Authorities are evacuating people from areas in central and central Victoria as dangerous fires ravage several states in the southeast.
Hot, dry weather blanketed much of Victoria, south-west New South Wales and much of eastern South Australia, with extreme fan fire danger and damaging winds on Thursday.
Early on Thursday afternoon, Victoria Control Center spokesperson Luke Hegarty said predictions of extreme fire conditions had already begun to unfold, with strong wind gusts leading to new fires and areas not currently under warning. An existing fire could spread, he said.
“This is an important part of your day. If you don't need to travel, please postpone your plans,” he said.
“We expect further northerly winds to pick up over the next few hours, meaning the fires will continue to spread, and will be at real risk later in the day, into the evening and into the night. ” A change in southerly winds will hit the state. ”
At 11am AEDT, multiple fires were burning in Victoria including the Grampians National Park, Blengarroch, Creswick and Gardies. Officials expected those fires to grow by Thursday.
Mr Hegarty called on residents in these areas to leave in the morning to protect themselves and their families.
“You need to leave the area. Go somewhere else safe. That's how you protect yourself and your family.”
He said all Victorian residents should check their fire plans and be prepared if a fire breaks out near them.
“Know what to do if a fire breaks out. And if you're planning a trip today, please reconsider your need to travel. Today is not the day to be outside. Today is an absolute must.” It is a day when you should not travel at all, except under certain circumstances.
Victoria is preparing to face the most dangerous fire conditions since the 2019-20 Black Summer. Strong winds were expected for much of the day, as well as Friday and Saturday, worsening the fire danger across the state.
Temperatures are expected to reach the upper 30s to 40s in much of Victoria and inland Australia, with temperatures expected to reach 47C in the central-west Queensland town of Birdsville.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan sent a blunt message to X.
“The message couldn't be clearer: Today is a no-fire day across Victoria. Don't be stupid. Don't light any fires.”
Mr Allan said conditions on Thursday were expected to be “the worst since the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfire season”.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Dean Narramore said wind gusts of up to 100km/h were strong enough to knock down trees and power lines and cause minor power outages.
A trough of high pressure that brought temperatures in the low 30s to South Australia on Christmas Day is slowly moving across the border towards Victoria.
All but one region of Victoria was facing extreme fire danger on Thursday. A statewide fire ban remained in effect.
A total fire ban was also declared in South Australia's north-central, Riverland, Murraylands, upper south-east and lower south-east regions.
The dangerous situation could further fuel an out-of-control wildfire covering more than 40,000 hectares in Victoria's Grampians National Park, which has been burning for days.
Residents in the Grampians towns of Bolnes Hill, Moyston and Pomonal were also ordered to leave on Wednesday as the fire approached.
Mr Naramore said a combination of strong winds, high temperatures and dry air caused dangerous fire activity.
“Fires starting or already starting around the Grampians are likely to become uncontrollable and unquenchable, leading to dangerous and unusual fire behavior,” he said.
Firefighters from multiple states were called in to assist Victorian firefighters as crews worked to secure containment lines on Boxing Day.
Power company Ausnet has warned customers that power outages may be triggered to prevent wildfires from starting and may be extended for longer to ensure safety.
A change of cold air is expected to move into Victoria on Thursday night, with hot, dry and windy conditions pushing into parts of north-east central NSW on Friday, bringing extreme fire danger. brought about.
A change of cold air spread across South Australia earlier than expected on Thursday afternoon.
Country Fire Service (CFS) State Mission Commander Ann Letcher said although it was a relief to see temperatures drop after a hot Christmas day and night, the fire danger remained elevated.
“We won't be able to fully relax until the winds subside and communities still need to be careful,” she said.
Mr Letcher said there were not many incidents in South Australia on Thursday and the fires that broke out yesterday north of Adelaide were now largely extinguished, but he urged people to continue to be prepared.
On Thursday morning, the CFS announced a total fire ban for five regions: Murrayland, Riverland, Mid-North, Upper and Southern South East.
The CFS warned of “extreme conditions” with continued high temperatures across the state, particularly along the border with Victoria.
Surface temperatures in Australia have risen by 1.5C since 1910, the Bureau of Meteorology announced earlier this year, with the climate crisis increasing the risk of bushfires due to higher temperatures and more frequent dry conditions.
