Help from above: Water-bombing aircraft assist CFA members to contain a fire at Lake Mokoan in 2010.
This article appeared on page one of the Ensign on Wednesday, January 6, 2010.
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Almost 1000 ha of grass and bushland in the dried-out bed of Lake Mokoan was destroyed in a blaze that burnt out of control on Monday afternoon, January 4, 2010.
A petrol-operated water pump was believed to have sparked the blaze just before 2.30pm, with about 40 fire units, including two water bombing aircraft, needed to contain the fast-moving flames.
CFA Region 23 acting operations manager Ashley Mills said the flames spread quickly in several directions, with reports of burnt materials landing at Lurg, about 15km south of the fire front.
“Erratic weather conditions have made it very difficult to contain,” he said.
“There was wind from the north, the north-west and from the east.
“It’s also been pushed one end of it to the other.
“We’ve had some reports of some benign material falling at Lurg, so it’s far away.”
Mr Mills said Monday’s weather conditions were of average fire danger, but the blaze showed how quickly a spark could flare up.
“No structures, farmlands or crops were destroyed during the blaze, and the fire was under control just before 8pm,” he said.
CFA Region 23 operations officer Paul Horten said the size of the fire could have been contained to a smaller area, but due to its location, access for crews was limited.
“Since it was the old lake bed, we weren’t going to put fire trucks in there because we weren’t sure of the state of the surface,” he said.
With temperatures expected to reach the high 30s, and into the 40s, this week, Mr Horten said fire crews would continue to monitor the burnt-out area.
“Even though we have had the rain recently, we ask that people remain vigilant about fires, especially with the warmer weather approaching,” Mr Horten said.
The lake, formally a natural wetland, was dammed for irrigation supplies in the early 1970s but was decommissioned by the Victorian Government and drained last year.
State Member for Benalla Bill Sykes said the Lake Mokoan fire was a direct consequence of the government’s failure to reduce fuel loads in the bed of the lake.
Dr Sykes said the government was grossly negligent and was putting the properties, lives and livelihoods of people in surrounding areas at risk.
“This is totally unacceptable and must be addressed immediately,” he said.
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