Bushfires in Victoria kill 14 more deaths feared

[Tay_]

A CALLOUS thief who made off with fire relief money being collected at a suburban RSL club has struck again.

The man stole two collection tins from a pharmacy in Heaths Rd, Hoppers Crossing, at 7pm yesterday.

That came a day after he walked to the counter of the Werribee RSL on Wednesday, prised open the lid of a charity tin and helped himself to cash.

The tin, clearly marked with the words "Donations for Fire Victims", was locked onto the counter.

After that theft, at 9pm, police are investigating whether the same man walked into another pokies venue and looked around the counter area before leaving.

Leading Sen-Con Pauline Toohey said people would be disgusted.

"We don't know what to say. There have been so many tears shed by all Victorians, all Australians, and all police members.

"We've all witnessed tremendous valour and comraderie, as all walks of life pull together on this one. And then we see this.

"Despicable is a word - but not strong enough. We are speechless. But we will investigate this matter throughly and prosecute the offender," leading Sen-Const.Toohey said.

The suspect is described as aged in his 20s or 30s, of olive complexion and has a black bandage on his left arm.

Security images and video of a man police may be able to help with their investigation had been released.

Meanwhile, a suspected burglar will face court today accused of trying to steal money raised by schoolchildren.

The man was arrested after he allegedly broke into a school at Ferny Creek this morning, taking thousands of dollars in donations.

Police arrived at the Ferny Creek Primary School about 3.30am after reports of the break-in.

Officers found windows had been smashed to gain entry into the school and several offices had been disturbed before cash and cheques collected during a fundraising rally were taken.

Police then chased down the man as he ran from the school and arrested him on the school grounds.

A 36-year-old man will face charges of burglary and theft and is expected to appear in court later today.

And a 16-year-old Thomastown youth has been remanded in custody after an investigation into the theft of charity money on Wednesday.

The youth was arrested about 2.30am today in High St, Epping and faced an out of session court hearing.

He was charged with two counts of theft and one count of possessing the proceeds of crime.

The youth is due to face a Children's Court later today.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the website www.crimestoppers.com.au

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...4-2862,00.html

[Tay_]

THE firefighter who gave an injured koala a drink of water in a burnt-out forest will be recognised by an animal rights group.

"Sam" the koala was spotted by Victorian volunteer firefighter David Tree moving around on scorched paws.

Mr Tree crouched down and offered the furry marsupial a gulp from his water bottle, which she accepted.

An image was taken of the moment and broadcast on the internet and in newspapers, capturing hearts the world over.

Now Mr Tree's efforts have earned him recognition from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia-Pacific.

The organisation announced on Saturday Mr Tree would receive the Hero to Animals Award for the rescue, which occurred on February 1 as part of backburning operations near Mirboo North, about 150km east of Melbourne.

Those fires destroyed 30 houses, cars and other property before being contained, but extinguished, on February 7.

No one was killed in those fires, though 181 people have died in other blazes in the state, some suspected to have been deliberately lit.

"This tragedy has shown the best and worst in people," PETA director Jason Baker said.

"The compassion that David Tree showed in caring for Sam is an inspiration to others throughout the community and beyond."

PETA has also written to the Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions urging it to pursue animal cruelty charges after up to one million native animals perished in the fires.

"Because scores of animals weren't as lucky as Sam, PETA is strongly urging the prosecutor to pursue cruelty-to-animals charges," Mr Baker said.

Sam is doing well after being taken into the care of the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson, east of Melbourne, where fires continue to burn

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...72-661,00.html

[Tay_]

POLICE say a man charged over one of Victoria's deadly bushfires must be allowed a fair trial.

Police say a man charged over one of Victoria's deadly bushfires must be allowed a fair trial.

The community can have faith in the justice system, they say.

The man, whose identity cannot be released, was arrested on Friday and charged with crimes including arson and possessing child pornography.

He is accused of lighting the Churchill fire, which killed 21 people.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana said he believed the man could get a fair trial and called on the public to allow the justice system to do its job.

``We have got to respect the system, our whole justice system is based on providing fairness to everyone that's charged ... because there is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty,'' he said.


The man remains in custody and is due to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday.

The latest figures released by the government show the number of homes destroyed in the state's bushfires has risen by three to 1,834, the death toll remains at 181 and has not changed since Tuesday.


The number of people displaced is 7,500, according to the Red Cross.

Centrelink has issued 3,300 bushfire survivors with nearly $3 million in immediate needs grants.
Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin urged people who wanted to help bushfire survivors to donate money rather than goods, as welfare organisations had been overwhelmed by donations of goods.

Meanwhile, emergency services have welcomed forecasts of milder weather for Victoria and say it will help their battle to contain several ongoing bushfires.

There are 4,500 firefighters battling 12 blazes in Victoria.


``The weather forecast for the next week that's been provided to us by the bureau is very encouraging for firefighters,'' CFA deputy chief officer Geoff Conway said.

``The conditions will remain not so much benign, but they're certainly quite mild.''

He said these conditions would allow firefighters to continue consolidating control lines and backburning

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...79-661,00.html

[Tay_]

THE man accused of starting one of the deadly Victoria fires, which killed at least 21 people in Gippsland on Black Saturday, was rejected by a woman but was looking for true love.

On his MySpace page, 39-year-old Brendan Sokaluk described himself as a "young happy male" who wants to meet a woman and get married.

