Shocking Photos Show the Devastation Caused by Black Christmas Bushfires in Victoria
- As It's Revealed at Least 116 Homes Have Been Destroyed and the Blaze Could Continue Until FEBRUARY
- 116 homes confirmed destroyed by the blaze near the Great Ocean Road
- Almost 2,200 hectares of land burned in the fire, expected to continued
- Insurance industry estimated so far, damages to cost almost $40million
- No-one reported injured so far but the danger is not over yet, warnings say
- People have been trying to discover the fate of their properties in the area
Daily Mail UK, 27 December 2015
The extent of the carnage wreaked upon popular Australian holiday towns caught in massive Black Christmas bushfires on Christmas day is starting to become clearer.
Grim photographs of the collapsed, ruined homes, blackened earth and scorched trees in Wye River and Separation Creek, along the Great Ocean Road on Victoria's surf coast, where the fire ripped through houses and forest alike, show just how complete the destruction of property was.
Late on Saturday, Victoria's Country Fire Authority increased the number of homes confirmed to have been destroyed to 116, as people began to tally up the cost of the horrific blaze.
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Blackened bush and wrecked homes make for a stark comparison against a house (top) that survived the raging fires
Destroyed homes in Separation Creek are seen on Sunday December 27. Eighteen homes were razed in Separation Creek during the fire
A still-standing home can be seen behind the ruins of a burned property in the foreground of this image, taken in Separation Creek
Deputy Group Officer from Camperdown Group Ray Place (centre) speaks with Crew Leader of Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning at Wye River, Alex Shilton, about inspecting the damage to homes at Separation Creek
Crew Leader of Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning at Wye River, Alex Shilton, and Deputy Group Officer from Camperdown Group, Ray Place, inspect the damage to homes at Separation Creek
All that is left of these buildings can be seen as piles of wreckage amongst the burned trees, blackened ground and smouldering ruins
A sight common in the Wye River and Separation Creek - what is left of a home lying charred on the ground, surrounded by burnt trees
Anna Cuttriss of Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning inspects a destroyed car in Wye River
An all too common scene from Wye River shows all that remains of this structure
All that remained of this building was a pile of burned debris lying on the scorched earth around it
Examples of the wreckage left behind by the destructive Black Christmas bushfires, which saw hundreds of firefighters tackling the huge blaze
A Wye River Fire Truck patrols a hillside on Sunday. Over 116 homes in the Wye River area along Victoria's Great Ocean Road were destroyed on Christmas Day
Twisted sheets of iron and a buckled roof, surrounded by burnt trees, show the extent of the damage the fire caused to some homes
The frame and roof are almost all that remain of this hillside house in Wye Creek, Victoria
A burnt out house on the hillside at Wye River is seen next to house that is still standing, showing how close the fire came in some places
Some of the first pictures of the destruction, including these left behind it a trail of destruction, including wrecked buildings such as this one
Only some of the frame and the roof of this building were left behind after the fire tore through it
Blackened trees and the debris left behind by razed homes appeared to be a common sight
In places, the fire jumped the Great Ocean Road and burned right down to the shoreline
People from Wye River were bussed into the two to inspect the damage on Sunday morning and on Saturday afternoon, those from Separation Creek were taken through the stricken community.
Mayor for the Coltac-Otway shire, Frank Buchanan said reality was starting to set in.
'We have 120-odd homes destroyed and a lot of people homeless, burnt their primary residences, which is a real concern for us.
'Their welfare is our first concern. They will be given as much support as we can give them and financial support beyond that. It is devastating,' the ABC quoted him as saying.
The massive fire, started by a lightning bolt, burned more than 2,000 hectares around the coastal towns of Wye River, which lost 98 homes and Separation Creek, which lost 18 homes. While the threat from the fire had eased, it was still burning on Sunday and was expected to continue until January or possibly even February.
Estimated losses are expected to reach at least $38million.
No lives were lost or injuries reported as caused by the fire.
As emergency warnings were downgraded with the rain and cooler temperatures that helped decrease the intensity of the inferno on Boxing Day, people took to social media to try and find any information about the homes they had to abandon.
Angela Agathangelou wrote: 'my heart breaks for my family's beautiful beach home in Wye River that was burnt in yesterday's xmas day fires'.
Liz Conor posted: 'still don't know if the house survived'.
Zoe Daniel posted: 'still struggling to know the fate of 19 Harrington #SeparationCreek if anyone can help #thankyou thinking of all there'.
An emergency warning for the area from the Country Fire Authority said power was out and fallen domestic solar power lines were a threat.
Damaged septic tanks and possible leaking sewerage were a threat to health, the report said.
Insurance Council of Australia chief executive Rob Whelan told ABC on Saturday that initial estimates of the damage, based on reported losses, was $25m.
That number has since been revised up to nearly $40m.
A 'catastrophe' had been declared, meaning the industry could fast-track its responses.
'Insurers are focused on assisting their customers as quickly as possible, and the catastrophe declaration means claims from this bushfire will be given priority,' he said.
'Staff at some companies have volunteered to return from their holidays to ensure inquiries and claims can be handled swiftly.'
The region's mayor, Cr Buchanan, also told the ABC the reduced number of tourists visiting the area as a result of the fires would hurt the area's economy.
A campaign is underway in the area to raise funds to aid those affected.
Meanwhile, the danger is not over yet.
A photo shows the size of some flames during a bushfire at Wye River near Lorne, south of in Melbourne
The raging fire lights up the night sky with a yellow and red glow overnight on Friday
The fire had spread to about 2,188 hectares by about 8am on Saturday after burning through the night
Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said despite the rain on Saturday, dry conditions would return and the fire could continue to burn into January or February.
'Our thoughts go out to the people who have lost homes in Separation Creek and Wye River and our personnel are working around the clock to bring this fire under control,'
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said emergency grants of $1300 were available for those who had to flee their homes, and for those who lost their primary place of residence, $32,500 grants were available.
A bushfire relief centre has been set up in Apollo Bay, south of the affected areas around Wye River, Separation Creek and Lorne.
The efforts of hundreds of firefighters tackling the blaze have been congratulated by politicians, authorities and the people whose homes they fought to save.
Victoria police recommended anyone wanting to know about property in the fire affected area to call 03 5232 9400.
The fire had reached within about 6-7km from the popular tourist town of Lorne - about 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne
A massive plume of smoke billows from the huge bushfires on Christmas day as people watch from the beach
Emergency crews at Wye River near Lorne. Hundreds of firefighters have worked in shifts to battle the blaze
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