00:00A bit of deja vu, here we go again for a lot of firefighters across Victoria.
00:06It was only just shy of a week ago where we saw mid to high 40-degree temperatures and
00:13northerly winds.
00:14Boxing Day, mid-40s, strong northerly winds, but it's that westerly to southwesterly change
00:20coming through that really makes us nervous.
00:23With 80 to 90 kilometres an hour, with potential for 100 kilometres an hour peak gusts on elevated
00:29parts of the western regions of which the Grampians comprises.
00:34So we've enjoyed two days of fairly benign weather across the firegrounds which has really
00:40allowed firefighters and local landholders, particularly in the Grampians region, to consolidate
00:45containment lines, make preparations, put further containment lines in the landscape
00:51in readiness for what will be a very challenging day for firefighters tomorrow.
00:56This morning, residents of Halls Gap were allowed back in under emergency service escort
01:01to their homes to collect valuables, possessions, Christmas presents or anything they are after
01:07to ensure they will have some sort of Christmas tomorrow.
01:12That was in play until midday today.
01:14It has now been closed off again with evacuations finalised.
01:19It's now no longer safe for any residents to return there.
01:23We saw some light rainfall across some of the firegrounds a little closer to Melbourne,
01:28particularly the Balloongarook fire which went contained overnight but nowhere near
01:32enough rain to make any difference to that fire scene.
01:35And 144 hectares, it will be alight as we go into that boxing day and again firefighters
01:42are working hard to strengthen containment lines but also prepare communities that may
01:47be in the path of any of these fires should they get out of their containment lines.
01:52The Gurdies, which is a fire we've also been talking about earlier in the week, it did
01:56see some rain which has made a difference, however firefighters still remain on the fireground
02:01blacking out operations, making sure that any hot embers or any logs that they do see
02:07are worked over to ensure that does stay in containment lines.
02:11Such is the weather that we are expecting here in Victoria on boxing day that I've had
02:16cause to declare from midnight on Christmas night a statewide total fire ban for Victoria
02:24to be in full effect for the 24 hour period starting midnight on the 25th.
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