"My interest are to enjoy life to the fallest (sic) and not with ........ because she roots behind your back and lies a lot," he wrote.

He lists "mother earth" as his hero because "without her we all would be dead".

Mr Sokaluk failed to appear at a court hearing in Melbourne this morning. He was remanded in custody until a committal hearing, which will be held on May 26.

Mr Sokaluk, who faces charges including arson causing death and possession of child pornography, can now be named after a court order banning publication of his name was lifted. However the order remains barring publication of his address or a photo of him

A lawyer representing media outlets told the hearing to overturn the suppression order that no evidence had been called to say the man was in danger. He said murderers and pedophiles appeared in court every day and their names were not suppressed.

Magistrate John Klestadt said it had been widely reported that members of the Churchill community already knew the man's identity.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon appealed yesterday to potential vigilantes not to take the law into their hands with suspected arsonists.

"I know people are angry, and so are all of us in this community," she said.

"But we need to kind of have a sense that the proper processes are in place, and we need to go through the investigation and through the court case."

Police are also investigating the Marysville fire, in which up to 100 people might have died, as being possibly deliberately lit. Arsonists have set more fires since the disaster occurred more than a week ago. A fire at Tecoma yesterday might have been deliberately lit, police said.

Eight fires are still burning out of control in Victoria, but no towns are currently in danger. Mild weather is expected to help fire crews battle the blazes but authorities have warned a turn in conditions could renew the threat

Volunteer

Mr Sokaluk was a volunteer member of a country fire brigade, whose members cheated death fighting the bushfire. He joined the local Country Fire Authority brigade in the 1980s, The Australian reported this morning.

He was arrested in Churchill, east of Melbourne, on Friday and was charged with intentionally or recklessly causing a bushfire and possessing child pornography, along with the arson causing death charge.

He was whisked out of Morwell on Friday as enraged locals pounded on the doors of the police van, has been brought to Melbourne for his own safety and to defuse the community backlash in Gippsland.

Although the 21 deaths there have been overshadowed by the higher tolls to the north of Melbourne, they are the worst in living memory in a bushfire and have triggered an outpouring of anger that the Churchill fire could have been deliberately lit.

The arson charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years, and the bushfire charge a maximum penalty of 15 years. The charges relate to incidents that occurred on Saturday, February 7

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...88-421,00.html

[Tay_]

THE official death toll from the Victoria fires has risen to 189.

Today's figure is the first update given by police since the toll reached 181 last Thursday.

It included 43 from Marysville, which is expected to have lost 100 of its 500 residents.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe announced the figure after victim identification experts had scoured the wreckage of properties in towns such as Marysville and Narbethong.

"Police have completed their search in open areas," said.

He said officers and forensic experts had now begun searching in more difficult areas and warned it would take some time for a final toll to be declared.

He also said some victims would not be identified at all.

Earlier, Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin said recovering and identifying remains was complex and difficult

The most important thing was that families of missing bushfire victims were given correct information, he said.

"The sensitivity is to get it right," Mr Esplin said.

"It's a huge task and it's a hugely sensitive task for the police, fire services and the defence force that are supporting them in recovering remains and appropriately identifying remains.

"And it's most important that the families get the right information and they get that information correctly, that there are no mistakes made."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...13-421,00.html

[Tay_]

THE death toll from the Victoria fires has climbed from 189 to 200.

The Kinglake fire complex has killed 139 and the Marysville complex, 43.

Ten people died in the Churchill fire, two in Mudgegonga, one in Bendigo and five in hospital.

Meanwhile, anger at accused bushfire arsonist Brendan Sokaluk has led to threats against a member of his family and harassment of a former girlfriend.

Mr Sokaluk, 39, is charged with lighting the Churchill fire, which killed at least 10 people, and is in custody at a secret location amid fears vigilantes will harm him.

He has been charged with one count each of arson causing death, intentionally lighting a bushfire and possessing child pornography.

Victoria's Supreme Court today heard there had been threats to at least one member of Mr Sokaluk's family

At a hearing to decide whether a suppression order banning publication of Mr Sokaluk's image should be lifted, the accused arsonist's lawyer Julian McMahon revealed news of the threats.

"There have been ... threats made to one other family member at least that I'm aware of," Mr McMahon said.

"Not only is there the understandable community anger which suddenly has a focus point, there's also vicious hatred appearing in another kind of medium.

"Facebook groups were ... showing my client's photo and calling for his torture and death."

Most of the Facebook pages relating to Mr Sokaluk have since been removed and the accused arsonist's MySpace page has been taken down.

The comments came the same day the mother of Mr Sokaluk's former girlfriend publicly called for understanding at their situation.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, is the mother of Alexandra, who was in a three-month relationship with Mr Sokaluk last year.

"Our family has already experienced harassment and community ill-feeling as a result of the media linking our family with the accused," she said.

She said her daughter had a stable job that she enjoyed and was a valuable member of the local community.

"We fear this could be jeopardised by the current publicity," she said in a statement distributed by police.

Mr McMahon said there was a "very ugly aspect" to the media reporting in the case, and identity could also be an issue at any trial of Mr Sokaluk.

The court case to decide whether Mr Sokaluk's image can be shown will return to court on Friday.

Meanwhile Victoria Police want to ban messages being posted on internet blogs about Mr Sokaluk.

"It could (jeopardise the case) - Victoria police are taking some action to take a look at that," Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said.

