Bushfires Ravage Victoria: Australians Face Catastrophic Fire Conditions

Sat Jan 10 2026 00:07:10 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Victorians brace for severe bushfire threats as extreme heatwave conditions escalate, causing significant property loss and evacuations in affected areas.

With record-breaking temperatures forecasted across Australia, Victorians are urged to prepare for devastating bushfires. The Country Fire Authority warns of 'property loss or worse' as substantial fires rage, affecting homes and livelihoods. Key areas like Ruffy have seen major destruction, while authorities continue to monitor rapidly changing fire conditions.

Australians in Victoria have been warned they should prepare for 'property loss or worse' as much of the country faces extreme heatwave conditions.

Temperatures on Friday and Saturday are forecast to hit record highs for most states and territories, with Victoria and South Australia in particular bracing for dangerous fire conditions due to strong winds and hot temperatures.

A total fire ban is in place in Victoria and all regions across the state were given a 'catastrophic' or 'extreme' fire danger rating.

Victorians should brace themselves for more property loss or worse, Country Fire Authority (CFA) chief officer Jason Heffernan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

The conditions were extreme yesterday. They're catastrophic today, Heffernan said.

Temperatures in Melbourne are expected to hit 42C on Friday and while areas in north-west Victoria may reach 45C, a cool change is forecast in the south-west.

A bushfire near Longwood, central Victoria, has burnt through nearly 36,000 hectares, authorities said, with at least 20 homes in the small town of Ruffy destroyed.

Ruffy CFA captain George Noye said the town had been 'severely' affected. The main street looks like a bomb's gone off, we've lost a school, he told the ABC.

Some properties have lost everything. They've lost their livelihoods, they've lost their shearing sheds, livestock, just absolutely devastating. But thankfully, at the moment, no lives have been lost.

A statement from Victoria's state control centre said the Longwood fire was 'incredibly dynamic' and may spread further than initial estimates.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said three people, two adults and a child, remain unaccounted for in the Longwood area.

In the Australian Capital Territory, a total fire ban was declared for the first time in six years. Sydney will see temperatures rise up to 42C on Saturday, before dropping to around 26C by Sunday.

Another fire near Walwa, north-east Victoria, has burned through more than 17,000 hectares as authorities remain vigilant due to ongoing high risk across the state.