Firefighters backburn as bushfires continue to race towards towns while one Gippsland community hold

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Mr Rankin said. It is going to be a much hotter day with stronger winds. Firefighters fear the strong winds could push the fire towards Maffra. There's definitely no end in sight yet, Mr Rankin said.Milder conditions saw little movement in the fire yesterday as farmers continued the grim task of putting down badly injured livestock. Hundreds of animals have already been lost to the inferno.The former boss of Victoria's forest firefighting force believes only a major dumping of rain will control the Gippsland fire.Athol Hodgson, retired chief fire officer for the Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands, said the blaze presented an unprecedented challenge to authorities.Mr Hodgson said there were up to a million hectares of bush in Gippsland that had been burnt out by two ugg boots outlet major fires in the past decade.This had killed vast expanses of gum trees which had shed large strips of bark, leaving a ugg boots massive layer of volatile fuel on the forest floor. It's carrying a type of fuel we haven't had to deal with before, he said.Mr Hodgson, also a former Country Fire Authority board member, said the situation was vastly different to grass fires in more open country.He said there was a grave risk the fire front would move into more remote wilderness sac louis vuitton pas cher areas.This would put firefighters at a major disadvantage because of the sac louis vuitton homme difficulty in using bulldozers to clear breaks.Mr Hodgson said firefighters could work to control the front but, because of the country it is in, the danger would not fully abate until there was heavy rain. It'll take an inch-and-a-half  to put it out. This could go on for quite a while, he said.Premier Ted Baillieu said Department of Human Services grants were now available for people who needed help with accommodation or resettlement. People who have been displaced and are seeking to re-establish themselves will have access to $30,000 grants, he said. Those who have lost homes are obviously in line for that. He said people could also apply for short-term personal emergency grants, which are worth up to $1200 a family. STAY SAFE The Herald Sun has joined with fire authorities to keep Victorians informed. Check out the  page for the latest advice, warnings and videos from the CFA. This page is updated with the latest warnings from across the state. Save it to your bookmarks. You can access it from our homepage  from any computer. This service is not available on smart phones. Check live weather information - including fire warnings - on your computer AND smart phone at our . Just add m.heraldsun.com.au to your smart phone bookmarks and follow the View weather forecast link. The CFA has a live hermes outlet Online fire map.  and add to your bookmarks. The Herald Sun will keep you informed throughout the heatwave. Check back regularly for weather information, reader photos and fire warnings on your PC and mobile. Reports and alerts will also be posted to our page and from our official  account. For general bushfire information Victorian Bushfire Information Line  on freecall 1800 240 667 or  Stay informed ABC Local Radio, commercial and designated community radio stations or watching Sky News TV Deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech/communication impairment can contact VBIL via the National Relay Service on 1800 555 677 Road closures: Check  Tourists: Stay away from listed areas For life or property threatening threatening emergencies: Phone 000