"We'll talk with the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) and we'll also make some inquiries with the blogging side of it, whether we can have it removed.

"We don't want anything to take place, we don't want anything to be done, that might jeopardise a fair trial down the track."

Victorian Premier John Brumby called on the public to let justice takes its course.

"I know how angry we all feel about what's occurred, but I can't comment on specific cases and the community as a whole must let justice take its course and that's a matter now for the courts."

Mr Sokaluk has been remanded in custody to appear at a committal mention on May 26.

He has not entered a plea nor applied for bail

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...91-421,00.html

[Tay_]

A firefighter has been killed and another injured in Marysville and Healesville.

- Hit by falling tree
- First firefighter death
- Toll revised to 200


Victoria Police said a 58-year-old firefighter from the ACT was killed by a falling tree near Marysville about 6.15 last night.

The man, from Banks, was trying to connect a hose to the back of his strike team's tanker when he was hit by the tree, police said.

A paramedic stationed with the firefighters tried to revive the man, but he died at the scene.

The other member's of the unit, who were also members of the ACT Fire Brigade, were unharmed.

The man's death is believed to be the first of a firefighter in the devastating blazes that started on Black Saturday.

It came shortly after police updated the death toll to 200.

A police spokeswoman said another firefighter was injured at Healesville at about 2pm.

The injured firefighter, from NSW, was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital and was in a stable condition last night.

A Department of Sustainability and the Environment spokesman said a falling tree limb hit the NSW fireman.

The death toll rose by 11 yesterday, with most of them in the Kinglake complex of fires. The Kinglake toll rose by four to 37, while at Steels Creek the toll rose by three to 10.

The Strathewen toll climbed by two, taking the number of deaths in the hamlet to 42. The toll also climbed by one at St Andrews (to 21) and Strath Creek (2).

The latest toll for Marysville is 39, although this is expected to rise.

Firefighters said yesterday they were getting on top of the bushfires, with just six major blazes still out of control.

A DSE spokesman said the Beechworth fires and those that were part of the Delburn complex had been contained.

Favourable weather, including possible showers, was also expected to help.

The largest fires still out of control are the two parts of the Kilmore East-Murrindindi complex.

The other uncontrolled fires are at the Bunyip State Park, near Churchill, Dargo and Wilson's Promontory

http://www.theage.com.au/national/fa...0217-8aa3.html

[Tay_]

The Country Fire Authority has been accused of blocking city firefighters from helping fight the horrific blazes that burnt Victoria and claimed at least 208 lives.

Leaked emails accuse CFA management of blocking Metropolitan Fire Brigade and CFA professional firefighters, and incompetently handling the fires.

The United Firefighters Union will tell the royal commission into the fires that the CFA panicked and was ill-prepared despite knowing conditions would be the worst in Victoria's history.

The taxpayer-funded firefighters, who are better trained than volunteers, say overseas and interstate crews have been flown in while up to 1200 of them were available but have sat around during, and since, the savage blazes of February 7.

The CFA and MFB deny the claims and say the firefighters and equipment were used "appropriately".

The union claims CFA managers, or incident controllers, blocked MFB crews from fighting fires at at least two locations.

One incident controller told the MFB crew: "Over my dead body are we gonna use you," union secretary Peter Marshall claimed.

"The MFB commander went back and briefed the troops and said `This is the attitude, they don't wanna use us'," he said.

"At (another location), an MFB taskforce was not deployed by the CFA incident controller because of parochial issues ... when they actually got in there the CFA said: `Where have you been? ... we've been waiting for you for ages, we needed you'.

"This is dynamite. It's hard to say it cost lives but resources that have been paid for by the community in the form of fire appliances and personnel sat idle while people lost their houses and indeed their life."

The UFU has been swamped with emails from members frustrated at not being sent to fight the fires.

One says: "I am probably just another one of hundreds who are totally frustrated at the inability of the CFA to utilise its own career personnel. I look at the news footage and see volunteers dead on their feet ... we are sitting on our arses."

One paid CFA firefighter said he was one of about six professionals who sat doing nothing at a station in Melbourne's outer north when the fire started.

"We listened to the events including guys getting burnt out but we were not deployed," he said.

"We contacted the duty officers and said: `We are here!' I don't think they knew.

"There are 200 (CFA) career firefighters who are disgusted about it but too fearful to put pen to paper or stand in front of a camera over it because of their careers."

Another firefighter from near Geelong said professional firefighters were prevented from joining the fight.

He said CFA management wrongly thought there were no professional firefighters available.

Parochialism and politics are the worst problems, the firefighters say, with CFA managers viewing the MFB as rivals for funds, bolstering arguments for merging the two.

Some CFA volunteers also don't want outsiders fighting fires on their turf.

"If you're in a house and there's a wildfire coming down your road, you don't care what service they're from ... you just want a fire truck and emergency personnel to protect you," Mr Marshall said.

"We had all that personnel - and state-of the-art equipment - that the public of Victoria pay for, sitting on their bottoms wanting to be deployed.

"More will come out in the royal commission.

"The volunteers performed fantastically and very bravely but if fundamentally there are problems that shouldn't have happened, I believe that needs looking at in a very major way."

CFA chief officer Russell Rees said all firefighters were used appropriately.

"There's no question the MFB were used appropriately and are still being used in specialised areas such as victim identification," he said.

