By Melissa Grant
CARDINIA residents sweltered – and suffered – through last week’s heatwave.
Hundreds of residents experienced black-outs, a small section of asphalt on a Pakenham Bypass on-ramp melted, dozens of trains to and from Pakenham were cancelled and basketball and netball games were called off at YMCA Cardinia Life as the temperature soared into the mid-40s.
Local fire brigades were on red-alert as hot winds swept the region.
Firefighters rushed to fires sparked by lightning as the cool change came through on Monday morning.
Members of the community did their best to escape the heat, with many flocking to local pools and rushing to Retravision to purchase air-conditioners.
Connex cancelled 80 trains on the Pakenham line from Wednesday to Friday, while power was cut in Pakenham, Nar Nar Goon, Beaconsfield and Clyde.
SP Ausnet communications officer Kate Whitford said electricity faults affected about 2000 customers’ power across the company’s network – including residents in Pakenham and Clyde North.
Retravision Pakenham store manager Dan O’Loughlin said there was a mad rush for domestic fans and air-conditioners at the electrical store last week.
“We had quite a run on with all air-conditioners in stock,” he said. “We sent a couple of Mitre 10 trucks to Tullamarine to ensure we had enough stock. If people saw it they bought it.”
Four CFA tankers attended a grass fire, lit near several homes, in Officer Road on Friday.
While there were few fires in Cardinia Shire during the heatwave, it was a different story in other areas in Victoria.
Westernport Brigade Administration Support Officer (BASO) Lisa Hicks said several Cardinia firefighters headed to Mirboo North and Lysterfield Lake to help fight large blazes.
Monday’s cool change brought relief for residents, but also caused fires in parts of the Cardinia Shire.
A cluster of fires were sparked in the Bunyip State Forrest when lightning struck on Monday. There were also small fires in Tynong, Maryknoll and Gembrook.