Community
4 February, 2026
Crews battle Carlisle River fire
FOLLOWING the incredible firefighting efforts from ground and air crews in challenging conditions on Tuesday, January 27, some residents surrounding the Carlisle River fire were able to return home the following day.
When the Carlisle River fire in the Great Otway National Park broke containment lines on Saturday January 24, the decision was made to safeguard surrounding communities ahead of an extreme fire danger day on Tuesday, January 27, strongly recommending they prepare to evacuate.
Having heeded the advice of emergency services and enacting their bushfire plan before a dangerous and unpredictable day, residents from towns such as Gellibrand, Kawarren, Beech Forest, Forrest, Barongarook and beyond safely moved out of the area.
Last Tuesday saw temperatures at and around the fireground soar to the mid-40s and conditions quickly became extremely challenging for firefighters.
However, due to the work completed overnight last Monday, with crews building a perimeter around the fire’s edge, fire suppression was more favourable and reduced the spread of the fire and the impacted areas.
Colac Incident Control Centre deputy incident controller Tim Holland said the priority over coming days was to get the community back into their homes as soon as it is safe to do so.
“We really want to thank the community for their cooperation, their willingness and their resilience throughout this time, particularly those who evacuated – they’re safe, and that is why we did it,” Mr Holland said.
“It has been a tough few weeks for community members and we’re really working to make roads safe from hazardous trees to get them back in.
“Things were looking really good until Saturday (January 24), crews had done amazing work in some pretty terrible conditions.
“The focus now is building and strengthening containment lines again to ensure we don’t have any further escapes.
“Our crews continue to work throughout the day and night around the Gellibrand area identifying areas where control lines can be put in whilst we have the favourable weather conditions.”
Thanks to the great work of more than 400 firefighters, fire trucks and machinery on the ground and in the Colac Incident Control Centre, the majority of the VicEmergency messages were able to be downgraded on January 28.
“It is also not just about the firefight, it is also the emergency stabilisation work and the recovery that needs to be done through fire impacted areas from here on,” Mr Holland said.
“Between all agencies, we just want to say not only a big thank you to the firefighters, but also to the families who support them.
“We know school goes back this week, and mums and dads as well as caregivers will be missing some of those special moments to protect their communities.”
Residents and travellers are reminded to stay informed through the VicEmergency App and website to ensure they are receiving the most up to date information.
“Things can change at any time, so please be prepared for that and have your watch zones set to the area you are residing or travelling in,” Mr Holland said.
“As soon as it is made safe to do so, we do encourage people to get back into the Great Otway National Park and the local communities to support them.”