More than 70 fire crews from around the Camperdown & Lismore region, worked into the night to ensure an out of control bushfire that was burning north of Camperdown remained inside containment lines.
Communities around Kariah, Leslie Manor, Larralea and Taaraak, along with Berrybank, Foxhow, Gnarkeet, Gnarpurt and Lismore were all included in watch and act, and emergency warnings as the fire continued to spread.
According to Incident Control Dave Stephens, a sudden wind change in the middle of the afternoon led to the rapid spread of the fire, which created concerns for the township of Lismore.
There are unconfirmed reports that one abandoned property has been lost along with some other infrastructure like hay sheds.
It’s also feared that hundreds of livestock have also perished after the fire tore through heavily populated farm land.
Speaking to South West Local News, Dave couldn’t confirm what the cause of the fire was, however it will be investigated thoroughly in the coming days.
The Corangamite Shire confirmed that an emergency relief centre was opened at the Derrinallum community hall.
WATCH OUR SPECIAL SOUTH WEST LOCAL NEWS REPORT SPEAKING TO INCIDENT CONTROLLER DAVE STEPHENS, CORANGAMITE SHIRE MAYOR KATE MAKIN, AND POWERCOR’S JORDAN OLIVER.
