1PM update

No major fire activity state wide, although unit are still monitoring Indigo Valley and Meredith fire from yesterday.

FFDI's have reached Severe throughout Mallee and Wimmera along with parts of Northern Country and North East. Swan Hill also showing an extreme FFDI of 86.

We seemed to have got through today will no major incidents, there we some very high fire dangers out their so very lucky.

The last 2 days would have really dried out those southern areas which are still drying out.

Missed the Grass curing map this week so here it is.



Also our air fleet has recieved a big boost this week with the Large Air Tankers (Avalon) and 1 of the skycranes coming online (Essendon) along with aircraft at Ballarat, Casterton, Colac, Heyfield, Moorabbin and Benambra

Here is a photo from EMV of our headline aircaft



And full list of currently online (42 out of 48 now online)

Make tankers 20 and airsupport working RAINBOW fire

above fire now under control - reported as "over 200ha"

2 fires of interest right now

STURT HWY MURRAY-SUNSET: 1km long, 1km wide - aircraft responding and make tankers 10

KONAGADERRA RD OAKLANDS JUNCTION: Air support responding and slip-on strike team due to access

Also JUNG NORTH RD JUNG fire now developing rapidly, in crop - reports from multiple fire towers.

Large Air Tankers - from Avalon about to be deployed to Murray Sunset fire - first deployment of the season.

Thanks for the information Logansi. It is much appreciated and will be very useful going forward into the much hotter summer weather.

Really hope this fire season is quiet, but there is so much fuel around that is drying out so quickly it's crazy!!
Heard Craig laspley say that they have got bugger all of there back burning schedule completed this year which is not good new(been to wet to access certain areas and now drying out to quickly)

Latest Grass Curing map - very dry out there now, first big test this week over the Christmas period likely. Hopeful it ends as the models currently show with some big falls as high as 50mm mid next week.

A number of fires have started overnight and this morning due to lightning, most in private land in North East/Central and a few in Gippsland.

Aircraft are currently working on 3 fires, HUGGETTS - HUGGETTS TRACK (North of Heyfield), BULLUMWALL - MERRIJIG TRACK (north of Bairnsdale and in the STRATHBOGIE STATE FOREST near Mansfield. Rappel teams are working the Huggetts and Bullumwall fires.

Still a chance of new fires popping up as smoldering trees catch fire when the sun comes out.

Large Air Tankers have completed a drop on the TAMBO CROSSING fire. Aircraft still working Huggetts and Bullumwall fires.

Hi Logansi.

Seems there was a way to see all fire-fighting aircraft deployments and routes (on one of the emergency maps?) but either I've forgotten how to see them or they're not publicly available any more. Can you (or anyone else) enlighten me?

Cheers, Bob

http://www.incidentalert.com.au/iav4/vemapv2.asp provides tracker on a fire map

Official data page

https://firewebext.ffm.vic.gov.au/BurnsToday/sau/SAU_External/SAU_home.htm


Also a number of the fixed wing aircraft including the LATS (Bombers 390/391 and there lead aircraft Birdog 376) are showing up on Flightradar24 and other trackers this year.

They're the ones! Many thanks Logansi.

No Problem, the official link you had would have changed when DELWP changed to Forest Fire Management

First fire (about 10k east of Briagalong) noted from storm running SSE btw Stratford and Bairnsdale. Expect several more from it and the one around Tambo Crossing btw now and night and for more to pop up in the morning.

Briagalong fire reported to be only 1x2m in grass but yeah would be surprised if some more stuff pops up.

Noticed a lightning strike over that way, part of the band of stormy stuff, some big tall old Pine trees just at that house where it's marked on the emergency vic site.

Can hear rumbling from home but as per radar it's all to our N/E and E.

Plenty of long dry grass round the district.

edit....I wouldn't be surprised if some more CG strikes lit up