Toombullup

"The fire continued its rampage south through the ranges until it ran out of fuel north of Woods Point, where there was nothing left to burn."

The Toombullup Forest south of Tatong was already aflame prior to Christmas 1938. By 10 January 1939, the fire was burning on a forty-mile front and had already burnt out 800 square miles of forest country, destroying Henderson & Tremellan's timber mill in the process.

The fire was beyond control and already threatening the timber railhead of Tatong. Another fire was burning in the hill country behind Myhrree and threatened to join up with the Toombullup blaze. Under the influence of a strong northerly wind on 10 January, the fires swept south from the Tolmie highlands towards Whitlands and Moyhu.

By 11 January, the Toombullup fire was the largest single fire burning in Victoria, and had consumed half a million acres of forest. The lull on 11 January provided some respite for fire-fighters, and it was thought for a time that the fire might be checked. Another lull on 12 January brought similar hopes.

These were dashed on January 13 when the wind rose to a howling northerly gale. The fire leapt the Buffalo River and tore south towards Mansfield and the Delatite Valley. For a time it was though that the two large sawmills at Mirrimbah near Mount Buller would be lost, and both were evacuated at noon. Only a lucky change in the wind saved them from destruction. The fire continued its rampage south through the ranges until it ran out of fuel north of Woods Point, where there was nothing left to burn.