Bush fires rage in Australia’s south-east, authorities warn of ‘catastrophic’ conditions on Jan 9

SYDNEY - Uncontrolled fires burned through bushland in Australia’s Victorian state on Jan 8, forcing communities to evacuate and the authorities to warn of a “catastrophic” fire danger rating for Jan 9.

Amid temperatures forecast to exceed 40 deg C in parts of the state, two bush fires were raging near the towns of Longwood and Walwa.

The fires have destroyed at least two structures and are expected to continue to spread on Jan 9 as heat and wind pick up.

The Longwood fire has grown to more than 25,000ha in size, while the Walwa fire is 10,000ha and has created its own weather system, with a pyrocumulonimbus cloud causing lightning and thunder.

Residents in dozens of neighbouring towns have been told to evacuate.

The fire danger rating for Jan 9 will be set at “catastrophic”, the highest level, and both fires pose a real risk of loss of life and property, the authorities said.

“Tomorrow is a very, very dire bushfire day in the state of Victoria,” Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan told a press conference.

The bush fires come amid an intense summer heatwave in Australia’s south.

Meteorologists have said conditions are on par with 2019, when bushfires destroyed wide swathes of south-eastern Australia, killing 33 people, in what became known as the Black Summer.

Some 450 schools in Victoria are set to close on Jan 9 and many regional train services will be cancelled.

For Jan 8, total fire bans have been issued in several districts. A total fire ban will be imposed across the whole state on Jan 9.

In New Zealand, the country’s weather provider, MetService, also warned of record warm temperatures over the weekend as the heatwave moves across the Tasman Sea.

It has issued heat alerts for parts of the eastern coast of New Zealand and the north of the South Island. REUTERS