Gumleaf
February 9th, 2009, 06:12 PM
07:00 AEST Tue Feb 10 2009
Police say they are closing in on several arsonists believed responsible for at least two Victorian blazes as the death toll from the disaster climbs to 173.
They have reportedly not ruled out the possibility the fires at Delburn and Churchill in the state's southeast were lit by the same people.
At least 21 people were killed in the Churchill fire and police have confirmed they are preparing photofits of the suspected firebugs.
(Watch more: Arson is 'mass murder')
The Age reports that an anonymous person emailed police with the names of several people they heard talking suspiciously about the fires.
A grey Toyota HiLux is suspected to have been used by the arsonists and the anonymous emailer named two people linked to that type of vehicle, Detective Sergeant Brett Kahan was quoted as saying.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon has told TODAY officers will pursue anyone who has deliberately lit fires that have ravaged Victoria.
(Watch more: hunt on for firebugs)
"These people have lit these fires on the worst day that Victoria could have had," Ms Nixon said.
In the latest death toll figures, released by police at 6.30am (AEDT), the number of people who died in the township of Strathewen, a town with a population of about 450 people, jumped from seven to 30.
(Watch more: Strathewen decimated by fire)
In the previous update at 2.30am (AEDT), the number of lives lost in St Andrews a town with 1500 people prior to the bushfires increased by six to 22.
The death toll from the bushfires is certain to rise further as more remains are found in more than 700 burnt-out homes strewn through the 330,000ha so far razed in Australia's worst bushfire disaster.
Emergency workers combing townships destroyed in the fires found groups of bodies inside houses where it appears people had huddled together as the fire front swept through, the Herald Sun reports.
Senior fire and parks officials fear the final death toll will be more than 200.
(Read more: Death toll 'to soar')
Family's worst fears confirmed
Tragic stories of near-survival have continue to emerge, including that of Bill and Faye Walker who were found dead beside their disabled son Geoffrey, 53, at Narbethong.
Their bags had been packed and put inside the car outside, which had a key in the ignition.
The family dog was also in the back.
Their three daughters Marilyn, Julie and Vivian were told the news by their husbands, two of whom found the bodies, as they waited at a roadblock just outside the town.
Specialist teams used in the aftermath of the Bali bombings have been recruited for the gruesome task of locating and identifying victims of the fires.
Have you been affected by these devastating fires? Send us your stories and photos
Share your thoughts on the bushfire crisis below.
Healesville in danger
The Country Fire Authority says the town of Healesville, in the states northeast, will come under direct attack from the raging bushfires today.
Residents in a number of streets have been warned to be vigilant of ember attacks.
The CFA said southerly winds were expected to strengthen which would fan the fires that are continuing in the area.
"There's an urgent threat message out to the community there," said the CFA spokesman.
"It's not critical but the fire is spotting around there so the community is asked to be very vigilant as the winds are moving around a bit and there are some strong southerlies coming in later today."
The CFA says residents in the vicinity of Dowd, Romeo, Anderson and Gibbs roads, Juliet Avenue and Donald Street may get heavy ember attack.
A fire also continues to burn southeast of Toolangi in a northerly direction and residents are advised they also may face flying embers.
Royal commission announced
Meanwhile, Victorian Premier John Brumby has announced a royal commission to examine the state's emergency response and possibly review the longstanding "stay and defend or leave early" policy aimed at mitigating the risk of fatalities from bushfires.
The largest of the fires, known as the Kinglake Complex, has consumed 220,000ha of land and more than 550 homes and has killed 144 of the 173 confirmed victims including those at St Andrews, Strathewen and nearby Kinglake.
Thirty-five people perished at Kinglake the greatest single loss of life in these fires when a ferocious wall of flame swept straight up the heavily timbered Great Dividing Range, taking all in its path.
It has cut a terrible swathe across Victoria's central highlands, from Wandong, south as far as St Andrews and east and north through Marysville, Taggerty and Flowerdale towards the upper Goulburn Valley.
Department of Sustainability and Environment spokeswoman Nina Cullen said residents in an area on Healesville's southeastern outskirts were under heavy ember attack from a 150ha fire at Mt Riddell, about 4km southeast of the town.
It was a similar situation at Toolangi, a few kilometres north, where a 50ha fire was bombarding the tiny mountain village with embers.
"There was a water outage for Healesville residents (late Monday evening) but that has since been rectified and water supply is back on," Ms Cullen told AAP.
"There hasn't been any reported losses at this point."
Both fires were being fanned by a strong southerly breeze.
The Beechworth blaze has burnt 30,000ha and continues to threaten the communities of Dederang, Gundowring, Gundowring Upper, Kergunyah South, Glenn Creek and Running Creek. Residents in those communities have been asked to enact their fire plans.
"At the Dederang area particularly during the day, the fire significantly escalated," Ms Cullen said.
"Work has occurred on the north side of that fire, and that activity has gone extremely well.
"There remains a few spot fires but the crews on the ground are working really hard and getting somewhere on that fire. The threat has now been downgraded."
In a win for firefighters, the grass fire that has ravaged about 9,500ha near Redesdale, south of Bendigo, was contained by late Monday.
The weather may pose further problems for firefighters, particularly north of the divide.
Isolated showers are predicted on and south of the divide today but it will remain dry in the north.
Moderate to fresh southwest to southerly winds are forecast, with very high to extreme fire danger in the north.
A fire weather warning is in place for the northern country and north central forecast districts, with humidity down to 14 per cent and winds up to 45km/h.
More than 240 firefighters from NSW, 95 from the ACT, 94 from Tasmania and 69 from South Australia have joined Victorian crews, along with disaster identification experts from around the nation.
