One dead in Longwood as state’s bushfires to burn for weeks

Air quality was good across Melbourne on Sunday afternoon, with quality improving in Bendigo, Castlemaine and Daylesford over the last few hours. In the north-east, air quality is very poor in Beechworth, Rutherglen, Wangaratta and Myrtleford, while it is normal in Wodonga.

More than 6,000 properties are without power in fire-affected areas of the state and it will likely take weeks to rebuild the power network.

AusNet, the electricity distributor in Longwood and Walwa, expects to have to replace hundreds of power poles and power lines, but it is still unsafe for crews to access many of the affected areas.

However, spokeswoman Karen Winsbury said crews were able to restore power to some homes in Longwood, meaning “some people who were able to return home from the fire will have power.”

Ausnet has set up a helpline (1300 561 171) that customers affected by the bushfire can call for more information. The emergency response vehicle will be at the Seymour assistance center on Monday to allow people to ask questions and charge their devices.

Western Victoria distributor Powercor said on Sunday 229 power poles were damaged in Natimuk, Cobram, Skipton and Streatham, with 172 still needing replacement.

“Although access to the Harcourt area remains largely unsafe, teams worked closely with CFA teams yesterday to gain access to the town and carry out some repairs. We will continue to work closely with emergency authorities and begin repairs as soon as it is safe to do so,” a spokesman said.

As of noon Sunday, 15 “leave now” warnings were issued across the state, along with 17 “monitor and act” notices.

Appearing alongside Premier Anthony Albanese in regional Victoria on Sunday, Allan announced $19.5 million in additional funding for fire-affected communities, in addition to the personal hardship benefits announced on Friday.

About half of the extra funding will help distribute hay to farmers in need, while the rest will go to initiatives such as emergency shelter and mental health support.

The Prime Minister thanked everyone who responded to the fires, including volunteers from across NSW.

“My message to the Victorians is quite simple: We’ve got your back,” Albanese said. “Not only during this crisis, but also during the recovery.”

Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said weather conditions are easing across the state, but even the lightest winds can be a concern for the largest fire fronts.

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“Disappointingly, over the last 24 hours we have begun to see some tourism professionals or spectators heading towards our fire affected areas. We only expect to see local people if it is safe to be there, so please do not enter fire affected areas.”

Allan told the shooting tourists: “Stay away. It’s not safe and it’s wrong.”

The Prime Minister warned some fires, such as those in north-east Victoria, were expected to burn for “several weeks”. He emphasized that emergency services are incredibly well prepared for this fire season.

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Daniel Sherwin-Simpson told ABC Radio Melbourne that although devastating winds were not expected on Sunday, wind gusts of 50km/h could occur near Seymour.

“This is probably going to be the windiest place in the state, above the central ranges,” he said. “That could lead to some challenges with what will start to spread northward near Longwood.”

The official size of the Longwood fire was reduced to 136,000 hectares from the 142,000 hectares recorded late Saturday. There are 400 firefighters and 100 vehicles on the fire scene this morning, but their numbers are expected to increase soon.

Crews attempted to extinguish the fire in the area between Merton and Bonnie Doon on Saturday afternoon; As of Sunday afternoon, Bonnie Doon remains under a Watch and Action alert, meaning residents cannot return to their homes.

The emergency warning for the Ancona, Fawcett, Kithbrook, Merton, Strathbogie, Strathbogie South and Woodfield areas at the northeastern edge of the fire was downgraded to monitor and take action Sunday afternoon. The advice to these residents now is to monitor them as conditions change.

The latest advice for those living in Eildon and the surrounding area is to take shelter, while those living in Avenel, to the west of the fire, have also been told to remain vigilant.

A community meeting will be held at the Euroa cinema on Monday at 17:00.

Earlier on Sunday, Allan told Seven News he felt sick when he heard police were concerned about the possibility of looting in north-central Victoria.

“I was at the Seymour relief center yesterday and met families who had lost their homes,” Allan said. “I met a woman who showed me a photo of her house burning. These are the communities that are experiencing the worst of the emergency.”

The Bureau’s Sherwin-Simpson said while temperatures had “dropped slightly” across Victoria, he expected the heat to persist in parts of the north-east.

Corryong, which closed its hospital and aid center due to its proximity to the Walwa fire, is expected to reach 33 degrees on Sunday.

An out-of-control bushfire 25 kilometers west of Walwa prompted an “immediate departure” warning in the early hours of Sunday morning.

VicEmergency issued a warning for Granya, Bungil, Burrowye, Walwa and surrounding areas just after midnight, warning that conditions could become very dangerous and unpredictable.

By 7am, residents of Corryong, Cudgewa, Mitta Mitta, Dartmouth and surrounding areas were advised to take shelter immediately as the fire intensified.

A help center has been established in Wodonga. People north of the fire front are being urged to leave via NSW.

There is also an out-of-control fire in the Cape Otway area south of Colac, approximately six kilometers east of Kennedys Creek, moving in a north-east direction towards private property.

Carlisle River residents were told to seek shelter immediately early Sunday morning. Those in Kawarren, Barongarook West, Irrewillipe, Irrewillipe East, Gellibrand, Chapple Vale, Charleys Creek, Kincaid, Pile Siding and Weeaproinah were instructed to leave immediately.

Those affected by the Otways fires have been told to go to Colac, where a relief center has been set up. There is a separate help center for larger animals.

A Wangaratta resident who called ABC Radio said he and a small army of volunteers were euthanizing seriously injured animals.

The caller said they saw “thousands” of dead sheep and “hundreds” of dead cattle, as well as numerous dead kangaroos and several deer.

Hunting and fishing businesses donated ammunition to farmers needing to slaughter their animals, while agricultural businesses and Euroa MP Annabelle Cleeland helped coordinate emergency animal feed to prevent surviving stocks from starving to death.

The fire near Harcourt, south of Bendigo, is 80 per cent contained, according to officials.

The Prime Minister told ABC TV that the community of Harcourt, which is close to his family’s home, should continue to boil tap water to ensure it is safe to drink.

Allan said the small but strong community where his children attend nursery had been “very badly affected” and had suffered some “very heavy losses”, adding: “It’s another tough day in Victoria. We’ve got a long road ahead of us.”

There were dozens local road closures across the state Sunday afternoon.

Some V/Line services are up and running, except for the Bendigo line, but officials are warning of delays and numerous bus changes.

The heaviest building losses were in Longwood, where more than 150 structures were destroyed. In Natimuk, in the west of the province, 30 houses and 40 shacks were lost. 47 homes and three businesses were lost in Harcourt, south of Bendigo.

Nearly 200 interstate personnel are assisting Victoria firefighters in the field. More than 70 aircraft have been deployed and the Australian Defense Force continues to provide support through logistics, accommodation and catering services for emergency personnel.

Thirteen assistance centers were open across the state on Sunday.

There was no human loss. Victoria Police said on Sunday they used the force’s Air Wing to evacuate two generations of the same family – including a 92-year-old man and the house cat – from a remote property east of Seymour.

Thousands of homes still do not have electricity. Restoration crews have been able to access some fire-affected districts in Melbourne’s west and north, but many areas in Melbourne’s north-east, such as Alexandra, Avenel and Corryong, do not yet have restoration estimated times due to the ongoing fire threat.

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