MFB spokesman Simon Breer said the brigade had provided up to 1000 personnel and he did not believe there was a problem with its involvement

http://www.theage.com.au/national/cf...q.html?page=-1

[Tay_]

THE death toll from Victoria's deadly bushfires has risen to 208.

Victoria Police figures released late yesterday show that the number killed in the Kinglake fires has increased to 144.

The toll in Marysville rose by six to 45, and Senior Sergeant Jef Maher of the Phoenix Taskforce last night told residents of the devastated town: "We are expecting to find no more bodies up in Marysville."

The statistics also included the death of Canberra firefighter David Balfour, who was killed on Tuesday when a branch weakened by the flames fell on his fire truck as he was connecting a hose to put out spot fires near Marysville. Benign weather conditions yesterday significantly helped Wilsons Promontory firefighters battling a major bushfire that has burnt more than 25 per cent of the park.

The winds dropped significantly yesterday, allowing more water bombing flights by the skycrane and planes that have been attacking the fire.

The park's chief ranger, Brett Mitchell, who is also the incident controller in charge of the fight against the blaze, said that while the fire was burning intensely in the Darby Swamp region, it was moving only slowly.

"The fire has grown to about 13,300 hectares, so it hasn't grown significantly overnight," Mr Mitchell said. "It's burning largely in a portion of what we call the Darby Swamp area. (And) it's heading in a southerly direction towards Tidal River."

But Mr Mitchell said he was confident that firefighters would stop the fire from reaching Tidal River. And he said crews working on the northern side of the fire, near the hamlet of Yanakie, had nearly contained this flank.

Hard to access terrain and the twin issues of rainforest-like conditions in some areas, combined with prolonged drought in others, is presenting challenges for fire crews establishing control lines around the 220,000-hectare Kilmore East-Murrindindi fire ahead of predicted hot and windy weather conditions next week.

Towns in the Upper Yarra area close to the huge fire complex, including Warburton and Powelltown, are warned to be alert for spot fires on Sunday and Monday when a northerly wind change is forecast.

More than 300 personnel and 96 fire trucks are working to contain the fire.

Crews in the Yarra Ranges National Park at the southern end of the fire are working on a 30-kilometre containment line that has firefighters backburning in scrub that is then "mopped up" by teams of four and five people using hoses and hand tools.

But thick, damper undergrowth has made some fires difficult to ignite while parched gullies that would have normally been used as natural fire breaks can no longer be relied upon due to persistent drought.

The result, the Department of Sustainability and Environment's deputy chief officer Liam Fogarty said, would be a "mosaic" of burnt and untouched forest that fire crews hope will be enough to protect nearby communities and water catchments.

DSE's chief fire officer Ewan Waller said all available resources were being spent on carving out the containment lines, but he was "'quite concerned" the fire could spread further into Melbourne's water catchment and threaten towns

http://www.theage.com.au/national/de...0.html?page=-1

[Tay_]

A PERMANENT shrine will be built to commemorate the victims and heroes of the Black Saturday bushfires.

As the nation pauses today to pay its respects to those who died in the Victoria fires, the Brumby and Rudd governments will announce a $2.5 million fund for memorials to pay tribute to those who perished.

The cash will include grants of up to $200,000 for fire-ravaged communities to build memorials, monuments or plaques in their towns, the Sunday Herald Sun reports.

The governments also plan to build a major fire victims' shrine of remembrance, either off St Kilda Rd, in Fitzroy Gardens, Flowerdale or Kinglake.

Yesterday, four major fires were still burning in Bunyip State Park, Kilmore East-Murrindindi North, Kilmore-Murrindindi East and Wilsons Promontory

A CFA spokesman said there were fears strong winds and high temperatures forecast for tomorrow could intensify the fires.

More than 100,000 people are expected to unite in grief in a memorial service to be held today at Rod Laver Arena and screened live at Hisense Arena, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Federation Square and Docklands' Waterfront City.

Premier John Brumby said a shrine to the bushfire victims would allow Victorians to pay their respects forever.

"The horrible events of Black Saturday will affect many communities forever and we want to ensure each community has a place and a symbol to help them through their recovery," he said.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said memorials would "give people a place to grieve, a place to honour those they have lost and a place to acknowledge the impact of this tragedy on their lives".

At 11am today, church bells will toll throughout the state to mark the National Day of Mourning and the start of Melbourne's memorial service.

Hundreds of bushfire victims, along with Mr Rudd, Mr Brumby and premiers from NSW, SA, Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia, will attend the service, which has been modelled on those held to honour victims of the Bali bombings and September 11 terrorist attacks.

Princess Anne was expected to fly into Melbourne this morning for the service, representing her mother, the Queen.

She was due to meet survivors after the service and tour areas hit by the bushfires.

Rod Laver Arena has been transformed into a makeshift mega-cathedral for the service, complete with big screens, special sound and lighting and space for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Fire victims, Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Victorian Governor David de Kretser, Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon and Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart will be among the speakers at the event.

Thousands will also flock to town halls and sports grounds across regional Victoria to watch the ceremony.

The service will end with a minute's silence and a message of hope from Mr Rudd.

But police and security services have been briefed to be on the lookout for extremists trying to derail the special day.

The US-based Westboro Baptist Church, which last week blamed the fires on Australia's sins, posted a message on its website stating it planned to picket Rod Laver Arena.

Youth Affairs Minister James Merlino yesterday warned troublemakers to stay away.

