The true extent of the Currandooly fire near Tarago became clearer on Friday as the blaze was reduced to hot spots.
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Local Land Services biosecurity officers and the district vet have been assessing the damage of the 3387 hectare blaze over the past few days, acting manager, Goulburn region, Annelies McGaw said.
They found the fire had left a trail of destruction with 3000 hectares of pasture and 80ha of crops burnt, one house, three sheds, and 10.5km of windbreaks destroyed, figures released on Friday revealed.
Five other sheds, a large set of cattle yards, a chicken yard, 8km of piping, three stock water tanks were damaged and 150km of fencing lost.
LLS officers surveyed 3400 animals. A total 230 animals died, with 110 destroyed on welfare grounds. Some 150 animals are unaccounted for.
The numbers will be provided to the Department of Primary Industries to assess whether Natural Disaster assistance is triggered.
The Service is facilitating emergency fodder with the Department of Primary Industries, providing further animal welfare, post fire protection and stock advice. Officers will continue to monitor the situation.
Ms McGaw said several loads had already gone out to farmers “very desperate for feed.”
The community had also generously donated fodder and offering agistment outside the emergency assistance.
Ms McGaw said officers could only access the full fire ground on Thursday.
“There are a lot of small landholders so it is hard to get around it all,” she said.
“...Large landholders who are significantly affected are making arrangements for agistment and fodder but small landholders need more support because they don’t necessarily have the capacity to agist animals elsewhere. I’d anticipate it would be those people who’d be needing assistance.”
A stock evacuation centre set up at the Goulburn Recreation Centre was not heavily utilised.
One grazier who’d recently bought 1000 weaner lambs managed to move them to a crop paddock, saving them from the fire.
Others like Fred Kuhn at Mount Fairy were not so lucky. He lost 43 of his 150 sheep.
“Any loss is a concern and it’s very distressing for landholders,’ Ms McGaw said.
“Our staff are more than capable of dealing with such situations because they have specialised training. But I’m surprised by the low number of stock losses given the area burnt so I feel people have been very good with emergency management on their own properties.
“Considering what could have been, I think we have been extremely lucky.”
- For more information about fodder assistance or to donate feed contact Local Land Services Goulburn Office on 4824 1900.