Vic bushfires death toll rises to 209

Four large fires continue to burn across Victoria as authorities warn the threat of
new fires will be high this weekend.
The warning came as the death toll from the devastating February 7 firestorm rose by
one, to 209, with an additional death confirmed in Kinglake.
Fire authorities on Friday said the bushfire threat remained high, with no
significant rain forecast and fuel loads continuing to dry out.
"The combination of hot weather, northerly winds and the chance of lightning has
pushed the fire danger warning to high and could increase fire activity over the
weekend and Monday," Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) state duty
officer Andrew Graystone said.
The areas of concern are south of Narbethong, where a spot fire caused a larger
blaze to break out, and the area southwest of Jamieson and close to Eildon, in
northeast Victoria.
Country Fire Authority spokesman Kevin Monk said containment lines were being
constructed around the fire at Wilson's Promontory and there was no threat to the
nearby township of Yanakie, which lies outside the national park.
About 100 firefighters were trying to get the blaze under control, he said.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Peter Blake said temperatures in fire-hit
regions would reach the low to mid-30s on the weekend, climbing a bit higher on
Monday.
A wind change was expected on Monday, shifting from the northwest to the southwest.
"There will be strengthening winds ahead of a cold front and that will be the
biggest problem with the fires," Mr Blake said.
Meanwhile, students from the devastated towns of Kinglake, Kinglake West and
Flowerdale will be back at their desks in relocatable classrooms on Monday for the
first time since the communities were hit by the fires.
Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said reopening the schools was an important step in
helping communities move forward.
"Moving these classrooms up the mountain today sends a message to those families
trying to rebuild their lives that they will be supported every step of the way in
restoring their communities to their preferred way of life," Ms Pike said.
The Insurance Council of Australia said the general insurance industry had received
6,230 claims resulting from the bushfires, amounting to around $790 million.
Insurance council chief executive Kerrie Kelly said that while the industry was
working closely with the Victorian and federal governments, there had been a number
of issues raised that could cause delays to the recovery process.
Some of those issues included difficulty in accessing affected areas, asbestos
removal and rebuilding standards.
So far around $40 million in emergency payments have been paid out, she said.