Dozens more homes lost, but no lives, as Victoria’s bushfire season makes terrifying start
Emergency crews are counting the number of homes lost to raging bushfires in regional Victoria, as three continue to burn out of control.
Country Fire Authority (CFA) fire fighters wait for the fire to reach their defence line along Glenfern Rd, in Upwey, east of Melbourne,. The fire is threatening homes in Melbourne's eastern suburbs and has destroyed one house, two fire trucks, and injured three firefighters. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)
The threat has eased in the Grampians National Park, but two watch and act warnings remain in place for residents in areas to the park’s north and east.
Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan said the blaze near Pomonal and Bellfield, which has burned more than 2100 hectares, remains the main focus for crews.
“We do know there has been property loss, both homes and outbuildings,” he told ABC TV on Wednesday morning.
Mr Heffernan said early indications were the number of homes lost to the fires was likely to be lower than 20 or 30.
“It is very hard to differentiate between what is a shed, an outbuilding (or) someone’s home,” he said.
Fire crews will asses the fireground on Wednesday morning for any loss of life and damage to properties.
“We don’t have any reports of anyone missing,” state response controller Garry Cook told ABC radio.
“They were horrific conditions yesterday, reports of flame heights of 30 metres moving through that area during the height of the fire.
“People got out, which is great, but unfortunately there has been some property losses.”
Five country firefighters suffered minor burns from cinders after flames went over their truck at Pomonal on Tuesday night.
Another fire near Mount Stapylton, further north in the national park, is burning at watch and act level.
“They’re still not contained but … we don’t expect those fires to spread today given the work that’s been done overnight,” Mr Cook said.
Relief centres have been set up at the Alexandra Oval Community Centre in Ararat and the Grampians Community Health in Stawell.
“The situation is still evolving,” Premier Jacinta Allan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Right now, crews are on the ground and in the air working as hard as they possibly can to defend homes, lives, and properties.”
The threat from an uncontrolled bushfire at Newtown near Ballarat has reduced after residents were told to evacuate from a grassfire spread that into a forest.
Five schools and 27 early-learning centres are closed on Wednesday across southwest Victoria.
Victoria sweltered through three days of hot conditions before more than 20 fires broke out.
Dry lightning strikes mixed with wind gusts reaching 100km/h, fanned the out-of-control flames.
Temperatures dropped on Wednesday following a cool change but fire conditions were expected to persist.
