VOLUNTEERS from across Australia converged on the Grampians this week to help fire-affected landowners.
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Volunteer organisation BlazeAid started rebuilding fences at Laharum on Wednesday.
About 200 kilometres of fencing was destroyed in last month’s bushfire.
Horsham Rural City Council project manager Sue Newall is helping BlazeAid become established in the region.
She said the number of volunteers so far was fantastic.
“We sent about five teams out today to five different properties,” she said on Thursday.
“All up, it was about 26 people who went out.”
She said BlazeAid was pleased with the numbers.
“We could always use more people, though,” she said.
“We’ve had calls coming from everywhere.”
Mrs Newall said many community groups had also volunteered.
“We had St Helens Plains Lions Club come along and students from Ballarat Grammar – so teams of different people are joining in,” she said.
BlazeAid started after Black Saturday destroyed fences across Victoria.
The organisation has been going for five years and relies on volunteers.
It has set up a base camp at Laharum.
Laharum camp co-ordinator Brian Carr said he expected work in the Grampians to take about three
months.
Mr Carr said trailer loads of equipment from
Blaze Aid headquarters in Kilmore arrived at the base camp on Monday.
“Volunteers are provided with three meals a day,” he said.
“We have set up a little city here for them.”
Mr Carr said anyone wanting to help could go to blazeaid.com.au for more information.