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Fire in the Grampians National Park (GNP)

Greengirl

27-Jan-2006
9:47:27 PM

Like Alison I just got back today after spending 6 days fighting the fire in the Grampians, and I am due back on the fireline at 8am Sunday.

I can confirm that Rosea and Bundaleer are well and truly cooked as is a large part of the Serra range and most likely the Mount William Range, and Mount Difficult Ranges. The fire has unfortunately also made it into the Victoria Range. And it's still going. Keep your fingers crossed for better than forecasted weather on Sunday or there will be nothing left of the GNP.

Once things have settled down if you want to help with rehab I suggest you contact Ant Callaghan (Access Officer for VCC) or the walking tracks guy from Parks Victoria, Halls Gap.

Climb safe.

JamesMc

28-Jan-2006
10:40:59 PM

Map of the burnt areas at this web page

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenfoe.nsf/LinkView/3815545C812B0DF0CA256F890005DEBBB9087B000442FFBCCA256F890006E18B

Looks like all climbing areas in Asses Ears and Mt William Ranges, plus all of Serra Range except Mt Abrupt.

We seem to have big fires these days (thinking of the alpine fires a couple of years ago).

James Mc

armstp

29-Jan-2006
1:38:31 PM

Ridiculously big. In 30+ years climbing in the Gramps I have never seen a fire vaguely this size. This time last year Jerry Maddox and I were climbing on Mt William watching the helicopters drop water on the fire below Redmans with little thought that we could be at any risk. Fires in the Grampians just don’t move that fast or that far. Last Sunday my wife and I were working on our house at Lake Lonsdale listening to the ABC emergency broadcast. Given the conditions we were worried about another fire from the North like the January fire. It would never have occurred to me that a fire way off around Dreamtime Wall area could in any way be a threat to us. After all it had been going for 3 days and had only just reached Teddy Bear Gap. Fires burn in that valley every 5 years or so, it was no big deal and I told Kathy as much when she ventured to express concern about it.

By 7.00pm we had got the hell out of there as the fire approached our very unprepared house and a great cloud of smoke and ash descended on us. Past experience is not always a reliable indicator of future events!

kieranl

29-Jan-2006
9:18:47 PM

Guys, there has been a bushfire thread running for the last week. Can you read that and post there? And why a poll??

There are 4 messages in this topic.