Recent dry lightning caused a number of fires across the Victorian high country. Most were quickly contained but one just north of the Howitt Plains is becoming a concern.
This area, of high elevation snow gum woodlands inter-spaced with grass dominated plains, has been burnt several times in recent decades, with many areas now holding thick (and highly flammable) regrowth forests. Fires in these recovering forests can lead to ecological collapse – that is, the loss of snow gum dominated forests, which are replaced by grass and shrubs. It is essential that we exclude fire from these ecosystems as they recover.
What do we know?
As we know, there are major fires still burning in the west of the state, especially in and around Gariwerd/ The Grampians. This means that many fire fighting resources (both planes and ground crews) are allocated in the west.
However Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) crews are in the area, working to contain the fire.
Updates.
DEC 31. By late afternoon, FFMV have announced that the fire has been contained. It was contained at 14 ha.
DEC 30. The fire has been going (and growing) for several days. The Mount Howitt Walking Track is currently closed, as is the Mount Howitt trailhead camping area and car park at the northern end of the Howitt road. This means there is no access to Macalister Springs or Vallejo Gantner hut.
The Emergency Victoria website says that there are 10 vehicles responding to the fire (this was downgraded to 8 vehicles on DEC 30) and that the current size of the fire is 14 hectares. Winds are from the west, meaning the fire will move towards Clover Plain.
The area just north of Clover Plain, DEC 2024.
Mountain Journal 
December 30, 2024 at 3:20 pm
Thankyou for sharing this info. I’m concerned that this fire is not out yet after 3 days (or more?) and about what could happen if it becomes big and uncontrollable, with it being summer and terrain that is very hard to access in all directions. Memories come back of all the times I’ve walked through areas of dense regrowth mentioned above, feeling the significantly higher temperatures in those areas (microclimates but not so micro!) and getting dehydrated more easily. We could sense it would burn up easily. And typically the waterways being down in steep valleys leaving the forested ridges dry.
I think they should send as many resources as necessary to put out this fire.
[From Cam: yes, I agree – after 4 days it is a real worry that the fire is still growing, and according to Emergency VIC they have taken 2 crews off the fire. ]