Residents in three communities are being ordered to evacuate immediately as an out-of-control bushfire spreads, with firefighters bracing for more dangerous conditions.
People in Bornes Hill, towards the south of the Grampians National Park, were told to leave immediately after an emergency was declared on Wednesday evening.
The out-of-control bushfire in Victoria’s west is travelling in a southeasterly direction, with increased fire activity observed between Lynches Crossing Track and Childs Lane.
Residents in Moyston and Pomonal, towards the north of the national park, were also told to immediately leave the area.
‘Private property adjoining the National Park could be impacted in 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 blaze has burned more than 40,000ha and it remains unsafe for people to return to Bellfield, Halls Gap and surrounding areas.
Over 100 firefighters are battling to contain a monster blaze rampaging through the Grampians National Part in western Victoria
Relief centres have been set up at Alexandra Oval Community Centre in Ararat and Grampians Community Health, or The Shacc, in Stawell.
In other incidents, crews contained a grassfire in Smithfield to Adelaide’s north, as temperatures in the South Australian capital pushed towards 36C.
Total fire bans were declared for SA’s mid north, Riverland, Murraylands, upper southeast and lower southeast regions on Thursday with the fire risk considered extreme.
Multiple fires were also burning east of Perth and in northwest and southwest WA, and emergency services warned people to avoid the Laverton area and watch conditions in Bornholm in Albany.
‘There are two major concerns on Thursday – the fires already burning in the landscape, and any new fires that start 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 forecasting temperatures into the 40s, with wind gusts of up to 100km/h in elevated areas.
‘That’s enough to bring down trees and power lines, cause some minor power outages, but also create dangerous conditions for our ongoing fires through the Grampians,’ senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said on Wednesday.
Local residents have been told to prepare for power outages with provider AusNet warning cuts could be triggered to prevent bushfires starting on Thursday.
The town of Halls Gap has already
As a cool change washes over Victoria on Friday, the extreme fire dangers will push into parts of central northeastern NSW.
In wary anticipation of a potential disaster 100 interstate firefighters are on their way to Victoria to help contain the risk.
On Wednesday there were also reports of blazes in central Victoria at Bullengarook and at The Gurdies in the state’s east.
Extreme fire danger warnings are in place for all parts of Victoria over the next 48 hours, except for East Gippsland where a high fire danger is forecast.
Residents and travellers in South Australia, NSW and Western Australia have also been warned they also face high fire danger this week because of 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 hot conditions on Boxing Day.
Adelaide is forecast to faced a peak of 36C after a predicted 37C on Christmas Day.
In Western Australia, firefighters were mopping up a blaze on Sunday that had threatened life and property on Perth’s northern outskirts.
The fast-moving fire at Two Rocks forced evacuation warnings on Sunday afternoon but was later brought under control.
High fire danger is again forecast for the region on Monday while extreme risk is predicted in inland parts of WA’s midwest and southwest.
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