Southeastern Australia’s Victoria battles a multi-front bushfire catastrophe, with roughly 30 fires active Friday under hellish conditions of over 40°C heat and howling winds. Evacuation mandates have sent thousands packing, as fears mount for three unaccounted souls from a obliterated home.
Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill broke the news at a packed presser with Premier Jacinta Allan and emergency chiefs. Central Victoria’s Country Fire Authority had warned two adults and a child to bolt Thursday from imminent danger. Returning officials discovered only smoldering wreckage – the family gone without a trace.
Destruction is verified in Ruffy and surrounding areas 105 km from Melbourne, with broader calls to vacate northeastern outposts. Four districts hit ‘code red’ status, evoking the scale of 2019’s horrors – a first in five years for such synchronized peril.
Premier Allan didn’t mince words: ‘This could be Victoria’s most dangerous fire day in ages.’ Fires blanket the state in peril; delay in leaving is deadly. Her plea echoed across airwaves as authorities scramble.
Chief Fire Officer Jason Heffernan painted a bleaker picture: northern temps to 46°C, central lightning risks fueling fresh outbreaks by afternoon. Winds render fires capricious, dooming containment bids.
As helicopters dump water and ground teams dig lines, the toll mounts – properties lost, wildlife fleeing, air thick with acrid smoke. This blaze barrage tests Victoria’s resilience, reigniting debates on climate readiness and bushfire preparedness. Officials vow no stone unturned in the missing persons hunt, while urging utmost caution.