60th anniversary of the Longwood fire

 

Today, 17 January, is the 60th anniversary of the Longwood fire in northern Victoria.  

 

It was a very hot day with temperatures well over 40 degrees Celsius and a northerly wind of 60 kilometres per hour, and several fires broke out across northern Victoria. At about midday, a fire started between Moorilim and Miepoll and quickly burned in a southerly direction towards Longwood.

CFA responded strongly with about 1,000 firefighters and 100 trucks turning out, but the speed of the fire prevented any meaningful intervention.

CFA ordered an evacuation of Longwood early in the afternoon as the fire raced towards the township.

Tragically, two women and five children in one car died while fleeing from the fire. After crashing into a tree they were consumed by fire.

About 40,000 hectares burnt and six house destroyed. It is also estimated than 40,000 livestock were killed.

We also lost a firefighter on that day, Inglewood brigade member Allan McKean, who died in a nearby fire.

At the age of 29 in 1965, Allan worked at a eucalyptus factory in Inglewood, and was a reserve member of the local brigade. He responded to the fire call along with his brigade mates.

At about 4pm, after they had been burning a firebreak in an effort to contain the outbreak, firefighters saw Alan disappear behind a thick pall of smoke that had blown towards them.

The firefighters waited for him to emerge, then raised the alarm when he didn’t. Alan’s body was found later in the scorched bushland.

 

Submitted by	News and Media