DOZENS of new bushfires have started overnight as firefighters battle infernos across Victoria with the most alarming in the northern Grampians.
Emergency warnings remain in place for the towns of Brimpaen, Heathvale, Laharum and Wartook in the northwest entrance of the Grampians National Park as an out-of-control bushfire dramatically escalated overnight to 11500ha.
Residents have been warned it’s too late to leave their homes, and summer holidaymakers have been told to leave the popular destination.
A Watch and Act alert has been issued for Glenisla, Cherrypool and Glenisla Crossing in the northern Grampians as the bushfire travels towards the communities in a south-westerly direction from Pohlners Rd.
The CFA said the fire was moving quickly and strong north-westerly winds ahead of a late gusty south-westerly change this afternoon will bring worse conditions.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the cool change is expected to hit the Grampians by about 5pm.
The CFA said 25 new bushfires started overnight in the southern and northern ends of the Grampians, East Gippsland and southwest Victoria. All regions were hit with lightning.
The CFA expects to focus most of its attention on the Grampians, Gippsland and the Otways today as the severe heatwave enters its fourth day.
The alert for a bushfire that threatened the communities of Trafalgar and Westbury in West Gippsland yesterday has been downgraded to Advice.
Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said predictions for today of 44C-plus temperatures, strong winds and the late change made for some of the state’s worst conditions since 2009.
“It’s certainly up there – the fact that we’ve had a pre-run of three, four days of this sort of weather,” he said.
A total fire ban has been declared for the entire state today.
A CFA State Control Centre spokeswoman said 43 fires were going across the state this morning and a further five were controlled, with the largest a 25,000ha collective of desert fires at Lake Albacutya in the state’s northwest.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Terry Ryan said the mercury was expected to rise steadily in Melbourne throughout the day to reach 30C by about 9am, 40C by 1pm and the maximum forecast temperature of 44C by 4pm or 5pm.
The much anticipated cool change is expected to kick in from late afternoon to evening across Victoria, with the exception of the state’s northeast which is forecast to remain about 40C.
Mr Ryan said the temperature would drop almost instantly from about 40C to 25C in Melbourne between 8pm and 9pm.
“It’s a bit late for an enjoyable night out, but we should lose almost 15C straight away,” Mr Ryan said.
Mr Ryan said the change would bring with it a chance of thunderstorms and a wind change from a north-westerly to south-westerly.
“That will factor in the fires,” the forecaster said.
“Wind changes cause difficulties – it grabs the whole fire and shoves it in a different direction.”
Source: heraldsun.com.au
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