Bushfire threat remains as heat band moves north

Victoria: A cool change has brought some relief to firefighters battling a massive blaze in the Grampians. This comes after some of the worst bushfire conditions since the infamous Black Summer of 2019.

On Thursday, temperatures dropped as gusty winds swept through, helping to slow down the fires that have been raging for over a week. So far, more than 70,000 hectares of bushland have been scorched.

Authorities have been on high alert, issuing evacuation warnings as the winds shifted and fanned the flames unpredictably. Thankfully, the cool change has helped slow the fire’s spread, with a bit of rain and increased humidity.

However, as of early Friday morning, six emergency warnings were still in effect. Officials are cautiously optimistic but remind everyone that the situation is still serious.

Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent noted that the Grampians fire is significant and could burn for weeks, even with 600 personnel on the ground. The terrain is tough, and conditions are dry, making it hard to control.

There’s been considerable damage to the environment, fencing, and outbuildings, and livestock losses have been reported. Nugent mentioned that residential losses could also happen if the fire continues to spread.

As firefighters work tirelessly, thousands of residents were left without power due to the extreme heat and strong winds damaging power lines. Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio warned that the risk of more outages could increase as winds pick up.

Even with cooler weather on Friday, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll cautioned that dangerous fire conditions would persist into Saturday. While Victoria gets a break, the hot and dry conditions are expected to move into parts of northeastern NSW, raising fire danger levels.

On Thursday, temperatures soared into the high 30s across Victoria, prompting a total fire ban for the entire state.