"I want to assure the victims of the bushfires and the general public who are going to come to this event in their tens of thousands that we've got our usual security arrangements in place," he said.

Australians have raised more than $139 million to support those affected by the fires

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...000540,00.html

[Tay_]

A HOME at Belgrave Heights in Melbourne's outer east has been lost as Victorian fires burn out of control once more.

Fires are out-of-control in Melbourne's outer east, central Victoria and Gippsland, as the official toll from the devastating Black Saturday blazes hit 210.

It is also understood a primary school is on fire at Upper Ferntree Gully and the roads are choked with traffic, as police establish roadblocks in the region, the Herald Sun reports.

Authorities had warned nearby residents were under threat before the home was lost late this afternoon.

Two firefighters have also been injured fighting a blaze in Upwey and have been taken to Dandenong hospital with minor burns.

Two fire fighting units have been taken out of action in the latest emergency, with one tanker from the Upper Ferntree Gully strike unit burnt and a Scoresby truck severely damaged by fire

The main Upwey fire has now spread over 100ha fire, with 20 tankers and three aircraft battling the blaze.

An urgent threat message has been issued for a fire burning 5km south of Daylesford, near Muskvale in central Victoria.

The communities of Blakeville, Leonards Hill, Spargo Creek, Korweinguboora have been warned they may be directly impacted by the fire and may experience smoke and ember attack.

Fire is also threatening the communities of Upwey, Tecoma, Belgrave Heights, Belgrave South and Belgrave.

The communities of Selby, Lysterfield and Narre Warren East have been told to be alert for fire in the area.

An urgent threat message has also been issued for a fire burning 5km east of Won Wron in Gippsland.

Residents near Fannings Boundary Track between Napier Rd and Carrajung Woodside Rd have been told to activate their fire plans and prepare for direct impact from the fire.

At least 50 firefighters are battling the Upwey blaze and they have called for aerial support.

The fire started about 2.38pm. It is one of several burning across Victoria that is being fuelled by hot weather and notherly winds.

The Kilmore East Murrindindi South complex fire remains the main concern for firefighters with residents in the upper Yarra Valley from Warburton to the Upper Yarra Dam on alert for fire activity.

Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman Kevin Monk said the fire was burning about 4km north of Warburton.

"We have still got alert messages current for the whole of the upper Yarra Valley," he said.

"People who are concerned about their wellbeing should have left by now. It's important the roads are available for fire fighting vehicles."

He said fire behaviour would increase as the temperature climbed above 30C and the northerly winds picked up speed.

The mercury has already hit 30C in Melbourne and many surrounding suburbs.

Read more about the latest fire threat at the Herald Sun

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...4-1243,00.html

[Tay_]

ABOUT 500 firefighters are battling to contain a 2800 hectare bushfire burning northwest of Melbourne.

Eight aircraft and 96 tankers were in place near Daylesford and surrounding communities, a Country Fire Authority (CFA) spokeswoman said today.

The Muskvale Hogans Road fire is burning five kilometres south of Daylesford in an easterly direction.

Meanwhile, firefighters have contained a 300ha blaze near Upwey, about 40km from Melbourne's CBD, which started about 2.30pm (AEDT) yesterday and spread through the Birdlands Reserve.

The CFA and Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) confirmed today that no houses had been lost in the blaze, but two sheds were destroyed.

"We bombed that fire heavily from the air and managed to save all houses," DSE spokesman Stuart Ord told Channel 9.

"Today we'll sit on that, we'll make sure everything is blacked out and really get that one totally controlled."

Two firefighters suffered minor burns while battling the Upwey blaze, one fire truck was destroyed and another was damaged

Mr Ord said both firefighters were taken to hospital and one had been released.

He said it was crucial that other fires burning around the state, including the blaze near Daylesford, were brought under control before Friday.

"On Friday we've got some pretty bad weather coming through," he said.

"It's not going to be a good day. It's going to be very high temperatures in the mid to high 30s in various parts of the state.

"We're going to have strong northerly winds so it's really going to put pressure on all fires that are still burning."

Mr Ord said the town of Warburton could come under ember attack on Friday if an 80,000ha fire broke containment lines

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...-29277,00.html

[Ghaith]

We had our own close encounter with the fires yesterday. That Upwey/Belgrave fire was burning two ridges back from our place which is near Lysterfield mosque. We were sort of due west of where the fire was yesterday afternoon and at about 3:30-4:00 the smoke was pretty bade but Alhamdulillah the change came through shortly after that and turned the fire north and by 'Isha time the smoke near us had cleared away.

We hadn't really thought about a fire plan before yesterday but this brought home to us that from that direction we are sort of the last of the settled suburban areas and there isn't much after us other than bushland and some hobby farms.

[Tay_]

FIREFIGHTERS are still battling blazes on Melbourne's eastern fringes and in central Victoria ahead of what could be another horror day on Friday.

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) has been able to downgrade urgent situations at Upwey in the Dandenong Ranges and at Daylesford northwest of Melbourne, but has warned residents to be alert.

At Upwey, a fire that started in the Birdlands Reserve on Monday has been contained but the CFA has warned residents in adjacent areas to be on the lookout for flying embers in the tinder-dry conditions.

"Even though the fire is not currently posing a threat, the communities of Upwey north of Glenfern Rd need to be aware that fire activity in the area has increased and has the potential to impact directly," the CFA said.

