Extreme heat and dry lightning on December 19th caused two fires near Jamieson Track bush camp, requiring evacuations. Despite hopes of containment, strong winds pushed one fire south on December 25th, forcing evacuations of Cumbo River and Lorne. After a week, hot conditions without further spread allowed returns to Kennett River and Cumbo River by January 1st. However, fire damage remained with tracks still closed and land management crews working in the area over two weeks later.

1. Beyond the Wye Fire
Tony Smith
Melbourne Emergence Meetup
11 February 2016

2. Extreme heat
forecast for
Saturday 19
December
had some but
not all who
had planned
to set up for
the summer
put our arrival
back a day.

3. But a friend
was already
setup at the
Jamieson
Track bush
camp. Late in
the afternoon,
dry lightning
ignited two
fires which
were quickly
spotted from
Mt. Cowley
tower.

4. One was off
Jamieson
Track some
distance up
and in
challenging
terrain
towards
Jamieson
River. Friend
was promptly
evacuated.

5. After
assurances,
we could
head to
Cumbo next
morning,
though on
final
approach
couldn't see
past next
bend for
smoke.

6. After
community
meetings in
Lorne &
Wye on the
Wednesday
anticipated
containment
within
Jamieson
area,

7. it only took until 11:00 on a hot
northerly Christmas/Friday morn
for one falling tree to breach the
line, choppers to return to suck
up our river, and evacuations to
be ordered, urgently to the south,
then as sensible precautions to
the north.

11. While those of
us at Cumbo
were preparing
to evacuate to
Lorne, it was
decided that
Lorne too
should also be
evacuated, to
Torquay or
wherever, so I
took my van to
Jan Juc.

12. While Lisa,
Breanne and
families
propped in
Lorne, I headed
to morning
meeting at
Torquay
evacuation
centre before
going back to
Lorne for late
afternoon
meeting.

13. Stayed on
with Steve
and Carol
while
Breanne
found a site
in Lorne
and Lisa
headed for
the Murray.

14. Cumbo evacuees were allowed
back thru the road block on the
Sunday to pack, collect and leave
again. After one more night of
fading hopes, my van went back
to storage and the struggle to get
Cumbo back amongst the places
mentioned continued online.

15. The next
meetings
were
Wednesday
with a late
change to
the Lorne
time forcing
a travel
change to
get to
Apollo Bay.

16. Incident controller Alistair Drayton
Apollo Bay, Thursday 30 December

17. The next hot
days came and
went without
further incident.
Cumbo
reappeared in
updates, but
mentioned in
the same tone
as Jamieson
Track bush
camp.

18. Instead of coming
back to Cumbo on
the Sunday, the
only option was
the CFA Benefit
gig on Lorne
foreshore where
at least we got
useful input from
the local DWELP
ranger who had
evacuated my
friend from
Jamieson, but left
Lorne with
expectations for
late in the week.

19. Overnight I was
granted access
to the
Emergency
coördination
website and
was exploring it
when better
than hoped for
news came in
from Breanne.

21. Campers had
been suddenly
invited back to
Kennett
Sunday
evening, ahead
of decision in
the morning to
allow us back
to Cumbo,
where even the
animals made
us welcome.

22. Retrieving van
from storage
Tuesday
morning, first
priority was to
confirm cabaret
arrangements
which Micah
sorted
immediately
before finding a
koala intrigued
by his duck
imitation.

24. Beyond a more
than half empty
camp there
were reminders
things weren't
back to normal.
DWELP and
Parks gangs
from around the
state assembled
in our Cypress-
free carpark
before heading
up Cumberland
Track.

25. And we
were
reminded
that only
the short
track to
Jebbs was
officially
open to us.

26. More than 2
weeks after
coming back,
walking
tracks
remained
closed, so
while week 4
guitarists
were making
progress into
a candlelit
evening,

27. it was time
to revisit a
long ago
getaway
now on the
Great Ocean
Walk near
Cape Otway.

28. What preceded follows a structure designed to serve as
a preface to the annual Cumbo camp cabaret video.
But the total experience also informs other questions:
Can we improve workings between designated
authorities, official advisers and an interested public?
How close is the current swathe of internet services,
Facebook in particular, to delivering our 1980s vision?
How do we even start fixing public lands management?
Can we widen participation following the recent
explosion of interest in aboriginal land management?