Emergency warnings have been issued for bushfires in western Victoria and central Tasmania, as worsening weather conditions fuel a “dynamic and dangerous” situation.
Authorities are warning people to evacuate immediately or prepare to leave from multiple communities in Victoria’s west, as spot fires push the blaze eastward.
“The smoke column has reached approximately 10 kilometres into the sky and for firefighters that means it is going to be very challenging but also a very dynamic and dangerous situation,” Victorian Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan told ABC News on Thursday.
“It is starting to throw spots into surrounding areas.”
The emergency warning for residents to leave immediately has been extended to include Beaufort, where 470 homes are now without power, Powercor says.
The Western Highway has been closed in both directions between Beaufort and Ararat, and people in the fire area are urged to head east towards Ballarat, where a relief centre has been set up at a sports reserve in the suburb of Wendouree.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said the fire near Warrak had moved through forested areas, burning at least 12,000 hectares and was spotting more than 600m ahead of the firefront.
Firefighting aircraft have been sent to fight the fire and protect properties in the firing line, she added.
The warning for a bushfire in Tasmania’s central highlands has been upgraded, with emergency services warning those in the Dee community and surrounds to seek shelter.
Western Australia has total fire bans in place for multiple districts from Gin Gin south down the Darling Range to Bunbury and Bridgetown, taking in Perth and Mandurah.
Part of the Eyre Highway is closed, shutting off the western side of the Nullarbor as an out-of-control blaze near Balladonia – where a watch and act warning is in place- burns into a third week.
Emergency services have told people at the Balladonia Roadhouse to go west towards Norseman.
South Australia’s Country Fire Service has declared an extreme fire risk in the Mid North, the Murraylands, Riverland and the Upper and Lower South East regions.
Temperatures have topped 40C in northwest Victoria, and storms are expected to bring 80km/h winds and dry lightning into the afternoon.
Lightning strikes remain a big concern after most of last week’s fires in Victoria were sparked by strikes.
“We have water aircraft dispersed around the state and they can get to those fires that are difficult to access as quickly as possible,” Victoria’s State Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a cool change bringing storms that will move into southwest Victoria in the late afternoon and reach the northeast overnight.
“With those storms, most of the rainfall evaporating before it reaches the ground could produce gusty winds … on top of the already strong winds that we are expecting,” BOM senior meteorologist Christie Johnson said.
Ms Johnson said the weather conditions would not be as severe or widespread as last week, when bushfires in the Grampians National Park destroyed 46 properties and razed more than 6000ha of bush and farmland.
In Victoria’s east, wind gusts of up to 130km/h smashed transmission infrastructure, cutting power to 530,000 homes and businesses and leaving 37 houses uninhabitable.
About 680 customers remained off the power grid as of Thursday morning.
This post was originally published on Michael West.
