New Year's Eve was one to remember for all the wrong reasons for farming communities across border areas and western parts of the Vic Wimmera, as a ferocious fire ravaged more than 7000 hectares and destroyed thousands of stock in its path.
A car fire east of Wrattonbully in SA's South East started the blaze just after 1pm on Friday, December 31, with the fire crossing the border shortly after, racing towards Langkoop and Poolaijelo in Vic.
The blaze was reported as contained at 3.30pm Victorian time on Sunday and declared under control mid-afternoon on Tuesday, after burning through 7339ha.
More than 20 Country Fire Service crews and one bulk water carrier assisted farm firefighting units and attempted to slow the fire speed as it raced across the border, while six CFS fire bombers worked alongside numerous Vic aircrafts, including six fixed-wing firefighting aircrafts, three firefighting helicopters, and two large airtankers.
At ground level, more than 100 firefighters from the CFS, Country Fire Authority and the Vic Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning were working on the fire at any given time.
According to Agriculture Vic, 26 rural properties were affected and while no lives or homes were lost, the organisation on Tuesday reported stock losses of 6628 sheep and 18 cattle, with potential for that tally to rise as property assessments continue.
Many additional stock have had to be euthanised.
Poolaijelo farmer Matthew Treglown's property was almost completely burnt out in the fire, with 850ha of his 970ha wiped out, and between 800-1000 sheep lost.
The way the wind was going, we thought the fire might just get the top of us, but as the wind picked up and chopped and changed direction a bit, it got a bit more real.
- MATTHEW TREGLOWN
"We lost about 40 per cent to 45pc of our flock. But considering how much of our land was burnt, we have to consider ourselves lucky that we didn't lose a hell of a lot more," he said.
"There are people who have lost 80-90pc of their flock. I estimate about 10,000 sheep have been lost all up."
Mr Treglown said the fire arrived at about 3pm on December 31, and he originally thought his property would be spared, but then the wind changed.
"The way the wind was going, we thought the fire might just get the top of us, but as the wind picked up and chopped and changed direction a bit, it got a bit more real," he said.
"I've never been in a fire this intense. You're always on call this time of year as a CFA volunteer, but seeing it like I did this year was a whole different ball game."
Fellow Poolaijelo farmer Celia Scott lost about 280ha of pasture on her 1375ha property, but fortunately didn't suffer any stock losses.
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"Of our area that got burnt, there were only 120-odd cattle, and they were only in two paddocks, so we could bunch them up together in a summer crop and they were okay," she said.
She said a decent end to spring meant many farmers had a "fair bit of feed" in their paddocks, which gave the fire a lot of momentum.
Ms Scott is also the local CFA captain and said support from afar had been phenomenal.
"Trucks turned out from everywhere to fight this fire, trucks on one strike team had come from nearly 300 kilometres away and was still there fighting on January 2," she said.
"Everyone from the CFA and CFS, to Powercor crews getting power back up (to more than 70 properties), to all those who are supporting us by providing food and donated stock fodder - the only word to describe the community support is overwhelming. We're so grateful."
People are going to need help for months to come, and it would be nice to ring affected people to tell them how many people are offering help, and that help is on the way.
- JASON LAW
Rural Veterinary Services owner Jason Law, Hynam, is part of a group of four people organising to assist those impacted, through the the collection and distribution of fodder, hay, grain, fencing equipment, meals and food.
"There's been unbelievable community support, to the point where we've told people to hold off because we thought we'd try to get a bit of document together of who has lost what, who needs what, what's available, and try to marry it all up a bit," he said.
He said there were multiple stages of recovering and rebuilding from the fire, and support all along the way was vital.
"People are going to need help for months to come, and it would be nice to ring affected people to tell them how many people are offering help, and that help is on the way," Mr Law said.
"Even if they don't need help straightaway, I think it's important that those affected don't get left out in the cold.
"So get your name on the list, you might not get a call for a month, but we'll get a bit of a database of what people need now and down the track.
"BlazeAid will shortly take over (at Edenhope, Vic) with fencing, but we want to be a middle man for the locals, and help out in other ways too."
- Details: Jason Law 0438 864 207.
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