A further 22 firefighters from Western Australia are expected to arrive in Melbourne today.
Police say they are closing in on several arsonists believed responsible for at least two Victorian blazes as the death toll from the disaster climbs to 173.
They have reportedly not ruled out the possibility the fires at Delburn and Churchill in the state's southeast were lit by the same people.
At least 21 people were killed in the Churchill fire and police have confirmed they are preparing photofits of the suspected firebugs.
(Watch more: Arson is 'mass murder')
The Age reports that an anonymous person emailed police with the names of several people they heard talking suspiciously about the fires.
A grey Toyota HiLux is suspected to have been used by the arsonists and the anonymous emailer named two people linked to that type of vehicle, Detective Sergeant Brett Kahan was quoted as saying.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon has told TODAY officers will pursue anyone who has deliberately lit fires that have ravaged Victoria.
(Watch more: hunt on for firebugs)
"These people have lit these fires on the worst day that Victoria could have had," Ms Nixon said.
In the latest death toll figures, released by police at 6.30am (AEDT), the number of people who died in the township of Strathewen, a town with a population of about 450 people, jumped from seven to 30.
(Watch more: Strathewen decimated by fire)
In the previous update at 2.30am (AEDT), the number of lives lost in St Andrews a town with 1500 people prior to the bushfires increased by six to 22.
The death toll from the bushfires is certain to rise further as more remains are found in more than 700 burnt-out homes strewn through the 330,000ha so far razed in Australia's worst bushfire disaster.
Emergency workers combing townships destroyed in the fires found groups of bodies inside houses where it appears people had huddled together as the fire front swept through, the Herald Sun reports.
Senior fire and parks officials fear the final death toll will be more than 200.
(Read more: Death toll 'to soar')
Family's worst fears confirmed
Tragic stories of near-survival have continue to emerge, including that of Bill and Faye Walker who were found dead beside their disabled son Geoffrey, 53, at Narbethong.
Their bags had been packed and put inside the car outside, which had a key in the ignition.
The family dog was also in the back.
Their three daughters Marilyn, Julie and Vivian were told the news by their husbands, two of whom found the bodies, as they waited at a roadblock just outside the town.
Specialist teams used in the aftermath of the Bali bombings have been recruited for the gruesome task of locating and identifying victims of the fires.
Have you been affected by these devastating fires? Send us your stories and photos
Share your thoughts on the bushfire crisis below.
Healesville in danger
The Country Fire Authority says the town of Healesville, in the states northeast, will come under direct attack from the raging bushfires today.
Residents in a number of streets have been warned to be vigilant of ember attacks.
The CFA said southerly winds were expected to strengthen which would fan the fires that are continuing in the area.
"There's an urgent threat message out to the community there," said the CFA spokesman.
"It's not critical but the fire is spotting around there so the community is asked to be very vigilant as the winds are moving around a bit and there are some strong southerlies coming in later today."
The CFA says residents in the vicinity of Dowd, Romeo, Anderson and Gibbs roads, Juliet Avenue and Donald Street may get heavy ember attack.
A fire also continues to burn southeast of Toolangi in a northerly direction and residents are advised they also may face flying embers.
Royal commission announced
Meanwhile, Victorian Premier John Brumby has announced a royal commission to examine the state's emergency response and possibly review the longstanding "stay and defend or leave early" policy aimed at mitigating the risk of fatalities from bushfires.
The largest of the fires, known as the Kinglake Complex, has consumed 220,000ha of land and more than 550 homes and has killed 144 of the 173 confirmed victims including those at St Andrews, Strathewen and nearby Kinglake.
Thirty-five people perished at Kinglake the greatest single loss of life in these fires when a ferocious wall of flame swept straight up the heavily timbered Great Dividing Range, taking all in its path.
It has cut a terrible swathe across Victoria's central highlands, from Wandong, south as far as St Andrews and east and north through Marysville, Taggerty and Flowerdale towards the upper Goulburn Valley.
Department of Sustainability and Environment spokeswoman Nina Cullen said residents in an area on Healesville's southeastern outskirts were under heavy ember attack from a 150ha fire at Mt Riddell, about 4km southeast of the town.
It was a similar situation at Toolangi, a few kilometres north, where a 50ha fire was bombarding the tiny mountain village with embers.
"There was a water outage for Healesville residents (late Monday evening) but that has since been rectified and water supply is back on," Ms Cullen told AAP.
"There hasn't been any reported losses at this point."
Both fires were being fanned by a strong southerly breeze.
The Beechworth blaze has burnt 30,000ha and continues to threaten the communities of Dederang, Gundowring, Gundowring Upper, Kergunyah South, Glenn Creek and Running Creek. Residents in those communities have been asked to enact their fire plans.
"At the Dederang area particularly during the day, the fire significantly escalated," Ms Cullen said.
"Work has occurred on the north side of that fire, and that activity has gone extremely well.
"There remains a few spot fires but the crews on the ground are working really hard and getting somewhere on that fire. The threat has now been downgraded."
In a win for firefighters, the grass fire that has ravaged about 9,500ha near Redesdale, south of Bendigo, was contained by late Monday.
The weather may pose further problems for firefighters, particularly north of the divide.
Isolated showers are predicted on and south of the divide today but it will remain dry in the north.
Moderate to fresh southwest to southerly winds are forecast, with very high to extreme fire danger in the north.
A fire weather warning is in place for the northern country and north central forecast districts, with humidity down to 14 per cent and winds up to 45km/h.
More than 240 firefighters from NSW, 95 from the ACT, 94 from Tasmania and 69 from South Australia have joined Victorian crews, along with disaster identification experts from around the nation.
A further 22 firefighters from Western Australia are expected to arrive in Melbourne today.