CFA spokesman Kevin Monk said ground and air crews were working to prevent any spotting of the fire.

He said 400 firefighters were at Daylesford, 110km northwest of Melbourne, attempting to contain a forest fire spread over 2800 hectares.

"We've got dozers working on that and that's where we may get some spots under the southerly conditions," Mr Monk said

"The conditions are so dry that it only takes a small spark and the fire can race off."

At Warburton, east of Melbourne, the threat eased after firefighters battled overnight to get on top of that blaze.

But Mr Monk warned that conditions were likely to deteriorate on Friday with temperatures tipped to top 38C combined with strong northerly winds and a south-westerly change.

"Those conditions are always a concern for us and the possibility of new fires starting is a worry," Mr Monk said.

"People in the community really need to be on alert for the day."

Premier John Brumby said only rain can snuff out the fires.

He said it was a miracle the blaze threatening Upwey was contained with minimal damage to property.

"Last night was a miraculous effort really by the firefighters and they just did a fantastic job," he said.

Mr Brumby said Friday was going to be another bad day for firefighters, with scorching heat set to return as 1000 kilometres of fire fronts continued to burn.

"(It's) nothing like February 7 in terms of temperature or wind but nevertheless we're looking at something at the top end of the 30s and in the north of the state the low 40s," he said.

Australia's growing bushfire aid appeals will be further boosted with two massive benefit concerts to be held simultaneously in Sydney and Melbourne on March 14.

Long disbanded groups are reuniting, a major cricket final is moving venue, and federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett will front Midnight Oil to help raise $4 million for bushfire victims.

Several international acts will also take time out from their busy tour schedules to play for free at the bushfire benefit concerts.

Kings of Leon and Coldplay will perform at the Sound Relief concerts at the MCG and the SCG while the Sheffield Shield final due to be held at the MCG on the same day will be moved to another venue.

Hunters and Collectors will re-form for the event along with Split Enz and Icehouse.

Tickets are $75 and will go on sale from Ticketek on March 4

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Eighteen days after the Black Saturday bushfires killed hundreds in Victoria, many people are still listed as missing, police say

Superintendent Rod Collins from Victoria Police told journalists that those missing may number above 30, some of whom will not be named for a month.

However, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said there was no confirmation of that number.

Despite being missing for weeks, those thought to have been in fire areas and still not located are not included in the official death toll, which stands at 210.

Superintendent Collins told journalists it could be a month before the names of some of the missing were confirmed dead.

"Working through the DNA, et cetera, it takes a little bit of time to narrow down those that are believed, and probably came from the fire, against those that might have been in the fire area unexpectedly," Superintendent Collins said.

"My understanding from the last briefing is that is getting to a smaller, manageable number. I am believing that is in the 20s to 30s range," he said.

Superintendent Collins cautioned that not all of those believed missing in the fires necessarily died in the inferno.

He said some of those in the police database may have been listed as missing more than once under different names, or not even been in the fire area.

"We are getting to a stage where, hopefully, at the end of the process we will be able to work out there might be a few that are unaccountable for," he said.

"As far as the names of the people getting released, that could be a month or so before the names are released," he said.

Meanwhile, authorities warned Victorians that bad bushfire weather was predicted for Friday.

Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin said that while conditions were not expected to be as bad as Black Saturday, people should be prepared.

"There is no room for complacency. I don't think anybody wants to overstate what could happen on Friday, but people need to be prepared, need to be alert, be vigilant," Mr Esplin said.

Melbourne is expecting a top temperature of 38 degrees celsius on Friday, with winds up to 40kmh

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Meticulous preparation and extensive backburning have helped Victoria avoid major bushfire damage despite hot, windy weather.

But authorities are warning people to remain vigilant ahead of testing conditions tonight and winds of up to 75km/h predicted for Tuesday

Two new fires on French Island and near Ararat have rounded off what has been a quieter day than expected for authorities

Fire crews continued to battle four major fires, which all stayed within control lines, and only a handful of other small fires began.

The latest small fire was started by lightning about 5.30pm in an uninhabited area of French Island, and has spread to about four hectares.

Department of Sustainability spokesman Mike Goode said helicopters and DSE staff were on site, with CFA tankers on their way via the island's ferry.

Mr Goode said the grass and scrub fire was at the north-east end of the island and was not posing any threat to the community or campers.

Residents of Tooradin and Warneet are likely to see smoke columns drifting nearby.

Another new fire, also believed to be caused by a lightning strike, is burning at the top of Mt Langi Ghiran, about 15 kilometres east of Ararat.

"We have aircraft dropping retardant on it. It's small and posing no threat," Mr Goode said.

A cool change is expected to hit Melbourne about 9pm and the four major fires - two in the Kilmore East-Murrindindi complex, and others at Wilsons Promontory and Bunyip Ridge, near Gembrook, by 10 or 11pm.

Crews were able to gain control of six other minor flare-ups today in Framlingham, Arthurs Seat, Murrabit, and two fires at Nelson, near the South Australian border.

The Arthurs Seat fire was later deemed suspicious by police.

While Tuesday's forecast of winds up to 75 km/h could pose a threat, Mr Goode said the focus today was on the risky period surrounding tonight's cool change.

"At this stage we're really saying let's get today over with in terms of this cool change which could generate a little bit of fire activity," he said.

