Australia bushfires razed hundreds of buildings across southeast Victoria as authorities confirmed the first death from the disaster and warned of more dangerous conditions to come.
Temperatures surged past 40C (104F) under a searing heatwave that blanketed the state, driving dozens of fast-moving blazes that have scorched more than 300,000 hectares combined. Officials declared a state of disaster a day earlier; on Saturday, they began tallying losses as winds eased and crews gained access to hard-hit communities.
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Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said more than 300 buildings had been reduced to rubble, a figure that includes sheds and other structures on rural properties. “We’re starting to see some of our conditions ease,” he told reporters. “And that means firefighters are able to start getting on top of some of the fires that we still have in our landscape.”
Police said one person died in a bushfire near the town of Longwood, roughly two hours north of the state capital, Melbourne. Photos from the firefront showed the night sky glowing orange as flames tore through bushland. “This really takes all the wind out of our sails,” said Chris Hardman of Forest Fire Management Victoria. “We really feel for the local community there and the family, friends and loved ones of the person that is deceased,” he told national broadcaster ABC.
Residents described the speed and ferocity of the flames as extreme. “There were embers falling everywhere. It was terrifying,” cattle farmer Scott Purcell told ABC as he recounted the firestorm near Longwood.
To the northeast, a bushfire near the small town of Walwa generated so much heat it formed a localized thunderstorm, crackling with lightning as it advanced through dry forest. Such fire-driven weather can intensify blazes and complicate suppression efforts, authorities said.
Hundreds of firefighters from across Australia have been deployed to bolster ground crews, with strike teams scrambling to protect homes, farms and critical infrastructure. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government is in discussions with Canada and the United States to secure additional assistance if needed as the fire season peaks.
Millions across the continent endured a weeklong heatwave that pushed thermometers into dangerous territory and desiccated vegetation ahead of gusty winds. Emergency managers warned that, although temperatures briefly moderated, a return to hot, dry conditions could reignite active firegrounds and spark new outbreaks.
The current threat revives memories of the 2019–2020 “Black Summer,” when bushfires raged across Australia’s eastern seaboard for months, scorching millions of hectares, destroying thousands of homes and blanketing cities in smoke. Scientists say climate change is amplifying the nation’s fire risk: Australia has warmed by an average of 1.51C since 1910, contributing to increasingly frequent and extreme heatwaves over both land and sea.
Australia remains one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of coal and gas, fossil fuels that drive global heating. Researchers and fire chiefs have long warned that hotter, drier conditions are lengthening the fire season, shrinking windows for controlled burns and complicating the large-scale, multi-agency responses needed as flames push deeper into communities.
Authorities urged residents in fire-prone areas of Victoria to monitor official alerts, prepare to leave early if threats re-emerge and check on vulnerable neighbors. With some roadblocks lifting and visibility improving, damage assessment teams are moving through charred towns to account for losses and plan the next phase of recovery.
“We know the coming days will remain challenging,” Wiebusch said. “But with the community’s help and improving conditions, we’re working to get people back home safely and to start the long process of rebuilding.”
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
