Ballarat fires: Homes lost after 80km/h winds fan flames
Three homes and a number of vehicles are believed to have been lost in a large grass fire near Ballarat, which fire services brought under control about 7.45pm on Friday.
Residents in the Bunkers Hill area, around 12 kilometres west of Ballarat, were warned about 2pm that it was too late to leave the area, before a cool change about 4pm helped firefighters gain control of the blaze.
A dust storm that whipped up near Werribee blended with smoke from the grass fire to create thick smog over the Ballarat and Melton areas, but emergency services confirmed there was no immediate health threat.
The fire started just after 2pm amid winds of up to 80km/h, with residents told to stay indoors.
A cool change hit near Ballarat about 4pm, which dropped temperatures from 26 down to 14 degrees, calmed winds and brought limited rainfall.
By 5pm, winds had softened, temperatures had dropped significantly and spits of rain were helping firefighters gain the upper hand.
An emergency warning for Bunkers Hill also applied to nearby Haddon, Cardigan, Kopke, Lucas and Smythes Creek.
Another large fire broke out at Mount Mercer, about 45 kilometres south near Meredith, with residents there also told it was too late to leave.
The Mount Mercer fire travelled east, with 185 firefighters battling the 2000 hectare blaze. By 7pm, the CFA had brought the fire under control but residents were still warned to remain alert.
Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp confirmed there had been property losses at both the Bunkers Hill and the Mount Mercer fires.
He said maintaining community safety was the priority on Friday evening, with a wider assessment of the damage expected on Saturday.
The Bunkers Hill fire was initially moving in a south-easterly direction, towards Glenelg Highway, but a wind change pushed it easterly – in the direction of Ballarat.
A number of power lines were brought down by the strong winds and more than 4000 properties are without power.
A relief centre has opened just outside Ballarat at Lucas Community Centre, and a community meeting was held at Smythesdale Recreation Reserve near Bunkers Hill at 8pm. Smythdale Equestrian Centre on Glenelg Highway is offering to house displaced horses.
The Ballarat Courier reports that an 80-year-old resident suffering smoke inhalation was taken to a nearby emergency centre.
Over 60 fire trucks have fought the Bunkers Hill fire, many from Melbourne, while 185 fire fighters were fighting the Mount Mercer blaze.
Earlier video footage showed a fireball exploding out of a shed near Bunkers Hill.
With the Ballarat Courier.