‘It’s too late to leave’: Terrified residents ordered to take shelter inside their homes or risk being killed ‘by extreme heat’
- Vic Emergency on Tuesday issued the alert for Kitchenhams Road at Benloch
- ‘You must take shelter before the fire arrives. The extreme heat is likely to kill’
- The fire is currently 200 metres wide and within 500 metres of homes
An emergency warning has been issued to residents of a small town in Victoria as a bushfire makes its way toward homes.
Vic Emergency on Tuesday issued the alert for Kitchenhams Road at Benloch, warning of an uncontrolled bushfire travelling in an easterly direction.
Some residents have been told it is too late to leave their homes, and the safest option for them is to take cover.
An emergency warning has been issued to residents of a small town in Victoria as a bushfire makes its way toward homes
‘The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave,’ the warning reads.
‘You must take shelter before the fire arrives. The extreme heat is likely to kill you well before the flames reach you.’
The Country Fire Authority says the fire is currently 200 metres wide and within 500 metres of homes in the region.
Vic Emergency on Tuesday issued the alert for Kitchenhams Road at Benloch, warning of an uncontrolled bushfire travelling in an easterly direction
‘You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive,’ their warning says.
Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said in an emergency briefing the state is throwing ‘every possible asset’ into fighting the fires.
‘For those people in that area, I want to reassure you that we are doing everything possible in relation to that fire,’ he said.
‘Because we don’t have fires in any other parts of the state, we can throw as many assets as we can at this particular fire.’
Some residents have been told it is too late to leave their homes, and the safest option for them is to take cover
Locals have been urged to protect themselves by wearing long sleeves and pants made from wool or cotton and to wear leather boots.
‘Shelter in a room that has two exits including one directly to the outside. It is important to be able to see outside so you know what is happening with the fire.’
‘If your home catches on fire and the conditions inside become unbearable, you need to get out and go to an area that has already been burnt.’
Up to 50 emergency vehicles are on their way to fight the blaze, as well as a number of aircraft.
It is currently unclear how the blaze broke out, however emergency services have had to battle almost 20 smaller blazes across the state, and have seen ‘a disturbing trend’ among them, with many connected to camp fires.
There is currently a total fire ban in place in Victoria.