Midland Express

Local BMX star Sammy O'Grady training ahead of the World Cup in NZ this weekend. Good luck Sammy!

Four new fire danger ratings will replace Victoria’s previous six from September 1.

Staff at the Caltex fuel station in Kyneton's High Street responded to a gas leak shortly after 2.30pm this afternoon, shutting down the site and notifying emergency services. CFA brigades from Kyneton, Tylden and Malmsbury responded and donned breathing apparatus and used gas detectors to locate the leak. The incident was declared safe about an hour later. Video: Brian Wilson, ietsystems.com.au

HAZARD REDUCTION BURN AT KYNETON Local CFA brigades undertook a hazard reduction burn on public land along Kyneton-Springhill Road about 4km southwest of Kyneton today. Local knowledge helped to identify the site as a high-risk location due to the large amount of vegetation growth and the potential to affect the road in a fire, which is a main evacuation and access route. Fifteen firefighters from Springhill, Tylden, Carlsruhe and Kyneton managed the almost three hectare low-impact burn, the light breeze carrying smoke away from the township. In some sections the grasses were shoulder height along with a significant volume of introduced weeds. Backup crews worked behind the burnt areas ‘blacking out’ any potential hot-spots. CFA vegetation management officers were also onsite to assist the task. Video: Brian Wilson, ietsystems.com.au

Fast work by five local CFA brigades stopped a fast-moving grassfire along the verge of the Calder Freeway on the Bendigo side of Kyneton this afternoon. Northbound traffic on the freeway was impacted for about an hour. Video footage: Brian Wilson, ietsystems.com.au

KYNETON COLLISION UPDATE Emergency services were called to the scene of a multi-vehicle collision in Kyneton about 3.25pm today after two cars collided at the intersection of Victoria Street and Yaldwyn Street East, before coming into contact with an empty school bus waiting to turn the corner. A male and a female, both aged in their 70s, were taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital in stable conditions, suffering upper body injuries. A third patient, a female teenager, was taken to Bendigo Hospital in a serious but stable condition with upper and lower body injuries. Video footage: Brian Wilson, ietsystems.com.au

KYNETON FAREWELLS LAURIE FIELDING Kyneton paused this afternoon to farewell former CFA Captain Laurie Fielding after 71 years of service to the community. A service was held in the town’s fire station after which Capt Fielding’s coffin was placed on the back of a vintage fire engine. Mr Fielding received many awards during his stellar career as a community leader. He will leave a legacy at the brigade with his fast wit, humour, and keenness on developing younger members over the years, particularly with the reel running team which formed part of the funeral cortege. Video: Brian Wilson, ietsystems.com.au

FIREBALL AT LANGLEY Emergency Services were called to Kyneton-Redesdale Road at Langley about 6.30am this morning following reports a car had run off the road and caught fire. CFA brigades from Langley-Barfold and Kyneton rushed to the scene to find a sedan travelling south had left the road, skidding about 50 metres along the verge before crashing through fences and bursting into flames. The driver, a man aged in his 20s, escaped and was treated at the scene by paramedics for a foot injury. Firefighters had to contend with high winds gusting at times to 80 kilometres an hour and the threat of branches falling from nearby trees. The busy arterial road was closed for about an hour. Video footage: Brian Wilson, ietsystems.com.au

QUICK THINKING AVERTS DANGER Quick thinking by a truck driver and workers at a nearby abattoir avoided fire engulfing a fully loaded B-Double cattle truck on Saleyards Road at Kyneton last night. Brakes on the truck’s dolly exploded shortly after 10pm, ejecting burning wheels onto the roadside. The blast was heard more than five kilometres away. The driver, who had travelled from Ballarat, jumped from his prime mover and disconnected the rear trailer then moved the burning truck forward to protect the animals onboard. Two workers from the nearby abattoir ran to the scene with fire extinguishers preventing the fire from spreading. Another truck driver also assisted. A pumper and tanker from Kyneton CFA were quickly on the scene and knocked down the blazing wheels. A thermal camera was also used to check the truck with firefighters cooling the axels with water. A crew from Malmsbury CFA also responded but were stood down enroute. Video: Brian Wilson, ietsystems.com.au

