Upper Murray and Ovens communities are being alerted to an increase in fire size and smoke as fire crews take advantage of cooler conditions to undertake burning out works.
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Fire crews will take advantage of cooler weather conditions this week to undertake burning out works on major fires in remote areas of north-east Victoria.
Seventeen fires are burning across the Upper Murray and Ovens fire districts as a result of dry-lightning since last Thursday - Advice messages are current for all fires.
No communities are currently under threat from the fires, however nearby communities are being urged to stay informed if conditions change.
Forest Fire Management Victoria Hume deputy chief fire officer Aaron Kennedy said communities may notice an increase in fire size and smoke as the burning out works are undertaken.
“It’s critically important that we undertake these works now ahead of potentially worsening fire weather," he said.
“The works involve burning out vegetation between the containment line and the fire to reduce the risk of the fire taking a run and potentially impacting communities.”
Two new fires were detected yesterday in the Nariel Valley, south of Corryong, as a result of lightning.
“Extreme dryness, erratic winds and difficult terrain have made it challenging for crews to contain these fires,” Mr Kennedy said.
“We are fully expecting to be working on these fires for a number of weeks, potentially right up until Christmas and beyond, if we don’t receive significant rainfall.”
More than 300 multi-agency firefighters and Incident Management Team staff, aircraft and heavy plant and machinery, continue to work on the fires.
Some areas of State Forest and Alpine National Park have been closed to the public.
For road and track closures, visit: www.traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au or www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/
For the most up-to-date incident information, visit: www.emergency.vic.gov.au
