An out-of-control bushfire is threatening homes in a cluster of small Victorian communities on a day of catastrophic fire danger for the state.
An emergency warning was issued for Clunes and nearby areas north of Ballarat about midday (AEST) because of a grassfire heading south towards Dunac.
But residents have been told it is too late to leave.
“You are in danger, act now to protect yourself. It is too late to leave. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. Do not get in the car and drive. It is safer to stay where you are,” the warning said on Thursday.
The emergency warning came as winds strengthened across Victoria and the state’s highest bushfire warning – code red (Victoria’s term for catastrophic danger) was issued for central and north-western regions.
There were also reports of a dust storm at Mildura, in the Victoria’s far north-west.
Temperatures are expected to soar above 40 degrees across northern parts of the state and hit 42 degrees in Swan Hill, as north-westerly winds sweep in.
“We’ve got the very hot, dry and quite gusty northerly winds and that’s what’s driven up the fire danger,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Tom Delamotte said.
Send Help! #mildura #duststorm@JaneBunn pic.twitter.com/zBNptNJ1ej
— Han Hayes (@heresthehayes) November 21, 2019
Guess who left their washing on the line today 🙋🏼♀️ #Mildura #duststorm @sunraysiadaily @BOM_Vic pic.twitter.com/tEbmCYE6Uv
— Brooke Littlewood (@BLittlewood9) November 21, 2019
The fire danger rating is set at severe or very high for the rest of Victoria, with a severe weather warning for damaging winds also in place.
It’s also the first time this season a statewide total fire ban has been issued.
Melbourne was expected to have one of its hottest November days on record with 39 degrees. Overnight on Wednesday, the city fell just 0.2 degrees short of the hottest November night since 1901 at 26 degrees.
But not everyone has got the message about the fire danger.
A 43-year-old man will be charged on summons after allegedly lighting a fire to clear timber and rubbish at 10pm on Wednesday.
Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp has warned Victorians to get their fire plans in order and listen for updates.
“Given fires could start and move quickly, you won’t always receive a warning or be told what to do if a fire starts,” he said.
EMERGENCY WARNING – GRASS FIRE
This Emergency Warning is being issued for Clunes, Dunach, Evansford, Glengower, Mount Cameron, Mount Glasgow, Red Lion, Stony Creek.It is too late to leave. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately.https://t.co/hOJKSxDepo pic.twitter.com/Vjev0Fayta
— CFA Updates (@CFA_Updates) November 21, 2019
All public parks in the code red areas are closed, and more than 200 schools and early learning childhood centres are also closed across the state.
Thousands of properties are also without power across Victoria.
Powercor, a service provider, had extra crews working on Thursday to tackle around 5400 power outages, with the majority due to winds across the state’s west.
“These strong winds can bring down power lines, if people do see them they are encouraged to stay far away from them and report them to us or to their network,” a spokeswoman said.
A fallen tree has brought down a power line in the Yarra Ranges, while the cause of an outage in Mount Evelyn is being probed by service provider Ausnet.
The pollen count will also be “extreme” on Thursday, coinciding with the third anniversary of the thunderstorm asthma event that killed 10 people in 2016.
Victoria is expected to cool down by Thursday night. Another cold front will move through the state by Tuesday, bringing a dusting of snow for the alpine region.
The severe fire danger is also being felt in Tasmania, where much of the state is under a total fire ban.
Tasmania Fire Service deputy chief officer Bruce Byatt said crews are on stand-by for what was expected to be the worst conditions of the bushfire season so far.
A total fire ban stretching across the island’s east, south, north and centre is in place.
Hobart is on track to hit 33 degrees on Thursday, with temperatures peaking in the mid-30s in other parts of the state.
A severe weather warning has been issued for damaging north-westerly winds with peak gusts up to 100km/h.
But a late southerly change could drop temperatures in the south, before moving up the coast and to the north-east at night, the weather bureau said.
-with AAP
The post Emergency warning, dust, wind: Victoria endures ‘code red’ fire danger appeared first on The New Daily.
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