Australian bushfire warning: Risk escalating as 'sticky' heatwave sets in
Firefighters are bracing for bushfire flare-ups and increasing fire danger as southern Australia sweaters through a three-day heatwave, with “sticky” conditions expected as temperatures soar into the 40s.
Hot conditions will endure across the weekend from central Australia to the southeast, with pockets in Victoria’s east and NSW’s southeast to experience severe conditions until late Sunday.
Authorities are monitoring fire threats in two of Victoria’s most popular national park holiday destinations on opposite sides of the state, with tourists and locals in the Grampians and Wilsons Promontory urged to monitor alerts.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“The fire risk actually is escalating and we’re just looking at some of the numbers for extreme fire risk, especially around greater Melbourne,” State Control Centre spokeswoman Reegan Key told AAP on Saturday.
“We’re likely to have extreme fire risk around greater Melbourne tomorrow, also in the Mallee and the Wimmera.”
Total fire bans have been declared for the Wimmera and South West regions on Saturday, with the Wimmera extreme fire danger rating expanding on Sunday to include the Mallee and central Victoria.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a heatwave alert for the state’s north, central areas and east, with an extreme alert for far-eastern Gippsland including Mallacoota.
The Grampians National Park bushfire has slowed but continues to burn, with four houses and several other buildings lost in recent weeks.
Ms Key said the forecast mid to late-afternoon wind change and potential thunderstorms in the Grampians were concerning, along with the health risks of “sticky” conditions across the state.
“Apart from the hot, heat of the day, that’s a tricky period that firefighters are looking at,” she said.
“Across the state, we can have starts at any time and we are expecting to see some lightning into this evening and potentially isolated through tomorrow, so we can have fires at any time.”
A bushfire at Sandy Point Yanakie at the entrance to Wilsons Promontory that started on Friday was at advice level on Saturday, with authorities stating there was no threat to communities although the two-hectare blaze was not yet under control.
“Firefighters have managed to stop the spread of the fire in a sensitive area and will remain on scene,” the Vic Emergency website said.
More than 76,000 hectares of the Grampians - equivalent to the size of Singapore - have been burnt.
There are plans to allow locals and visitors back into Halls Gap in coming days but Ms Key said the call was a “balancing act” that would depend on conditions across the weekend.
Forest Fire Management Victoria State Agency Commander Dave Sayce urged everyone to do their part to prevent bushfires.
“If you’ve had a campfire last night, make sure it is properly extinguished by now, using water not soil,” he said.
High fire danger warnings have been issued for most of South Australia on Saturday with the Mount Lofty Ranges, which borders Adelaide, in extreme fire danger.
The mercury is tipped to reach the mid to high 30s in southern districts, rising to low 40s in the inland areas.
A cool change is due to sweep through SA and Victoria by Monday, with heatwave conditions forecast to shift into NSW resulting in high fire danger in large parts of the state.
