Vic: Fire holds up flights, ravages wildlife park
By Jewel Topsfield
MELBOURNE, Dec 29 AAP - Flights were delayed briefly by a fire near Melbourne Airportwhich also destroyed part of an historic park and sanctuary for endangered animals.
The fire which was contained just after midday destroyed about 150 hectares of theWoodlands Historic Park at Oaklands Junction, established in 1980 to give visitors a glimpseof the Victorian landscape as it would have appeared in the 1840s.
The 700-hectare park is also home to the endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot and EasternGrey Kangaroos, but a government spokesman said he was not sure if animals were killedin the blaze.
Country Fire Authority (CFA) spokesman Peter Philp said the fire jumped Sunbury Road,which borders the park and the airport, and burnt grass up to Perimeter Road near theeast-west runway.
Thick smoke and poor visibility delayed some flights for up to five minutes.
However an airport spokesman said no airport property was damaged.
Mr Philp said 100 firefighters, 22 trucks, Elvis the Erickson Aircrane and a waterbombinghelicopter took three hours to contain the blaze.
He said the CFA was assisted by firefighters from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade andthe Department of Sustainability and Environment, which manages public parks.
"The fire is no longer spreading although we will still have firefighters there formost of the afternoon blacking out," Mr Philp said.
"Because of the gusty winds we have to make sure no embers are reignited."
Today's fire started at the corner of Somerton and Oaklands Roads, near the WoodlandsHistoric Homestead, a rare example of an early prefabricated building used by the pioneersof the Port Phillip district.
It spread through the Woodlands Historic Park which contains valuable remnants of Victoriangrassy woodland open forest.
A spokesman for the Department of Sustainability and Environment said he was not sureif park animals were killed in the blaze.
"Our understanding is the fire was primarily grass and shrubs," he said.
It is not yet known if the blaze was suspicious.
AAP jt/clr/dl/sb
KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC NIGHTLEAD
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