Mr Goode said weekend conditions were looking fairly promising for firefighters, with lower temperatures and a southerly airflow.

Tuesday is the next problem day for crews.

"The outlook for Tuesday is for some very strong winds, it might be in the low 30s, but the winds could be a problem," Mr Goode said.

In the major fires today, the ongoing Murrindindi North and South complexes, the Bunyip fire and the Wilsons Promontory fire were still burning out of control but were not threatening properties.

Residents in the Yarra Valley and Warburton Valley, however, have been advised to remain on high alert and have their fire plans ready.

The DSE's Kevin Monk said as the cool change moved across the state there was a chance lightning strikes would cause more fires.

Fire crews spent the day blacking out smouldering spots in heavily-forested areas around Daylesford amid continuing fears of new flare-ups.

Four days after the 2600-hectare Muskvale-Hogans Road blaze ripped through forests south of the central Victorian tourist town, firefighters said they were having to revisit old areas to jump on smouldering tree trunks.

Meanwhile, police have announced the search for remains in three areas ravaged by the February 7 bushfires which claimed at least 210 lives has been completed.

Victoria Police say it is unlikely any more deaths will be recorded from the Churchill and Bendigo fires, while searches around Redesdale have finished.

Eleven people were killed in Churchill in Gippsland and one in Bendigo. No one was killed in Redesdale.

"We are confident the likelihood of finding many more bushfire victims in these regions is low," a police spokeswoman said.

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THE bushfire threat in Victoria has eased after predicted severe weather conditions failed to materialise.

A cool change hit Melbourne last night with a moderate south-westerly wind change, after the city hit a high of 35 degrees.

Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman Lee Miezis said the milder weather brought relief for firefighters, who are still battling four ongoing bushfires.

"What it did was allow us, by easing the fire danger and cooler conditions last night, it provided us a good opportunity to keep building and strengthening containment lines in those existing fires," Mr Miezis said.

The cool change also brought some lightning and sparked two small blazes near French Island, south of Melbourne, and Mt Langi Ghiran, in the north-west of the state, which were quickly brought under control, Mr Miezis said.

He said milder weather was expected for at least the rest of the weekend ahead of another high fire danger day on Tuesday

"Tuesday is predicted to be very warm... with strong to gale-force north to north-westerly winds," he said.

He said firefighters would continue to strengthen containment lines until then.

"With the cool temperatures we have seen fire activity slow down, which allows us to get in and do a lot of work and containment before Tuesday," he said

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SEVERE weather in Victoria on Tuesday could rival the horror conditions of Black Saturday or Ash Wednesday, and wind will be the enemy, emergency services have warned.

Victorians should prepare for strong winds tomorrow night, with damaging northerly gale-force winds of up to 150km/h predicted for Tuesday, followed by a strong south-westerly wind change that is forecast to continue until Wednesday.

Schools may have to close on Tuesday, depending on fire risk assessments, while travel and recreational plans in high-danger areas should be reconsidered, authorities have advised.

Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin said the predicted conditions were serious.

"The weather forecast is for conditions that could approximate Black Saturday or Ash Wednesday," Mr Esplin told a briefing today.

"There is no room for complacency and there is a very strong need for everybody to be prepared to play their part."

Country Fire Authority (CFA) crews are battling blazes at Wilsons Promontory, Bunyip, and two Kilmore-Murrindindi complexes.

The total area burnt from the four fires so far is 302,875 hectares.

Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) chief fire officer Craige Brown (Craige Brown) said the Kilmore East-Murrindindi North fire could breach containment lines on Tuesday.

"There is an expectation that under the wind event on Tuesday that fire will break out and make a run towards Melbourne water catchments," Mr Brown said.

He said authorities were likely to position strike teams around the Woods Point area to protect communities against any fire movement.

CFA chief officer Russell Rees said additional resources had been committed from tomorrow night to prepare for increased fire activity.

"History shows that fires that start in the night cause the most confusion and the most difficulty," he said.

"To wake up in the morning to have fire around and on your doorstep is a terrifying thing."

He warned that winds could grow even stronger after the expected change than the peak northerly gusts on Tuesday.

Fire plans should be activated early on Monday to avoid panic and traffic congestion on the roads in the event of fire outbreaks, Mr Rees said.

"Tomorrow, you need to put in place your plan ... because it may be that if you think you're going to move Tuesday morning, the trees are down across the road, fire is already in your area."

Police will suspend searches for people missing from the February 7 bushfires disaster on Tuesday due to safety concerns for members, Victoria Police assistant commissioner Steve Fontana said.

"We will be suspending our search activities in those particular areas," he said.

On Saturday, Australian Army Brigadier Michael Arnold, commander of the Joint Task Force assisting Victorian authorities in the fire relief effort, said new teams of soldiers would begin a repeat search of devastated properties for disaster victims still missing.

"We know that there are 37 missing persons still. The odds are we will come across human remains during this search," Brigadier Arnold said.

But Mr Fontana today said it was not known how many people remained missing.

"At the moment, police are going through all the records that have been provided on the National Registration Inquiry system," Mr Fontana said

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Victorian Premier John Brumby says tomorrow's predicted extreme conditions rival that of Ash Wednesday, and has warned those planning to evacuate to leave early tonight.

Mr Brumby's dire warning comes as almost 400 schools as near to the city as Upper Ferntree Gully, and 264 children's services prepare to close tomorrow

In a briefing this afternoon, the Premier said the next 48 hours would "be as bad as those of Ash Wednesday or Black Friday''.

