On Friday 20 buildings were lost in the fire that tore through Grass Flat including Natimuk and Quantong, in the afternoon.
Local crews including the FCV Broughton T1 and Propodollah T1, manned by members from across the Lowan Group, attended the Grass Flat/Natimuk fires for two days, including Friday faced with extreme heat and winds.
Kaniva fire brigade group sent 15 members to support Natimuk group with the Grass flat fire on Saturday.
Nhill CFA captain Brendan Moylan said, “It’s fantastic to see how everyone comes together and works as one across our communities. All Lowan and Kaniva Group brigade members have now returned safely to their stations.
Thank you to everyone who helped, and a big shout-out to all the other emergency services across Victoria who continue to work tirelessly to protect Victorian communities.”
Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch confirmed at least 20 structures have been lost in the Grass Flat fire in the Natimuk, Grass Flat and Quantong areas.
Donations of goods, money and vouchers are being coordinated via the GIVIT site. If you’ve been impacted and need something, or if you want to donate, you can list and source items here: https://www.givit.org.au.
A statement by West Wimmera Health Service said they would like to sincerely thank all emergency services and the dedicated staff at our Natimuk Facility for their efforts during the Natimuk fires on Friday.
The cooperation, communication, and teamwork ensured our residents and staff were kept safe.
We are very grateful to everyone involved for their commitment and support during a challenging time. Thank you for the work you do to protect and care for our community.
On Saturday Premier Jacinta Allan has declared a State of Disaster for 18 Local Government Areas including Horsham Rural Council.
Emergency services are asking people to avoid the Grass Flat, Natimuk and Quantong areas unless travel is essential, to keep roads clear for firefighters and recovery crews – and to let residents and responders get on with what needs doing.
This article appeared in Nhill Free Press & Kaniva Times, 14 January 2026.