FEBRUARY brought fires, storms and power outages, with emergency services across Victoria focusing on providing relief to communities who were impacted, while also preparing for ongoing storm and fire threats.
A catastrophic fire danger day on Tuesday 14 in the Wimmera District was the first in Victoria since the Australian Fire Danger Rating System was introduced in 2022.
Two major bushfires broke out on the day; a 2254ha fire in Pomonal that destroyed 45 homes and one commercial property and a 4132ha fire at Dadswells Bridge that destroyed one property.
“Tuesday’s conditions represented the worst fire risk day Victoria had experienced since the 2019/20 fire season and sadly, as a result more than 40 homes were lost in the Grampians region and thousands of hectares of land was burnt across the west of the state,” said CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan
As those fires were burning, storms also ripped through eastern Melbourne and Gippsland.
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In one week alone from February 13, the Victorian State Emergency Service responded to more than 5700 requests for assistance with volunteers working to clear trees and assist with building damage from the storms.
The storms resulted in 530,000 homes being left without power, with crews prioritising essential services, including telecommunications and health, while conducting repairs to restore power to the largest number of customers at once.
Farmers who have experienced fire and storm impacts across the state from the 13 February severe weather events can contact Agriculture Victoria on 0427 694 185 or at recovery@agriculture.vic.gov.au for agriculture recovery assistance or advice, including technical support.
When phoning or emailing, please provide details that include a contact name, phone number and locality with a brief statement about the nature of your concern, so an appropriate member of the Agriculture Recovery Team can contact you.
Farmers who have been impacted by fire or storm events and have urgent animal welfare needs, please contact Agriculture Victoria on 1800 226 226.
