Cardinia Shire mayor Bill Pearson says watching fire race through the Bunyip State Park was "terrifying" and "sad".
OVER the past weekend locals and volunteers from around Victoria have been fighting the fire that originated in the Bunyip State Forest.
Early on Saturday the fire broke its containment lines with the help of 46-degree temperatures and winds of up to 100km/h. By the end of the day, fires were spread across many areas of Victoria creating untold misery and hardship.
The scale and the horror unleashed by these fires across all of Victoria is beyond belief. The terror unleashed by nature at its most ferocious is indescribable. Watching the fire race through our beautiful Bunyip State Park was both terrifying and sad.
In Tonimbuk local and neighbouring emergency services including the wonderful CFA and a host of other groups along with organised local residents fought the fire and contained losses to one house, grassing land, hay, native birds and fauna. No serious injuries have been reported and no other casualties.
The local residents of Tonimbuk have fought fires before and activated their bushfires emergency plan. Once again, the local residents, with the help of other emergency support groups, including the local Cardinia Shire, have beaten back and now contained the fire this side of the Bunyip River.
Our current Cardinia Shire Citizen of the Year, dedicated firefighter John Glazzard of Tynong, was on the job along with hundreds of fellow volunteers.
Spare a thought for our neighbours in City of Casey and Baw Baw Shire and the rest of Victoria, who were not so lucky. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you.
One of the great stories of the emergency was the work by the staff at Hillview Aged Care Facility who carefully arranged and transferred all their elderly residents out of harm’s way to the Kooweerup Hospital, Hostel and Nursing home for the night, returning to Bunyip on Sunday afternoon.
We are truly indebted to the chief executive, Terrona Ramsay, and her staff at Kooweerup and our own Hillview staff who accompanied the residents staying the night. It is greatly appreciated by all people with family at Hillview.
It makes one proud to live in this area where people still care for their neighbours and work as volunteers for the common good.
Well done to all those concerned.
