‘Catastrophic’: Black Summer-style warning for Victorian bushfires
Victorians threatened by a massive out-of-control bushfire have been told it is too late to leave as authorities urge people to take shelter or risk death.
The fire at Longwood, about 150 kilometers north of Melbourne, has been burning at emergency levels since Wednesday night and shows no signs of abating as temperatures and winds rise.
Authorities warned on Friday that conditions in the region would be “catastrophic”, with the state facing the worst fire threat since the Black Summer fires of 2019 and 2020.
Thousands of residents affected by fire following warning: Caveat, Creightons Creek, Dropmore, Gobur, Gooram, Highlands, Kanumbra, Kelvin View, Locksley, Longwood, Longwood East, Ruffy, Strathbogie, Tarcombe, Terip Terip, Upton Hill
“You are in danger and must take immediate action to survive,” the warning reads.
“The safest option is to take shelter inside immediately. It’s too late to go out.”
Vic Emergency warned fire behavior was expected to increase throughout the day, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning temperatures could reach 43C with damaging winds to spread the flames.
Fire crews are working throughout the night to control the fire burning in an area of thousands of hectares.
“The Longwood fire flared up once again last night, as expected,” Country Fire Authority chief Jason Heffernan told Sunrise on Friday morning.
“Again, ground crews are working hard to contain the fire but unfortunately the fire is growing in size and will certainly be a cause for concern for fire officials today due to the weather conditions we are expecting.”
Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward issued a clear warning on Thursday: “Disaster means disaster.”
“Victoria is one of the most bushfire-prone regions in the world,” he said.
“(On Friday) we are talking about wildfires that are uncontrollable, unpredictable and there is a real risk of loss (loss of life and property).”
More to come.
