Fire crews are on alert for new bushfires sparked by lightning strikes in western Victoria, as a major blaze continues to burn out of control in a popular national park.
Fire crews are on alert for new bushfires sparked by lightning strikes in western Victoria, as a major blaze continues to burn out of control in a popular national park.
By Alexander Darling and Rachael Ward
February 5, 2025 — 11.01am
Fire crews are on alert for new bushfires sparked by lightning strikes in western Victoria, as a major blaze continues to burn out of control in a popular national park.
The fires at the northern and southern ends of the Grampians National Park joined late on Tuesday, with the southern fire ripping through burnt land to the north.
About 1000 firefighters, including more than 100 from interstate, are still battling uncontrolled flames there and in the Little Desert National Park near the South Australian border.
Tuesday’s cool change ushered in thunderstorms, lightning strikes and gusty winds but the danger remains.
Grampians fires meet
While the fires in the Grampians have met, the southern flank is running into already burnt land so they may not necessarily become one larger fire.
The State Control Centre confirmed on Wednesday morning that a 46,000-hectare fire burning out of control in the park’s south-west had reached the edge of an uncontained 9000-hectare fire directly north.
The southern fire had also reached the edge of a 77,000-hectare fire which began in the park’s south-east in mid-December.
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SCC spokesperson Luke Heagerty said the main concern for fire crews was protecting an unburnt stretch of land west of Halls Gap, which was close to several towns.
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“It’s not like it’s hitting it and then becoming a much larger fire, it’s just burning into already burnt (land) from the fire in the north,” he said.
“The main concern, though, because they have joined is just closing up that gap.”
Heagerty said communities around the Grampians hamlet of Wartook could be at risk in coming days as the temperature heats up again.
Overnight, the State Control Centre issued a fresh alert message for the town of Halls Gap, which was evacuated due to fire fears earlier this summer.
This new alert advised residents to monitor conditions, but that there is “currently no threat”.
A spokesperson said crews were back burning between the Grampians fires to reduce the fuel load.
Firefighters will spend much of Wednesday searching for new fires sparked by overnight lightning strikes and further containment work.
Grazier Brett Monaghan last week quickly moved more than 400 sheep from his property at Brimpaen, north-west of the Grampians, over fears the northern Grampians fire would hit his property, and he said he was prepared to do it all over again.
“I don’t think anybody’s completely relaxed at this point,” he said. “I think everybody’s still looking at the mountains every couple hours just to make sure that the smoke’s a long way away.
“Depending on the wind, anything could happen.”
‘Fingers of fire’ in Little Desert
Heagerty said erratic winds over the 90,000 hectare fire at Little Desert National Park near the South Australian border had led to “fingers of fire” moving northwards toward the town of Kaniva, and a separate fire had started up in the park’s west.
“We have been having success limiting that fire once it moves to private property,” he said.
On Wednesday morning, a watch-and-act alert was issued for Kaniva urging residents to monitor conditions.
Firefighters have stopped the spread of fire and will remain on scene throughout the day.
Heagerty said more favourable firefighting conditions were expected over the coming days.
Altogether, more than 226,000 hectares (2260 square kilometres) of land have been burnt across Victoria this summer.
By comparison, the Black Summer fires of 2019-20 swept across more than 1.5 million hectares of public and private land across the state.
With AAP
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Alexander Darling – Alexander began as a Breaking Reporter at The Age in February 2025. He has spent time at the ABC in Ballarat, Horsham, News Breakfast, as a reporter at the Wimmera Mail-Times and radio newsreader at Triple M’s NSW radio stations.Connect via email.
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