Vol. No. Vol. 2818No. 2727
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Wednesday, January January 14, 13, 2026 2016 Wednesday,
HEARTBREAKING: Michael and Net Sudholz in front of their burnt home on their Natimuk farm – one of 17 homes lost to a devastating 8372-hectare fire, which began in Grass Flat, north-west of Natimuk. Story, page 2. Full fire coverage, pages 2-7. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
FIRESTORM FEROCITY
A
BY LAUREN HENRY
uthorities are still investigating the cause of a fire that claimed 17 homes in Natimuk and surrounding districts on Friday.
Asset losses from the Grass Flat fire sat, as of yesterday, at 17 homes; 15 sheds and outbuildings; 30 stock losses; Natimuk Bowling Club; a business – PJ Flaherty Wool Buyer premises in Natimuk; and countless possessions. The tally is among 179 homes and 500 structures lost to fires across Victoria, as Friday’s catastrophic conditions caused blazes in all parts of the state, claiming the life of a man in the Longwood fire and prompting a ‘State of Disaster’ to be declared. The Grass Flat fire burnt through 8372 hectares of land – double the size of Horsham’s Black Saturday fire
in 2009 – destroying fertile cropping land on several farms. The fire was first detected by Arapiles fire tower at 12.40pm on Friday, and within half an hour had spread from Grass Flat to Three Chain Road. Fire-fighting aircraft were not able to be used due to high winds, gusting up to 98km an hour, and fire crews on the ground went into ‘asset protection mode’ as the fire hit the Natimuk township about an hour later. A wind change moved the fire in an easterly direction, crossing the Wimmera River into Quantong and then Vectis. As the wind eased, fire-fighters were able to get on top of the fire by midafternoon, and a predicted threat to Haven and Horsham lessened. Parts of the fire continued to burn at the weekend, and fire crews remain
on scene, particularly to monitor tree stumps burning and spot fires. As of yesterday, a Watch and Act message was still in place for East Natimuk, Grass Flat, Natimuk, Quantong, Vectis, Vectis East, and Vectis South. Incident controller Peter Shaw said the fire was contained, and now under control. “We are not concerned on the basis that anything that’s still burning is within the fire perimeter and within the control lines,” he said. Mr Shaw said crews were manning the fireground day and night and expected monitoring, particularly of tree fires and hazards, to continue for another couple of weeks. “Just be aware that people will see burning trees and logs on the ground burning – if they’re within the fire
area, they’re relatively safe, as our crews will be patrolling and dealing with those,” he said. The Wimmera Highway reopened to the public on Sunday afternoon and all roads east of the Wimmera River in the Quantong and Vectis area are now open, with some local roads remaining closed due to safety concerns. Power outages affected residents not only in Natimuk, Grass Flat, Arapiles, Duchembegarra and Mitre but as far as Goroke, with many residents’ power reconnected on Saturday night and Sunday. Powercor crews were expected to finish in the area late yesterday, with 26 power poles and associated infrastructure damaged by the fire. Water was restored at Natimuk on Saturday morning, with GWMWater continuing to monitor water quality.
More than 100 people – many who were evacuated and some who were still unaware if their home had survived – attended a community meeting at Horsham Town Hall on Saturday to hear from emergency services, council and service providers, outlining the fire, response efforts and what recovery steps were being undertaken. Country Fire Authority District 17 acting assistant chief fire officer Terry Fradd described Friday’s conditions as ‘atrocious’. “We had people driving in a car from Grass Flat to Natimuk to organise the defence of the fire and they were saying the fire was going as fast as they were in the car,” he said. Continued page 2
IN THIS ISSUE • Police stalwart retires after 50 years • Swimmer death • Wimmera athletes shine Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
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