Victorian bushfire to burn for up to two weeks

Crews have contained a bushfire in Victoria's Gippsland region, although they expect it to burn for another fortnight.

The Rosedale firefront on 5 January.

The Rosedale firefront on 5 January. Source: AAP

Firefighters are expected to remain at the scene of a bushfire in Victoria's Gippsland region for up to a fortnight, despite managing to bring the blaze under control.

Crews on Tuesday successfully stopped the spread of the bushfire, about six kilometres south of Rosedale, which had been burning out-of-control since Friday.

A contingent of 260 firefighters - working both on the ground and in the air - has been bolstered by reinforcements from western Victoria. They will now concentrate on managing an 83km perimeter still actively burning.

The Rosedale fire last week.
The Rosedale fire last week. Source: Facebook - Rosedale Fire Brigade

CFA spokeswoman Tammy Garrett told AAP the fire could take up to two weeks to be fully extinguished due to the nature of the terrain and windy conditions forecast.

"We believe it could be a couple of weeks before the fire is fully extinguished because of the terrain. An 80km perimeter is a fair distance to manage," she said.

The blaze will continue to create smoke, which could affect people suffering respiratory problems as well as the young and elderly, Ms Garrett added.


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