SEVERE STORM DAMAGE WIDESPREAD

Wind gusts in excess of 100km/h continue to batter central Victoria with roofing sheets and awnings torn from some buildings in Kyneton's town centre overnight. In a two-hour period more than 270 large trees were reported to be down, blocking roads, severing power lines and telephone connections. Poor mobile coverage is hampering those calling for help with local CFA and SES volunteers overwhelmed by the extent of the damage. Telstra has confirmed mobile sites and exchanges have been impacted and the full impact to the network is currently being assessed. "Our mobile sites and exchanges have power reserves but these are depleted when mains power isn’t restored," a spokesperson said. "We’re working with power authorities to prioritise the restoration of power to our sites. "At the same time, we’re also working to get our power and facilities teams on the ground to key sites when it's safe to do so." Powercor crews are working to restore power to more than 35,000 homes and businesses. Sustained severe wind gusts have brought down trees and branches onto powerlines and caused extensive damage to the power network across northern and western Victoria. The hardest hit areas are in Woodend, Gisborne and Kyneton. Crews worked throughout the night to restore power to more than 60,000 customers. Crews are continuing to patrol lines and repair the damage today. Currently they are responding to more than 200 faults, including reports of dozens of fallen powerlines. If people do see a fallen powerline, they should always stay well away from them and report them immediately on 13 24 12. Video footage: Brian Wilson, ietsystems.com.au

Three Chain Road was a treacherous route for traffic this morning with storms wreaking havoc! Local residents and tradies tackled several large trees down with chainsaws to help clear the roads.

Bunker down: A weather update from BoM Vic senior meteorologist Christopher Arvier.

Despite cold temperatures, Kyneton firefighters and police were called to a small grassfire near the banks of the Campaspe River in the town's south yesterday. The fire is believed to have been deliberately lit with reports of several young people seen at the location shortly before it ignited about 6pm. The small 5x2 metre fire was quickly extinguished by brigade members using backpacks. Kyneton Police are investigating. Video: Brian Wilson, ietsystems.com.au

On April 10, 2021, Kyneton Football Netball Club's new FIDA football team had its first run of the season in a practise match against Rupertswood. It was an exciting moment for the players, the club and the spectators, who took every opportunity to cheer them on.

ANOTHER CRASH ON EDGECOMBE ROAD

Holiday traffic was delayed on Friday after yet another accident on one of central Victoria's busiest tourist routes. Shortly before 2pm, traffic on Edgecombe Road at Kyneton stopped while a vehicle was waiting to turn right into Kyneton Bushland Resort when a utility towing a car ploughed into the back of a camper trailer being towed by a four-wheel-drive. The driver of the ute was uninjured and the family travelling in the 4WD, including a small child, did not require medical attention. Calls for a right-turn bay at the busy single-lane intersection, which is the main entry point to the bushland resort, have largely been ignored with Regional Roads Victoria repeatedly claiming a lack of available funding. Late last year, following several serious crashes and campaigning by locals, the road authority extended the double yellow lines as an interim measure, but rejected the installation of a right-turn bay. The rejection was based on a 'desktop' engineering assessment, which internal documents show incorrectly identified the need to relocate non-existent power lines on the west side of the northbound lane (the power lines are on the eastern side and are set back a considerable distance from the road). RRV also cited the need to remove a small number of trees - some of which regularly drop large branches onto the roadway requiring action by SES volunteers and council. Repeated requests by crash victims, residents and the management of Kyneton Bushland Resort over the past six years for safety to be improved at the intersection have had little response from the state government. Edgecombe Road was designated a major B-Double route using only a desktop assessment and out-of-date traffic data. RRV has advised concerned locals to raise the issue with local MP Mary-Anne Thomas. Footage: ietsystems.com.au

EXPLOSIONS AND BLACK SMOKE

Extra caution had to be taken by CFA firefighters approaching a shed fire in Granite Hills Lane north of Kyneton Tuesday evening shortly before 7.30pm with reports that acetylene gas bottles and other flammable liquids were stored in the large shed. The fire was reported after several explosive sounds were heard followed by dark smoke rising high in the air. The blaze engulfed the structure within minutes but was under control in about 45 minutes. Fourteen CFA units attended the incident. The fire is not being treated as suspicious. Vision: ietsystems.com.au