Lightning sparks fires near Healesville

13 Feb 2009, 6:19 am   -   Source: AAP
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Melbourne's already drought-starved water catchments could also be under threat by fires sparked by lightning strikes near Healesville and Warburton just east of Melbourne.

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Melbourne's already drought-starved water catchments could also be under threat by fires sparked by lightning strikes near Healesville and Warburton just east of Melbourne.

But the race is on to get on top of the blazes before next week's expected extreme temperatures and hot northerly winds.

A spell of cool calmer weather has allowed firefighters to build new control lines and extend others as Victoria's bushfire crisis enters its sixth day with 15 blazes still out of control.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment says fire crews have been able to backburn, fortify control lines and black out areas they haven't previously been able to reach.

Up to 60 bulldozers are working to build control lines on the eastern edge of the 108-thousand hectare Yea-Murrindini fires a part of the massive Kinglake Complex that's so far claimed 147 lives.

The 25-thousand hectare Bunyip Ridge fire has remained quiet during the cool weather allowing firefighters to black out and mop up in some troublesome sectors of the blaze.

Two other blazes at Dargo in the high country and at Wilsons Promontory are burning unchecked in inaccessible country.

Major fires still burning out of control include the Churchill-Jeeralang fire and the Beechworth blaze.

The death toll from the Victorian bushfires is expected to rise well over the 181 confirmed fatalities already recorded.

More than 450-thousand hectares of land has been blackened with one thousand and 69 homes destroyed.

Names and locations begin to emerge

Details are becoming known about some of the people who perished in last Saturdays' Victorian bushfires.

Police have released preliminary death tolls from some of the bushfire devastated towns and names are emerging of victims.

At this stage police confirm the death toll at 181with fears it may rise.

The list contains names of deceased at St Andrews where 22 people have died Kinglake where 35 people lost their lives Wading where four deaths have occurred Arthurs Creek with three dead, Eaglehawk one and Heathcote Junction with one.

Six people have died in Humevale, in Kinglake West four, Strathewen 30, Callignee 11 Hazelwood four, Jeeralang one, Flowerdale four and Marysville has lost 15 lives.
 
In Hazeldine two people have been killed by the fires at Taggerty three, Steels Creek seven, Mudgeegonga two, Koornall four, Upper Callignee one and Narbethong nine.

More people have died at Clonbinane, Mount Beauty, Reedy Creek, Toolangi, Wallan in the Whittlesea area and in areas not yet specified.

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