Large wildfires are continuing to ravage Victoria amid cooling conditions and light rain that is hoped to give crews some respite.
Two evacuation orders remain in place on Sunday for the areas near Mt Buffalo and Bright in the state’s far northeast.
People in Dandongadale, Freeburgh, Wandiligong and surrounding areas in northeast Victoria were advised to leave overnight as a wind change fanned flames.
Dozens of fires were burning in Victoria as dawn broke on Sunday, but by mid-morning a number of emergency warnings were downgraded.
Three emergency warnings, the highest an ‘alert’ level, remain, in northeastern Victoria.
One is for an area near the Mt Buffalo National Park, in the state’s far northeast, and the other two are in the northeast Gippsland region where there are fears the fires might join blazes across the NSW border.
Six people are missing in the East Gippsland blazes, and two others have previously been confirmed dead.
More than 974,000 hectares of land has been scorched, with about 110 properties and 220 outbuildings razed.
Thirty-nine fires were listed across Victoria as of late on Sunday morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology said steady rain over the next two days could help fire crews gain more control over the massive blazes.
Light mist fell on Sunday at some centres including Bairnsdale, on the western edge of the East Gippsland fire ground.
“The conditions are much cooler, moisture’s a lot higher than we’ve seen over previous days and the winds are also easing off a fair bit, especially through Gippsland today,” senior forecaster Keris Arndt told AAP on Sunday.
“Hopefully that gives the fire agencies a bit of a chance to have a go at the fires and try to get a bit more control in there.”
'A magpie has been caught on film mimicking the sound of a fire truck siren in what some say is a symptom of the heartbreaking bushfire crisis currently gripping NSW and Victoria'#AustraliaBurning #Australia pic.twitter.com/OZx5mSlYje
— Amanda Stephenson (@MandaStephenson) January 3, 2020
While rain may help dampen fireground, it could also prove a “double edged” sword for crews by making some areas more difficult to access, Mr Arndt added.
Rain is due to extend across the state, with light falls of up to 15mm forecast through Gippsland and the northeast ranges during the day.
The sprinkling will cover firegrounds up near Mt Hotham as well as fires burning through most of East Gippsland.
“It’s really through central Gippsland and the ranges, that’s most likely to see most of the rain today,” Mr Arndt says.
Meanwhile Cann River and Mallacoota in the far east, are only forecast to receive a few millimetres of rain.
Only light falls are expected in the northeast.
Monday is likely to bring similar light steady rain in the same places, with forecasts of up to 15mm through Gippsland and the ranges.
“There’s not a huge amount of wind and still pretty mild conditions continuing all the way through to mid week,” Mr Arndt said.
A state of emergency remains in place for Victoria throughout next week and Premier Daniel Andrews has urged people to heed warnings and not be complacent.
The fires have already killed Buchan man Mick Roberts and Maramingo Creek man Fred Becker.
-AAP
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