A town near Victoria’s Grampians National Park has been told to “shelter now” as a feared out-of-control bushfire threatens lives on Boxing Day.
Bornes Hill residents were told early Thursday morning that it is too late to leave and that they should shelter in place as firefighters continue to battle the flames.
They had previously been ordered to leave on Wednesday, along with residents of Moyston and Pomonal.
It comes after high temperatures and windy conditions were expected to create an extreme fire risk across most of Victoria on Boxing Day, the worst conditions since the Black Summer of 2019.
The mercury is expected to reach 30 to 40 degrees across much of the state and outback Australia, with the central western Queensland town of Birdsville forecast to record a scorching 47C.
Victoria State Control Center spokesperson Luke Hegarty warned people in the Grampians, The Gurdies, Bullengarook and Creswick to prepare their bushfire survival plans.
“If you decide to leave these high-risk areas, do so on the night of December 25, or no later than 10 a.m. on December 26, before extreme fire danger conditions begin,” he said.
Narramore said the combination of strong winds, high temperatures and dry air caused dangerous fire activity.
Bushfires in Grampians National Park remain out of control
Fire crews photographed battling the Grampians fire on Monday
“Any fire that starts or is already ongoing around the Grampians is likely to be uncontrollable and uncontainable, leading to dangerous and erratic fire behaviour,” he said.
Firefighters from several states have been deployed to assist their Victorian counterparts as crews work to secure containment lines.
Energy provider AusNet warned customers that power outages could be triggered to prevent bushfires starting and that outages could last longer to ensure safety.
As a cold shift hits Victoria on Thursday night, hot, dry and windy conditions will reach parts of central northeastern New South Wales, bringing extreme fire danger to that region on Friday.