"They're not quite as bad as what we saw on Saturday, February 7, but they are up there with the very worst conditions that we've had in our state in the last 100 years.''

Mr Brumby said people should not slip into complacency after last Friday when, despite the relative calm, 130 new fires started.

"Friday was no false alarm, Friday was a deadly serious day but we got on top of it, but tomorrow is going to be worse, it's going to be harder,'' he said.

"Activate fire plans now. Don't leave this until tomorrow morning or tomorrow night, that's too late, these winds will come up tonight.

"People aren't going to see it today, it's not boiling hot out there today, you're not seeing huge winds ... but they will come up during the night so people need to activate their fire plans today.

"If you're at home do it now, if you're getting home from work do it now.''

Mr Brumby said Victoria was more prepared than it had ever been for the threat of fire, with more aerial appliances and more firefighters.

He said more than five million Victorians would receive a mobile phone alert warning of the extreme conditions.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has announced 313 government schools will shut, with widespread closures of schools, children's services and bus routes right through to Wednesday.

Almost 50 Catholic schools and 25 independent schools will also close.

Parents with queries about the school closures should go to www.education.vic.gov.au or phone the Information Referral Service on 1800 809 834.

Those with queries about early childhood services should contact their service directly, their local council or the Early Childhood Information Line on 1300 731 947.

The Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne and Cranbourne will also close due to the extreme conditions.

Director Dr Philip Moors said the closures were extraordinary, but essential for ensuring visitor safety.

WorkSafe has warned builders to be prepared by ensuring their sites are as safe as possible this afternoon.

The authority says inadequately built or secured scaffolds and walls, trees affected by drought or loose building material all pose risks in heavy winds.

Parks Victoria has also warned anyone thinking of visiting or camping at any of the state's parks to change their plans.

"These are not good conditions to be out in the open. As well as the fire risk, there is the very serious risk of falling trees and tree branches," said chief executive Mark Stone.

"Trees have been stressed by years of drought. We urge people not to camp or shelter near trees."

Thirty national parks have been closed, including Wilsons Promontory, visitor sites in the Otways, Dandenong Ranges National Park, Dandenong Ranges Gardens, Warrandyte State Park, Organ Pipes National Park, Cardinia Reservoir Park, Yarra Ranges National Park, Maroondah Reservoir Park and Upper Yarra Reservoir Park. For full details go to www.parkweb.com.au.

Despite forecast winds of up to 110km/h in Tullamarine, Melbourne Airport says it is "business as usual" with planes able to fly during much higher winds.

Mr Brumby warned those planning to leave their homes against camping, saying wind gusts would knock tents over.

They should also register with the Red Cross on 1800 727 077

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Hundreds of firefighters have been unable to fight massive blazes on Melbourne's eastern fringe because of dangerous conditions created by gale-force winds.

Fire crews were in the Yarra Ranges on Tuesday to protect homes and communities, but spent most of the day waiting at Wesburn with trucks, bulldozers, graders and helicopters grounded because of 100km/h winds

"The winds are going to remain strong for the course of the afternoon and those winds are causing problems now - we're having trees come down, power lines coming down, branches off trees," Country Fire Authority divisional commander Brian Halit told reporters at the Wesburn staging ground, 70km east of Melbourne's CBD.

"We can't let our strike teams go out in the bush, it's too dangerous, we can't afford to take the risk because of our concerns for their safety with the amount of debris flying everywhere.

"We're also expecting a cold front to come through between 8pm and 10pm this evening, the wind will stay strong, winds will also stay from the north above Mt Donna Buang," he said.

The giant East Kilmore-Murrindindi South Complex fire has threatened the area for three weeks and while it was not posing a direct threat to property on Tuesday afternoon, residents of Yarra Valley and Warburton Valley communities including Healesville, Yarra Glen, Yarra Junction, Wesburn, Millgrove and Warburton have been warned to be vigilant.

The firefighters, including many from the US, New Zealand and NSW, are confident they will keep the blazes under control until expected light rain on Wednesday.

Towns including Yarra Junction, Woori Yallock and Warburton were quiet on Tuesday with hundreds of residents fleeing to an emergency relief centre in Lilydale on Monday night and Tuesday.

Mr Halit said Tuesday's conditions had not been as bad as the Saturday hellfire on February 7 when at least 210 people died.

Emergency services crews had built 100m to 200m containment lines over the last few weeks to guard against Tuesday's bad fire conditions, Mr Halit said.

"At this stage we're fairly confident ... the humidity's been a blessing, it's good that the temperature stayed lower than expected and I don't think the wind has been quite as strong as forecast," he said.

Residents who set up a virtual refugee camp in Lilydale are keen to go home and for the seemingly endless threat of fire and its interruptions to their daily lives to disappear.

"I haven't had much sleep for a few weeks now because you spend all your time thinking about whether you should stay or leave," said Yarra Junction resident Naomi Underwood.

"I just want a good night's sleep."

One resident, Lucy Joschko, who evacuated from her Gladysdale home with her husband James and their two pet Anglo-Nubian goats on Tuesday morning, said their situation was minor compared to people who had lost loved ones and homes, but it was still stressful.

"I don't want to sound like I am complaining but we have had to be on alert for more than three weeks and it is hard to focus on other things," she said.

"People have lost business because no one is visiting the area."

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