An arson chemist has spent the day investigating the fire-ground at Kadnook in the state's west amid suspicions Saturday’s bushfire may have been deliberately lit. The ABC was today given a tour of the area where one home was destroyed and another damaged by the blaze as authorities prepare for more hot weather later this week.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Surveying the scorched landscape of a destroyed home and burnt out cars, Assistant Chief Fire
00:08Officer Mark Gunning says this is a warning of what this summer could bring.
00:11A big wake up call, grass around this area was considered fairly green on Saturday and
00:17it burnt very fast, very hot and obviously destroyed property.
00:20The residents of this home evacuated quickly as the blaze approached.
00:23It was a very rapid building fire, really quick moving and so by the time fire crews
00:29got here the people had self evacuated.
00:32They escaped to Edenhope, but their home was engulfed.
00:35The house was totally lost so any property they had, their shedding and the like, totally
00:41destroyed so this family has got to start from scratch again.
00:44This area is covered with commercial blue gum plantations and local landowners like
00:48Wayne Judd know the risk that presents.
00:51Because I'm surrounded by bush, I've got good clearing, I've got good fire breaks, but I
00:55know and also I've got blue gums at my place and I know how well when they ignite how it
01:01just turns into radiant heat.
01:03Mr Judd spent the night sheltering in his car, caring for his horses and believes he
01:07was saved by the south westerly wind change.
01:09I was talking to a fire and he said that with them conditions if it didn't change it would
01:14have been in my place within 20 minutes.
01:16The fire is being treated as suspicious and investigators from both the Country Fire Authority
01:21and Victoria Police have been on site throughout the day conducting both testing and analysis.
01:27That includes an arson chemist who's come up specifically from Melbourne to assist with
01:32that investigation.
01:34While the fire is contained, it's still smouldering in the plantations and with more hot weather
01:38on the way, locals are on edge.
01:41They said it could last for eight weeks or more, so with northerly winds and that it
01:46could flare up again, so you're not out of the woods yet.