand people were isolated in the town and more than 60 homes were destroyed. Escape routes were cut off and an estimated 4,000 people gathered on the town's foreshore, protected by the local Country Fire Authority (CFA) brigade, three CFA strike teams, FFMV firefighters and VIC Police personnel.
Seven emergency warnings were in place across East Gippsland for more than 80 communities that day. A fire approached the coastal town of Lakes Entrance and an emergency warning was issued for an estimated 30,000 residents and holidaymakers there and in surrounding areas. Many people heeded the warnings and evacuated.
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2019 BUSHFIRES IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
Kurgu Olmayanthis is about the bushfires that happeded in 2019, that effected mallacoota and other areas around the state
