Residents in three communities are being ordered to evacuate immediately as an out-of-control wildfire spreads, with firefighters bracing for more dangerous conditions.
People in Bornes Hill, south of the Grampians National Park, were told to leave immediately after a state of emergency was declared on Wednesday evening.
The out-of-control bushfire in western Victoria is moving in a southeasterly direction, with increased fire activity observed between Lynches Crossing Track and Childs Lane.
Residents in Moyston and Pomonal, north of the national park, were also told to leave the area immediately.
“Private properties adjacent to the National Park may be affected within the next two hours, south of the Pomonal 2024 fire area,” the alert said.
“Leaving immediately is the safest option before conditions become too dangerous.
‘Emergency services may not be able to help you if you decide to stay.’
The fire has burned more than 40,000 hectares and it remains unsafe for people to return to Bellfield, Halls Gap and surrounding areas.
More than 100 firefighters battle to contain a monstrous blaze sweeping through western Victoria’s Grampians National Part
Shelters have been set up at the Alexandra Oval Community Center in Ararat and Grampians Community Health, or The Shacc, in Stawell.
In other incidents, crews battled a grass fire in Smithfield, north of Adelaide, as temperatures soared towards 36 degrees Celsius in the South Australian capital.
A total fire ban was declared for South Africa’s mid-north, Riverland, Murraylands, upper south-east and lower south-east regions on Thursday, with the fire risk considered extreme.
Multiple fires were also burning east of Perth and in WA’s north-west and south-west, with emergency services warning people to avoid the Laverton area and monitor conditions in Bornholm in Albany.
“There are two major concerns on Thursday: the fires already burning across the landscape, and any new fires sparking as a result of the extreme fire risk,” Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan said.
A total fire ban has been declared across the state, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting temperatures into the 40s, with winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour in higher areas.
“That’s enough to down trees and power lines, cause some minor power outages, but also create dangerous conditions for our ongoing fires across the Grampians,” senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said on Wednesday.
Local residents have been told to prepare for power cuts, with provider AusNet warning that cuts could be made to prevent bushfires starting on Thursday.
The city of Halls Gap has already done that
As a cool change washes over Victoria on Friday, extreme fire dangers will push into parts of central north-east NSW.
In cautious anticipation of a potential disaster, 100 interstate firefighters are heading to Victoria to help manage the risk.
There were also reports of fires in central Victoria at Bullengarook and at The Gurdies in the state’s east on Wednesday.
Extreme fire danger warnings are in effect for all parts of Victoria for the next 48 hours, except East Gippsland, where a high fire danger is forecast.
Residents and travelers in South Australia, NSW and Western Australia have also been warned they will also face high fire danger this week due to the extreme weather.
In NSW, hot, dry and windy conditions pose an extreme fire danger in the Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney, Northern Slopes and North Western regions.
Regional areas in South Australia are also expecting warm conditions on Boxing Day.
Adelaide is forecast to experience a high of 36 degrees Celsius, after a predicted 37 degrees Celsius on Christmas Day.
In Western Australia, firefighters were working to clear a blaze that had threatened lives and property in Perth’s northern suburbs on Sunday.
The fast-moving fire at Two Rocks forced evacuation warnings Sunday afternoon but was later brought under control.
High fire danger is again forecast for the region on Monday, while extreme risk is forecast in inland parts of WA’s mid-west and south-west.