General News
18 December, 2025
'I can see smoke from my kitchen window': Charlton watches on as fire continues to burn
Farmers have struggled to support the fire brigades in fighting the blaze still burning near Yeungroon East as the pipeline "couldn't get the water out quickly enough".
CHARLTON residents are trying to piece together what may have started and what it will take to stop the fire burning near town.
The fire, which started between Wooroonook and Charlton at around 1.30pm on Thursday afternoon, was moving across the paddocks south of town as residents watched on.
Charlton East Hotel and Cricket Club Hotel Charlton owner Leanne Gretgrix said the talk of the pub was how many unknowns there were.
"Everyone is just hoping it was in the paddocks and nothing else," she said.
"We could see a big, bellowing black bit of smoke from the back of the pub and we just hoped it was getting into a hay shed.
"You don't want anything to burn, but we just want it to be stubble and nothing else."
Ms Gretgrix said they had residents coming in and out all afternoon, including a few farmers who had been part of the team fighting the fire early on.
"You see the 60-odd tankers that are listed on VicEmergency as being there, but there would have been 50 more farmers out there with their own vehicles helping," she said.
"They were trying their best, but the pipeline couldn't get the water out fast enough and they had to keep coming into town to refill.
"It can all be so unpredictable."
The NCN Herald understands a number of families have been evacuated.
Charlton resident Noreen Ryan said she wasn't afraid but was keeping an eye on the situation.
"I can see smoke from my kitchen window," she said.
"I've seen all the trucks and helicopters going over."
Ms Ryan, who lives on the St Arnaud side of Charlton, said she was thankful she was unavailable today, which stopped some plans her son Peter had.
"Peter was supposed to come over from St Arnaud today to give me a Christmas present and I'm very glad he didn't," she said.
"He wouldn't have been able to get through to get back home, I'm glad I wasn't available and said I would see him later on."
Charlton Caravan Park owner Leanne Fanning said she was at the park, ready if residents needed a place to stay.
"We've got a few people here, but we won't know how many we might have until later," she said.
"We're just keeping an eye on everything and we're ready to help if we need."
A strike team made up of brigades from Woodend, Romsey, Malmsbury and Clarkefield has just arrived behind a police escort.
The team was taken through as the Calder Highway cut off the route to Charlton from just outside Wedderburn.
Police were turning people away initially at the Nine Mile Road intersection as they feared the fire would jump the road.
Trucks have travelled from across the state to make up strike teams that are assisting.
Brigades from Wycheproof, Kerang, Bendigo and other areas are all working to slowly bring the blaze to a stop.
The strike teams are gathering at the Charlton Fire Brigade station before going to fight the fire.
Tankers are also coming into town to refuel before going back out to the front.
State Control Centre spokesperson David Nugent said as of 3.30pm, the fire had burnt almost 1,800 hectares of land.
"We are just urging people to stay up to date with the right information," he said.
"On these hot and windy days that we're having today and have forecast again for tomorrow, we urge everyone to understand the conditions.
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