Southeastern Australia’s Victoria state is gripped by terror as bushfires, supercharged by blistering 40°C-plus heat, exploded across 200 locations on Friday. One fatality, 120 buildings destroyed, and vast tracts of land incinerated mark the grim toll, with power failures plunging thousands into darkness.
The victim, a 60-year-old near Harcourt—110 km from Melbourne—was found dead in his vehicle near the fire line, not directly from burns but amid the chaos. Near Longwood, hopes dimmed for three missing persons whose home was reduced to ashes, only for them to reappear unharmed.
Braving smoke and inferno, firefighters saw three colleagues hurt. Officials tallied 10 active megafires by Saturday, eyeing 20 others warily. Over 300,000 hectares lie charred, 38,000 homes and firms powerless, and wildlife decimated.
Premier Jacinta Allan’s updates painted a dire picture, tempered by Saturday’s temperature drop—yet gusty winds loomed large. Nineteen districts now under disaster status allow sweeping emergency measures, from property takeovers to mass evacuations. Victoria’s resilience is tested like never before, as crews push for control in this fiery ordeal.