In brief
Australians in Victoria are being urged to prepare for significant property loss as bushfires rage across the region, fueled by extreme heat conditions. Authorities have warned that a catastrophic fire danger is in place, particularly in the wake of devastating fires that have already claimed homes in towns like Ruffy. Firefighting efforts are ongoing as temperatures are set to reach record highs, intensifying the risk of further outbreaks.
Australians in Victoria have been warned they should prepare for property loss or worse as much of the country faces extreme heatwave conditions.
Temperatures on Friday and Saturday are forecast to hit record highs for most states and territories, with Victoria and South Australia in particular bracing for dangerous fire conditions due to strong winds and hot temperatures.
A total fire ban is in place in Victoria and all regions across the state were given a catastrophic or extreme fire danger rating.
Victorians should brace themselves for more property loss or worse, Country Fire Authority (CFA) chief officer Jason Heffernan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Friday.
The conditions were extreme yesterday. They're catastrophic today, Heffernan said.
Temperatures in Melbourne are expected to hit 42C on Friday and while areas in north-west Victoria may reach 45C, a cool change is forecast in the south-west.
A bushfire near Longwood, central Victoria, has burnt through nearly 36,000 hectares, authorities said, with at least 20 homes in the small town of Ruffy destroyed.
Ruffy CFA captain George Noye said the town had been severely affected.
The main street looks like a bomb's gone off, we've lost a school, he told the ABC.
Some properties have lost everything. They've lost their livelihoods, they've lost their shearing sheds, livestock, just absolutely devastating.
But thankfully, at the moment, no lives have been lost.
A statement from Victoria's state control centre on Friday said the Longwood fire was incredibly dynamic, with the fire spreading in multiple directions and may spread further than initial estimates.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said three people - two adults and a child - remain unaccounted for in the Longwood area.
In the Australian Capital Territory, which includes the capital Canberra, a total fire ban was declared for the first time in six years.
Sydney will see the mercury rise up to 42C on Saturday, before dropping to around 26C by Sunday.
