Residents in Victoria’s Grampians may not be able to return home for Christmas because of a bushfire still burning out of control.
The mayor of tourist town Halls Gap has declared it is losing close to $2 million every day.
The fire in the Grampians National Park, about 200 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, is spread across a 250-kilometre perimeter.
“It doesn’t take much on a day like this – a puff of wind, dry it is, jump a line and away it goes again,” State Response Controller Garry Cook said.
Hundreds of residents in Halls Gap, Bellfield, Lake Fyans and surrounds were told to evacuate immediately.
That emergency warning was downgraded to watch and act today but they still couldn’t go home.
Halls Gap is losing $1.9 million in tourism spending every day, according to its mayor.
No one is allowed in, and they won’t be for weeks.
“There’s a lot of emotions and a lot of challenges. People aren’t really sure what will happen,” Northern Grampians Shire Mayor Karen Hyslop said.
With 40 degrees forecast for Boxing Day, it’s unlikely those who live there will be home for Christmas.
Towns like Pomonal, which lost 46 homes in February, are again on edge.
Meanwhile, 50 kilometres from the front line in Ararat, a base camp has been set up to keep close to 500 fire crews and volunteers rested and fed.
The wind later this week is what’s most concerning for authorities.
The bushfire has tripled in size after burning for six days, with more than 600 firefighters on the ground.
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