Around 20 structures destroyed by fires in Victorian town Natimuk

Residents of Natimuk in Victoria’s far west are returning home to count the damage from this week's bushfires.

Transcript

00:00Well right now I'm along the Wimmera Highway, about halfway between the Victorian towns

00:07of Horsham and the town of Nassimuk, a smaller town of just about 500 people that was heavily

00:13impacted by a fire that swept through on Friday afternoon.

00:17Now right now the air is still thick with smoke, there is still ash being swept through

00:22the air and falling from the sky, and this blackened area that you see is really what

00:27you'll see along large chunks of the Wimmera Highway around Nassimuk and Kwantong, which

00:32really just shows you just how far and how fast this grass fire spread on Friday, and

00:39which is why authorities were so worried that it could potentially have hit the major town

00:43of Horsham.

00:44Now authorities estimate about 20 properties have been destroyed in Nassimuk, that includes

00:50several homes, businesses and the local bowls club from a fire that was fanned by winds of

00:56up to 90 kilometres an hour.

00:58Firefighters have told me that at one point on Friday they were chasing the fire from

01:02the point of origin in a use, and the fire was travelling as fast, if not faster than their

01:07vehicles, while some locals estimate that the fire travelled about 13 kilometres in just

01:1225 minutes, which is why they had so little time to prepare, and why so many of them evacuated

01:18to Horsham.

01:19Now currently the fire is still burning along the Wimmera River, and a watch and act warning

01:24remained in place for several communities such as Nassimuk, East Nassimuk and Grass Flats,

01:30but importantly the fire has been contained.

01:33So right now a lot of the focus is now turning to recovery.

01:38Authorities say that the power should have been restored to Nassimuk last night, but there

01:41are still issues with telecommunications as well as hazardous trees and buildings.

01:47Authorities say they're hoping that residents from Nassimuk can return to the town today, but

01:52they're urging residents to be patient and to wait until they've been given the official

01:56all clear.