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A menacing fire in the Markwood area has been mostly contained, but several homes have been lost.
As of 12pm on Friday the 370-hectare grass and scrub fire was almost under control, nearly 24 hours after it broke out on the side of Snow Road at Markwood, south-east of Wangaratta on Thursday.
About 160 firefighters were on scene Friday morning, forming a 12km perimeter around the fire which was travelling in a south-easterly direction towards Whorouly-Bobinawarrah Road.
A State Control Centre spokesperson said preliminary impact assessments have indication three homes had been impacted by the fire.
“We don’t have the significance of that impact yet but local government are working with the fire agencies to make sure they have support,” they said.
“The spread of the fire has slowed for now but it is still not safe to return to the area.”
At least two homes were confirmed to have been destroyed and multiple outbuildings, sheds and vehicles lost.
Rural City of Wangaratta councillor and Carboor resident Harry Bussell said the blaze was one of the worst he has seen in his time within the rural city.
"This is why we take the fire season very seriously," he said.
"Council will be offering ongoing support to those who have been fire affected."
Cr Bussell said council had made contact with those who have lost property and have offered them temporary accommodation.
Following a prompt response, incident controller Cameron McKern said firefighters were able to save at least eight homes in the immediate vicinity of the fire and many other nearby properties.
Mr McKern said firies hoped to have the blaze under control by the end of Friday, subject to conditions throughout the afternoon
“The weather's being much kinder to us today [Friday], the wind yesterday was the big problem,” he said.
“Our biggest issue at the moment is the damage presented by damaged trees and the number of trees, it's difficult getting in and out.
“There’s a lot of fire within the edge waiting for wind to get it going, so we need to get people in blacking out.”
About 250 firefighters were on scene of the fire on Thursday with some 40 trucks and nine aircraft deployed, including two large air tankers which did three retardant drops each.
On Friday, four water aircraft remained in the skies.
Due to the dense bushland and difficult terrain, Mr McKern said some areas of the fire could only be accessed by aircraft.
“Some of it is very, very steep,” he said.
Mr McKern said four firefighters reported injuries within the fire on Thursday, with two firefighters involved in a vehicle rollover and another two firefighters suffering heat-related illnesses.
“Everybody's fine and everybody's home, which is good,” he said.
Mr McKern said Victoria Police and fire investigators had made initial enquiries into the cause of the fire, but it still remained under investigation.
The blaze prompted a heavy multi-agency response led by CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria, with VicRoads and Rural City of Wangaratta council providing assistance.
Mr McKern said firefighters were expected to have a presence on the scene of the fire over the weekend to black out the edges of the blaze.
“It does show us that everything is dry and we've potentially got a long, hot summer ahead of us,” he said.
As of 12pm on Friday, Snow Road from Carboor-Everton Road to Whorouly Road remain closed along with Wards Lane.
Watch and Act and Advice messages remained active for nearby Markwood and Whorouly residents.
Residents should expect to continue to see a significant number of fire trucks and heavy machinery including excavators in the fire area.
There will be a community meeting held at the Milawa Recreation Reserve club rooms at 4pm Friday and fire affected community members are urged to contact council for support.
People are advised to use multiple sources to stay informed:
• VicEmergency Hotline - freecall 1800 226 226
• VicEmergency app
• Facebook or Twitter (#VicFires)
• ABC Local Radio, commercial and designated community radio stations, or Sky News TV.
