Yackandandah saved from blaze

Yackandandah residents are relieved business is back to normal after a nerve-wracking wait for fires in the region to subside.
Home to gay and lesbian festival Spring Migration, Yackandandah was on high alert last week as ember attacks threatened the township and surrou-nding areas due to southerly winds fanning the Beechworth fires.
On Sunday February 8, Yackandandah residents were warned their properties might be under serious threat. Cooler conditions the following day gave firefighters a chance to contain the fire and the threat was downgraded.
Two people lost their lives in nearby Mudgegonga and around 14 homes were damaged in the region as the Beechworth fire raged through over 30,000 hectares.
Spring Migration organiser and resident Gary Hayward said the festival wouldn’t be affected by the fires and praised the support he and his partner Andy Stevens received from the gay community during the ordeal.
-œThe gay community has been absolutely amazing, the phone hasn’t stopped, he told Southern Star as the fires were still burning in the area.
-œWe’re just thinking positive, we’re doing everything possible for our community and for the people of our township, and neighboring townships -” whatever we can do we will do.
Hayward said although the imminent fires were frightening, the town was much luckier than others.
-œAt least Yackandandah had lots of time to prepare. Marysville and those other places didn’t have any time to prepare and that’s an absolute disaster.
Hayward said it had been an -œawful time and called on the community not to forget the wildlife caught up in the disaster.
-œYes, we need to help the people but we also need to help our animals.
-œOur wildlife carers are flat out looking after burnt and injured animals. I hope the whole gay community gets behind and donates as much as they can to help people and the wildlife carers because they really are stretched to the limit.
Hayward said firefighters had done a lot to keep the Beechworth township safe. He expects Spring Migration to go ahead as planned.
-œWith this year’s Spring Migration scheduled in Yackandandah and Beechworth, all this will be over by then. It’ll be spring with new growth and regeneration.