Wildfires raged across southwestern Victoria as record heat and a sharp wind change fanned flames, forcing evacuations and leaving at least three homes feared destroyed near Gellibrand. Six separate blazes threatened communities, including a grass fire near Camperdown and an uncontrolled blaze west of Grampians National Park, while Larralea prompted an emergency warning and 40 tankers were deployed. Temperatures topped 120°F (≈48.9°C) in the state's northwest, breaking long-standing records, and authorities warned of heat-related illness as forecasts predict above-average temperatures through April.
Wildfires Tear Through Southwestern Victoria Amid Record Heat — Homes Destroyed, Evacuations Ordered
A man takes a cooling drink from a water fountain in downtown Melbourne, Victoria, on Tuesday amid a heatwave that has seen some of the highest temperatures in 20 years and fanned intense wildfires in the southwest and west of the state. Photo by Michael Currie/EPA
Wildfires continued to burn out of control across southwestern Victoria on Tuesday, driven by record-breaking heat and a sudden wind shift that sent gusts over 40 mph (more than 64 km/h), officials said.
At least three homes were feared destroyed near the town of Gellibrand in the Otways, west of Melbourne, after the Carlisle River bushfire intensified following the wind change and authorities ordered evacuations.
The Otways blaze is one of six separate fires that have threatened communities for days. A fast-moving grass fire northeast of Camperdown threatened Lismore, about 20 miles (32 km) away, while another uncontrolled wildfire burned to the west of Grampians National Park.
Forest Fire Management Victoria Chief Fire Officer Chris Hardman said the Otways fire had been "running hard and fast" since the wind change on Tuesday afternoon. "Right now is the very worst period that we'll be facing," he said.
Country Fire Authority Chief Officer Jason Heffernan warned residents not to be complacent and urged people to avoid travel where emergency warnings were in place. An emergency warning was also issued for a significant blaze at Larralea; Country Fire Authority Deputy Chief Officer Rohan Luke said, "That fire is burning in a southeasterly direction, and we've had 40 tankers respond to that." He described the Larralea incident as the most significant threat beyond other fires on the landscape.
The extreme fires coincided with record-breaking heat across Victoria on Tuesday: preliminary readings showed temperatures topping 120°F (about 48.9°C) in the state's northwest. The Mallee towns of Hopetoun and Walpeup exceeded the previous record high of 119.8°F (48.8°C) set in February 2009, the Bureau of Meteorology reported.
Victorian health authorities issued warnings about heat-related illness, citing the combination of very high daytime temperatures and unusually warm nights. Officials urged people to stay hydrated, avoid strenuous outdoor activity, check on vulnerable neighbors and watch for signs of heatstroke.
Similar extreme heat and fire warnings were in place across much of neighboring South Australia and western New South Wales, where temperature records also fell. Long-range forecasts project above-average daytime and nighttime temperatures across much of Australia through April, and officials said that climate change is contributing to more frequent and intense heatwaves and wildfires.
What residents should know: follow local emergency warnings, evacuate when instructed, avoid driving through smoke or fire zones, and heed health advice for extreme heat.
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