A significant bushfire in early January 2024 extensively impacted the Harcourt and Ravenswood districts of Victoria, Australia, resulting in the destruction of dozens of homes and critical infrastructure. The fire, which spread rapidly across approximately 3000 hectares, led to widespread power, water, and communication outages, prompting evacuations and a substantial community and government response.
Incident Overview
The bushfire ignited on a Friday afternoon in early January 2024, near Fogarty's Gap Road, north of Harcourt, or in Ravenswood South. Propelled by strong winds, recorded at over 100km/h, and high temperatures reaching 43 degrees Celsius, the fire spread rapidly. It crossed the Calder Freeway, traversed Harcourt, and moved into Mount Alexander, affecting approximately 3000 hectares. The fire also generated spot fires up to 7 kilometers to the east.
Initially, emergency warnings were issued for the affected communities. The fire was later downgraded to a Watch and Act status, with residents advised to monitor changing conditions. As of early the following week, the fire's spread had ceased, but it remained uncontrolled in certain areas, with authorities advising against immediate resident returns due to ongoing safety concerns.
Damage Assessment
Estimates of destroyed homes in the Harcourt and Ravenswood areas ranged from approximately 47 to 54. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) incident controller noted the fire's severity, stating it "ran really quickly," hindering firefighting efforts.
Several businesses and structures also sustained damage or were destroyed:
- The Harcourt Cooperative Coolstore, a facility established in 1917 that served as a storage and economic hub for approximately 85 local businesses, including potato farmers and grape growers, was completely razed. Its destruction involved tens of thousands of cracked wine bottles, burned apples, scorched potatoes, and melted equipment.
- The Coolstore Cafe, an adjacent establishment, was also destroyed.
- A warehouse for a real estate styling business and the contents for a new home construction were lost.
- The Woop Woop Sculpture Park in Harcourt survived the blaze.
- Most public buildings, including the local primary school, kindergarten, football netball club, and town swimming pool, were preserved.
- The Victorian Miniature Railway sustained damage but remained intact.
An unpredictable pattern of destruction was observed, with some homes completely destroyed while neighboring properties remained largely unaffected.
Infrastructure and Services Impact
The fire compromised essential infrastructure and services across the region:
- Telecommunications, water processing and sewage facilities, powerlines, and rail services were affected.
- Homes in Harcourt, Castlemaine, and surrounding areas experienced power and internet outages, along with reduced water pressure.
- ABC local radio's broadcasting capability, a key channel for emergency alerts, was impacted. Local station Phoenix FM 106.7 began rebroadcasting ABC content to maintain information flow.
- A transmission line providing backup power to Castlemaine was destroyed.
- Approximately 500 customers faced contaminated water, with Coliban Water estimating a two-week period for the restoration of safe drinking water.
- Train services on the Bendigo line were affected, requiring repairs to 5.7 kilometers of track between Ravenswood and Castlemaine.
Community Response and Evacuation
Access to Harcourt was initially restricted by police. While residents were advised against returning, some were permitted intermittent access to assess damage, with full resident returns commencing days after the initial impact. Many residents undertook actions to protect their properties, with some successfully defending their homes.
CFA volunteers, including some who lost their own homes or businesses while on duty, actively combated the aggressive fires. The intensity of the fire was described by one CFA captain as comparable to or exceeding that of the Black Saturday fires. Individual accounts highlighted significant personal losses, including uninsured homes, personal belongings, and valuable vehicles.
The Watch and Act advisory remained in effect for communities including Harcourt, Harcourt North, Ravenswood South, Sutton Grange, Elphinstone, Metcalfe, Ravenswood, Redesdale, Sedgwick, Walmer, Pilchers Bridge, Axe Creek, Myrtle Creek, and Sedgwick.
Recovery Efforts and Support
A recovery center was established in Castlemaine, and the miniature railway in Harcourt was converted into a relief center, serving as a gathering point and a hub for resource distribution. The entire Mount Alexander Shire was declared a "red zone" by its mayor.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Jacinta Allan visited the affected region and announced a joint support package of $19.5 million for the fire-affected community. A community-led recovery initiative is underway, with fundraising events, such as one in Castlemaine, generating over $130,000 to aid affected businesses.
Victoria Police are investigating a burglary at a vacant home on Picnic Gully Road in Harcourt and have increased patrols in the area to deter further suspicious activity. Residents continue to experience disruptions to power, water, and communication services as recovery efforts proceed.