Authorities are advising vulnerable residents in the south of Morwell to move temporarily. Source: AAP
THE elderly and young children are among those urged to leave Morwell South, the area worst affected by smoke from an ongoing Victorian coal mine fire.
Authorities insist it's not an evacuation but rather precautionary advice to temporarily relocate.
Fire crews expect to take at least another 10 days to get on top of the fire in the Hazelwood open-cut mine that's been burning for nearly three weeks.
People over 65 years, preschool-aged children, pregnant women and anyone with a pre-existing heart or lung condition have been advised to temporarily relocate out of Morwell South, the area close to the mine.
The advice affects an unspecified portion of the 1500 people in the Morwell South district.
Chief health officer Rosemary Lester defended the timing of the stepped-up advice, given fire authorities had already said it would take at least another fortnight to get on top of the blaze.
"The advice up until now has been appropriate for the length of exposure," she said.
"Because we know now that the exposure is likely to continue we think now is the right time to increase the advice to temporary relocation."
Dr Lester says the advice is a precautionary measure.
"This is not an evacuation. It is an advice for a temporary relocation until the air quality improves," she said.
Locals unhappy with the response by authorities heckled the media conference in Morwell.
"We can't sleep, we can't go outside, we can't breathe," said one woman through tears.
"You can't continue to allow this to happen."
Dr Lester said moving temporarily would be the best way for vulnerable people to avoid the continuing smoke.
"We do know that the longer vulnerable people spend in the fine particles from the smoke that that's a continuing risk for them," she said.
The continued advice to other residents is to take temporary breaks from the smoke, to stay indoors and avoid physical activity outside.
Dr Lester admits the evidence around medium-term exposure to the smoke is unclear.
Local residents say people outside the vulnerable groups are experiencing problems in the smoke but Dr Lester says there have been no serious health effects from the smoke as yet.
"We know it can produce health effects for everyone but we do know that some groups are at higher risk than others."
Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley says the best-case scenario is that it will be another 10 days before the fire stops causing significant smoke and ash over Morwell, but authorities are concerned about two hot and windy days next week.
The fire has been burning since February 9, when a deliberately-lit blaze spotted into a worked-out area of the Hazelwood mine.
Chief Commissioner Ken Lay says police have received 50 new pieces of evidence regarding the unknown arsonist who sparked the blaze.
Police will boost their presence in Morwell South by 30 officers to patrol the area while people move out.
Premier Denis Napthine has urged people to follow the chief health officer's advice.
"However there is no compulsion for people to relocate," he told reporters in Morwell.
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