Weather
Locals remain to protect homes
Victorians under threat from bushfires have largely fled before catastrophic conditions descend but others are staying to protect their homes.
The Bayindeen bushfire raging northwest of Ballarat has burnt through more than 22,000 hectares ahead of forecast temperatures in the high 30Cs and wind gusts of up to 80km/h on Wednesday afternoon.
Containment lines have been erected around the fire's entire 157km perimeter and pockets of scrub burned out overnight in the northwest and east of the blaze.
"We have a control line right the way around the fire," incident controller Jarrod Hayse told reporters in Ballarat on Wednesday afternoon.
"For every hour that this fire doesn't reach control lines, we're in a really good position."
The danger was set to increase from midday, with authorities warning the fire could rip through the communities of Beaufort, Elmhurst, Amphitheatre, Lexton, Learmonth and Clunes.
Rain was falling in Beaufort just before the deadline to leave for residents and others in the Wimmera to the state's west, where a catastrophic conditions have been forecast.
But Mr Hayse said the cloud cover wasn't expected to last and warned it could bring dry lightning.
"Our confidence is not that high in making sure we won't have any breaches of containment today," he said.
"We're really up against significant fuel, weather and topography issues."
CFA crew in the Victorian town of Beaufort during the bushfire response. – AAP
Authorities have been pleased with residents in the danger zone heeding advice to get out of town but some have decided to stay.
Beaufort local Kevin, who did not wish to have his surname published, said he couldn't bear to see his property and large shed burn down after fire wiped out his family home in the NSW Blue Mountains in the 1990s.
"I don't want to lose my house again," he said. "The insurance company don't want to know about it."
Most stores in the small town were shut aside from a few cafes, as local Country Fire Authority members departed for the fire ground on Wednesday morning.
Kevin, who has family members in Melbourne and Phillip Island, said about half a dozen homes on his street had not been vacated.
"They couldn't afford to buy another one," he said.
Residents fleeing danger zones were urged to go to built-up areas such as Ballarat, Ararat and Maryborough.
Beaufort's urgent care centre was closed on Wednesday, with the bushfire having the potential to cut power to homes if it came over the Western Highway.
The areas with an extreme fire danger rating on Wednesday are the Mallee, Northern Country, North Central, Central and South West regions.
Mildura is set to reach 44C and other areas are also expected to creep into the 40s before a cool change in central parts of Victoria after 8pm AEDT.
Firefighters fill water tanks as they get ready to protect control lines. – AAP
More than 60 aircraft are ready to fight the blaze and any new fires.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has deployed 25 fire trucks and about 110 firefighters to help, while aircraft are on standby near the Victorian border.
Interstate firefighters were among 160 people who spent the night at a base camp in Ballarat, which can house up to 300 people in tents.
The Bayindeen fire has destroyed six homes but more are expected to be accounted for once conditions subside.
More than 100 stock animals were killed in the fire or are missing, according to the State Control Centre.
The minimum security Langi Kal Kal prison in Trawalla, 40km west of Ballarat, has been evacuated, with inmates moved to the Western Plains Correctional Centre at Lara.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan talks to firefighters. – AAP
State of play as catastrophic fire conditions loom
Fire danger ratings
- Catastrophic fire danger rating for Wimmera district, towards Victoria’s border with South Australia, including Horsham, Stawell and Warracknabeal
- Extreme fire danger for Mallee, South West, Central, North Central and Northern Country districts
- Peak fire conditions expected later on Wednesday through to midnight and homes are not designed to withstand those conditions
- Half of Victoria is facing high fire danger rating
Total fire bans
- Mallee, Wimmera, South West, Northern Country, North Central and Central
- No fires can be lit, or be allowed to remain alight, in the open air on Wednesday from 12.01am until 11.59pm
Forecast temperatures
- Temperatures expected to reach mid-40C in northwestern Victoria
- Many parts of the state expected to reach high 30C
- Wind gusts of between 30-40km/h to reach 60-80km/h on Wednesday afternoon
- Dry lightning expected through large parts of Victoria
Advice for those near Bayindeen fire
- Rocky Road fire near Beaufort has burned more than 21,000ha
- Beaufort, Elmhurst, Amphitheatre, Lexton, Learmonth and Clunes continue to face heightened fire risk
- Fire remains active and is expected to run again on Wednesday heading south but can swing around with wind changes
- Fires, spot fires and ember attacks resulting in loss of homes, road closures and isolated communities
- People urged to leave on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning
- About 30,000 people living in the area will receive emergency alerts on their mobile phones urging them to leave
- Vulnerable communities, including aged care, have already moved out of danger areas
- wo emergency relief centres operating in Maryborough and Ararat
Advice for those in the Wimmera
- Activate fire plan and prepare to leave
- Go to regional cities or Melbourne and stay with family and friends
- Organise accommodation outside of area or take caravan away
- Grampians National Park, the Wild State Forest and the Little Desert National Park closed because of catastrophic fire rating
- Steer clear of public land on Wednesday
Advice for Central District
- Grass fires are the main risk
- Melbourne’s outskirts, including western and northern suburbs, at risk of fast-moving grass fires
For those planning to leave
- People living in catastrophic and extreme bushfire risk areas asked to leave and to leave early on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning before lunchtime
- Have bushfire go-kit ready with plans on routes to take
- Have three days worth of food and water supplies
- Have a transistor radio with batteries in the event of loss of power and internet connectivity
- Have important papers and information ready to go
Pprepare properties for fire
- Mow the lawn
- Remove grass doormats from front and back doors
- Clear gutters
- Trim overhanging trees
Emergency fire fighting assistance
- 66 aircraft on standby to help in aerial firefighting, stationed around Ballarat and Halls Gap areas
- Large air tanker placed at Avalon and Blackhawk helicopter placed at Essendon
- Aircraft placed along the northern Victoria border and a large air tanker in Adelaide are on standby for support
- 105 firefighters from NSW, which includes five strike teams and 25 fire trucks, positioned in Ballarat and Ballan
- Incident management team from NSW to be stationed in Halls Gap