“Time to go”: Thousands of Otways locals urged to evacuate as 40-degree weather brings severe fire risks to the region

As a wall of smoke pressed down over the Otways and fire crews descended on the valley, Gellibrand resident Rob Murphy stood at his property making a call no local ever wants to make: stay or go.

What happened: The Otways have been burning, in the Carlisle River area particularly, since January 9, after dry lightning strikes kicked off multiple fires. Locals say this latest flare-up has been the most dangerous, with the fire spreading to further communities. 

• More than 1,100 residents in the Colac Otway Shire have been ordered to evacuate their homes since Monday evening, with police and local SES volunteers door knocking households to ensure locals left safely.

• At least three homes have been confirmed lost in the Gellibrand district after containment lines were breached over the weekend.

• More than 120 people have evacuated to relief centres as of Tuesday afternoon.

Murphy one of many: At 8:30pm on Monday, Murphy was one of those more than 1000 residents driving out of town under emergency warnings. He left behind his cattle, his home and the forested ridges surrounding his property now burning on multiple fronts.

Murphy told the Brolga he left only after emergency volunteers arrived.

• “I made a commitment to my partner and kids when we evacuated that if the CFA captain came and told me that it was time to go, I'd leave. And that happened at about 8:30 last night,” said Murphy.

Erratic weather: Murphy said the lead-up had been marked by brutal dryness and unpredictable conditions. 

• “The environment is really dry, we're coming off the back of a couple of years of dry weather,” he said. “Over the last couple of days, everyone's really been working hard to set up their property for today, knowing that today was coming.”

Day-by-day: On Saturday, the fire “flared up really quickly, from 2 to 2:30pm,” said Murphy. Tuesday’s wind conditions were forecasted to move in four different directions, making the fire front “concerning for the community”.

A community unites: The Gellibrand River Hotel has become an informal refuge and information hub for locals and fire crews. 

Murphy spent the day helping others there until his own evacuation, returning on Tuesday to continue assisting. 

He said emergency crews deserved credit for their efforts, adding, “They're doing a great job. The skills that they're using to protect our community is amazing.”