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‘Perfect storm’: Victorian firefighters prepare for ‘very bad day’ as heatwave grips Australia
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‘Perfect storm’: Victorian firefighters prepare for ‘very bad day’ as heatwave grips Australia

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Firefighters are nervously preparing as a heat wave, windy conditions and lightning create a perfect storm for some of the worst wildfires in years.
A major heatwave in south-eastern Australia is expected to continue to raise the mercury, with temperatures expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius in Melbourne on Friday and 47 degrees Celsius in parts of inland Victoria.
Emergency bushfire warnings were issued overnight in north-west Victoria and Longwood, while fire warnings were raised to catastrophic in the Wimmera, northern and south-west regions of the state. There will be a total fire ban across the state on Friday.
Little Yarra Country Fire Authority (CFA) captain Peter Cookson, who battled a blaze in Longwood in the state’s north, said the conditions still made him nervous despite his years of experience.

“It’s all going to be a very bad day,” he told AAP.

A fire is raging in Longwood, Victoria. Credit: Little Yarra CFA

“We’re all preparing for these days, and if nothing happens, that’s a victory,” Cookson said.

“But you can’t say nothing will happen – with these things they can all start with a spark.”

Fire crews continue to attack two large, out-of-control fires, with the Longwood fire burning more than 28,000 hectares, while flames at Walwa and Mount Lawson along the Victoria-NSW border have burned more than 9,000 hectares.

Wind gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour and a risk of severe thunderstorms could cause erratic fire behaviour, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.
Dry lightning has already started a number of new fires in the state, said David Nugent, spokesman for the State Control Center.
“Under these catastrophic circumstances there is a real possibility that lives and homes will be lost,” he said.
The strong winds could also ground the firefighting fleet.
CFA chief Jason Heffernan said: “There is a good chance that at some point the aircraft will no longer be able to fly.”
“We can expect that if a fire breaks out, and we see the fires spreading the way they are going now, they will be out of control. They will be unstoppable.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan wrote in a social media post on Thursday evening: “Tomorrow will be the most dangerous fire day we have seen in many years.”

She warned residents in fire-prone areas to pay close attention to warnings.

“I want to say this plainly. The circumstances now unfolding are extremely serious. If the predictions are correct, tomorrow will be catastrophic,” Allan wrote.
“A perfect storm is building in our state. These fires can create their own weather. Lightning starts new fires. Strong winds push existing fires closer and closer to communities.”

Paramedics and first responders in areas of catastrophic fire danger will be withdrawn on Friday and deployed to these zones only for serious or life-threatening illnesses, Ambulance Victoria said.

The heatwave is expected to impact the ACT and NSW, where a total fire ban has been declared for Friday in the Eastern Riverina, Southern Riverina, Southern Slopes and Alpine regions of Monaro.
Temperatures won’t be as high in NSW, with Sydney expected to reach a high of 33ºC and Canberra expected to reach a high of 39ºC.
But things are set to worsen on Saturday as the port city is expected to reach 42 degrees Celsius, while even warmer temperatures are forecast for the western suburbs.
NSW Ambulance Chief Inspector Steve Vaughan urged residents to prepare for the hot conditions and stay cool, hydrated and indoors during the hottest part of the day.
“Heat waves put a real strain on your body, with consecutive days of brutal heat causing stress that builds up over time.”

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