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WIMMERA people are lending support through firefighting and fodder provisions as south-west Victoria begins the long recovery from devastating fires at the weekend. 

About 40,000 hectares have been destroyed after the fires at Garvoc, Terang, Hawkesdale and Camperdown, which started on Saturday and were fanned by winds of up to 104km/h.  

To Monday afternoon, up to 18 homes and hundreds of beef and dairy cattle have been declared lost to the fires.

Hundreds of Wimmera firefighters will attend the fires as members of strike teams. 

The Country Fire Authority’s District 17 operations manager Dale Russell said two strike teams attended a fire at Gazette on Monday. 

The fire at Gazette, near Penshurst and south-east of Hamilton, burnt about 3500 hectares. 

Mr Russell said District 17 would send firefighters on shifts each day. 

He said one group would leave at 7am and one group at 5pm; each shift is about 12 hours. 

“We are sending 15 to 25 people (each shift) depending on availability,” he said. 

“We sent seven firefighting vehicles, two commanding vehicles and then we have Wimmera district firefighters crewing those vehicles.” 

Mr Russell said District 17 received a call for help about 10pm Saturday.

“From about 10.30pm onward they were responding to Hamilton, then went to the Gazette fire,” he said. 

“They were in dire strife, of course. There was something like 70-odd fires between Casterton to Colac on Saturday night. From understanding, they were from lightning. 

“Those people were under the pump and our guys quickly responded after we got the call out.” 

Mr Russell said the main role for Wimmera district firefighters was to help black out the fire.

Blacking out, or mopping up, is patrolling an area after the fire has passed. It might include extinguishing fence posts, tree stumps and other flammable objects which could re-ignite a fire.

Mr Russell said District 17 had continued to send firefighters down to the south-west during Monday, and planned to send another group on Tuesday. 

“There are CFA members who came from all over the Wimmera to go down and support their colleagues down there. We are well aware of the damage and devastation to the Western District (and) Wimmera people are more than happy to help,” he said.  

CFA District 16 duty officer Bernie Fradd said two strike teams from his area had travelled to the fires. They stayed for two days and two nights. 

Mr Fradd said District 16 would have sent up to 200 people to the south-west by Tuesday.

“There are a lot of fence lines, a lot of trees … a lot of stuff that will be on fire and will need putting out and blacking out,” he said. 

Mr Fradd said the weather played a huge part in the outcome in the coming days. 

“If the weather is kind it will be okay – but if the weather picks up with more strong winds, we’re not quite sure what will happen,” he said. 

Mr Fradd said crews were working hard to support the south-west efforts.

“We’re very much in a support role. We’re getting people on buses, getting them down to the trucks, doing a lot of hard work, dragging hoses and squirting things out … it’s boring, it’s hot and it’s messy – but it’s critical to making sure the fires don’t spread any further,” he said. 

Mr Fradd said the fires showed people could not become complacent.

“Fires like that are a good example of what can happen in the event where we would be unlucky enough to get a lot of lightning through, or, through people not paying enough attention to what they are doing,” he said. 

“Stay safe and really alert.” 

Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke, of Murra Warra, said Wimmera farmers had already sent several truckloads of hay to the south-west. 

But he said more was needed throughout the coming days and weeks as south-west farmers worked to assess stock and fodder losses. 

He called on people who could assist could phone the farmers federation 1300 882 833. 

Freight and fuel costs will be reimbursed. 

* Rural areas of Terang, Camperdown, and Cobden are worst hit

* Up to 18 homes lost, plus 42 dairy and machinery sheds

* Dead livestock expected to run into the thousands

* A quarter of the 40,000 hectares burnt are dairy farms

* About 1300 properties have lost power

* Fires began on Saturday, exacerbated by warm weather and wind, with gusts peaking at 109km/h on Sunday

* Lightning is the likely cause of the fires, but Premier Daniel Andrews says police are investigating

* The state and federal governments will provide personal hardship payments of about $1900 per household.

with The Standard and Australian Associated Press