10 PEOPLE DEAD

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 120, 16 February 1944, Page 5

10 PEOPLE DEAD

Disastrous Fires In Victoria MELBOURNE POWER AFFECTED (By, Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received February 15, 11.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, February 15. At least 10 people lost their lives as a result of disastrous bush fires which swept the Gippsland district yesterday. About 200 homes were burnt and there was also heavy loss of live stock. Fires are still burning today, though a change of wind enabled most of them to be controlled. ‘ The principal towns affected were Morwell, Yallourn, Yarram, Traralgon, Darnum, Rosedale, Sale, Wonthaggi, Foster, .Leon-gatha, Inverloch and ban Remo. Details are still meagre as telephone lines are down east from Morwell, but it is known that the following are dead: Traralgon district, Archie Thompson aged 75; Charles Tanner, 50; Mrs. Woollacott. Morwell district, Miss Grace Hare, 50; Frank Walker, 36; Mrs. Eslie Dyer, Percy Jones and wife; Vera Jones, James Flitton and Richard Thomas. Many others were severely burnt. There were many miraculous, escapes. Some were saved by jumping into farm dams, remaining there till the fire passed on. At the height of the fires yesterday, the rapid spread was caused 'by blazing branches being carried long distances by a high wind. Township Saved. Darnum, which was originally reported wiped out, was saved by the strenuous effort's of fire-fighters. .Three houses in this small township were lost. A serious result of the fires is an outbreak in the oaen-cut brown coal mine at Yallourn, from which fuel is obtained to operate the Yallourn power-house, which supplies Melbourne and the greater part of Victoria with electricity. Fire swept into the open-cut. mine yesterday afternoon and last night a large area of the mine was ablaze. All coal-getting operations were suspended while hundreds of men fought the fire by pouring steady streams of water on to the blazing coal. It was still burning fiercely today. As a result of the fire, Melbourne's electricity supplv is disorganized and nonessential consumers are being drastically restricted. In some districts, the power is cut off in the daytime. Suburban electric train services, though not entirely dependent on Yallourn. are being'cut by 25 per cent, temporarily. Till production is restored at the opencut mine, a small quantity of coal sufficient to keep portion of the power-house operating is being obtained from a previously abandoned mine. Fortunately, it is understood, valuable machinery, the dredges, power-shovels and grabs used" in obtaining the coal from the open-cut do not appear to be seriously damaged, but at best it will be some time, before the mine is in full production again. Damage to Stock and Property.

Three persons lost their lives and several were critically burnt in the Morwell district of Gippsland, 80 miles east of Melbourne, A flaxmill was destroyed, and thousands of pounds’ worth of damage done to other property; and hundreds of sheep, cattle and horses were killed. ~ „ The fire began in a township five miles from Morwell.i Nineteen houses were burnt in the township, and fire then swept toward Morwell, where 10 houses were burnt. The hospital was saved after a desperate fight. Throughout the Morwell district about 100 houses were lost. At Wonthaggi, a town m south Gippsland, the headquarters of the State coalmine and seven houses' wefe burnt, and six others damaged. On Philip Island, fierce grass fires threatened the koala bear sanctuary. Damage was done to several dairy farms on the island. Though two-thirds of the koala bear sanctuary was swept, the mortality among these rare and protected animals was not great, and many bears cou|d still be seen on the .tree-tops. There are serious grass fires in several parts of the Morning on Peninsula, including Frankston and Dromana, where large parties of fire-fighters are keeping the blaze in check.