Home / Disasters and Accidents / Victoria Wildfires Rage: One Dead, Homes Lost
Victoria Wildfires Rage: One Dead, Homes Lost
11 Jan
Summary
- Over 860,000 acres burned across Victoria due to recent wildfires.
- At least one person has died, and numerous homes were destroyed.
- Fires were sparked by a severe heatwave with temperatures over 40°C.
Victoria is battling extensive wildfires that have resulted in at least one fatality and the destruction of hundreds of structures, including many homes. The blazes have consumed nearly 900,000 acres across the state since last week. These fires were largely ignited by lightning strikes during a severe heatwave that brought record-breaking temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
While the extreme heat began to subside on Sunday, allowing emergency services to make progress on containing some of the fires, the situation remains challenging. Warm and windy conditions persist, and a statewide fire ban is still in place. Numerous wildfires continue to burn in various locations, including near national parks and north of the state capital, Melbourne.
One particularly destructive fire near Longwood has a perimeter of approximately 250 miles and has destroyed about 150 structures. Another fire in Harcourt razed 47 homes and three businesses. Three firefighters sustained injuries while responding to the numerous blazes.
