On Saturday, bushfire swept through Victoria, Australia, forcing evacuation orders in the western part of the state.
Authorities raised the alert for areas near Grampians National Park, about 241 kilometres (150 miles) from Melbourne. Soon after, they upgraded the warning to “evacuate immediately” and expanded the affected area.
Victoria’s emergency services issued this message: “This is an EMERGENCY WARNING – BUSHFIRE – Evacuate Immediately for Bellfield, Bellfield Settlement, Flat Rock Crossing, Fyans Creek, Grampians Junction, and Halls Gap.” They added, “If you stay, emergency services may not be able to help you.”
Authorities urged people to take mobile phones, chargers, and pets. They also advised residents to check road closure information on local traffic websites.
Fire spreads quickly
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that the fire tripled in size in just one day. On Saturday morning, the blaze reached 30,000 hectares, up from 7,500 hectares the day before.
Around 400 firefighters are tackling the fire, supported by more than 100 tankers, 25 aircraft, and heavy machinery.
Gary Cook, Deputy Chief Officer of the Country Fire Authority, said, “The fire has stabilised somewhat as winds have eased.”
Authorities expect the fire to continue burning through Christmas and into the following weeks. An incident controller at a local town hall meeting warned that the situation could last for some time.
Australian authorities have warned of a high bushfire risk this summer. Following the 2019-2020 “Black Summer,” which killed 33 people and destroyed large areas of land, they remain concerned about the risks this year.
