Goomalibee fire destroys home, damages trucks

The fire started at 11.30am on Thursday, December 18 from a header being used to harvest a crop.

It spread through both harvested and unharvested crop areas, and paddocks of grass, threatening homes in its way.

Emergency warnings were issued to the community, with four areas of concern.

Some residents were told to shelter in place, while others were urged to evacuate to Benalla, where a relief centre had been set up in the town hall.

Those warnings were eventually downgraded as CFA crews got on top of the blaze.

CFA District 23 acting assistant chief fire officer Peter Bell said firefighters had halted the fire spread by Thursday night, while it was contained early Friday morning.

Official VicEmergency information that the fire was under control was not broadcast until almost 4pm on Friday.

And, it was not until Sunday morning that a ‘stop’ message was put out about the fire, with Mr Bell still expecting firefighters to patrol the area until after Christmas, with trees and logs still smouldering.

At the height of the fire, 40 fire appliances, 11 aircraft and more than 200 firefighters worked to get the fire under control.

One home was burnt in the fire, with help for the residents already being organised by friends.

“This resident has lost everything, so friends are looking for donations,” Benalla’s Irene Morgan said of her friend.

“Vouchers would be welcomed and can be left at the Benalla Police Station,” she said.

Other items can be organised by contacting Kerri Straughan on 0448 349 220.

Five fire trucks were also damaged in the fire on Thursday, including the Goorambat-Stewarton one, whose crew put out a mayday call.

Mayday calls are broadcast if crew members believe they are in danger of being impacted by fire.

Mr Bell said the Goorambat truck was at the back of the fire when the call was broadcast, and that crews followed their training with it.

“To my understanding there were vehicles close by who assisted them,” he said.

CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said tankers from Goorambat-Stewarton and Whitegate were “impacted by direct flame contact”, while the Violet Town Group and Glenrowan tankers sustained frontal damage from radiant heat, and a fallen tree damaged the Taminick tanker.

“No CFA members were injured,” Mr Heffernan said.

All five tankers are now out of service.

“These incidents illustrate the hazardous environment in which our volunteers operate, and we thank them for their commitment to protecting their communities,” Mr Heffernan said.

Mr Bell took time to thank CFA members who had worked tirelessly to keep communities safe.

“It was a strong wind, and we had very hot temperatures out there,” he said.

“But it’s been a great effort by everyone who are bringing this fire under control.”

He also said that while one home and six sheds were lost, other homes were saved thanks to firefighting efforts by both those in the air and on the ground.

In the air, two air tankers dropped fire retardant around homes to save them, while crews on the ground fought off any impending threats.

“It was up to the fantastic efforts from firefighter crews that saved properties,” Mr Bell said.

“Without them out there we would certainly have lost a lot more.”

Forest Fire Management Victoria teams also joined the CFA in the fight, including two teams that were based at the munitions factory in Benalla to protect it in case the fire got close to it.

Thankfully it did not.