Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan has declared a formal state of disaster as more than 35 bushfires tear through the state’s southeast, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. By Saturday evening, emergency services confirmed that at least 130 structures—including dozens of homes—have been razed by the fast-moving blazes.
The declaration, which covers 18 local government areas and the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort, grants authorities sweeping emergency powers to mandate evacuations. “It is about one thing: protecting Victorian lives,” Premier Allan stated. Her message to residents in the path of the flames was blunt: “If you have been told to leave, go.”
The most severe damage has been concentrated in regional hubs like Ravenswood and Longwood. In Harcourt, south of Bendigo, the Ravenswood fire alone destroyed at least 50 structures. Meanwhile, the massive Longwood blaze has scorched approximately 150,000 hectares, leaving the town’s main street looking like “a bomb had gone off,” according to local fire captains.
The human toll has been harrowing. While three people previously feared missing in the Longwood fire ground were found safe on Saturday, a man in his 60s was discovered deceased in a vehicle in Harcourt. Though police do not believe his death was directly caused by the flames, the tragedy has cast a somber shadow over the emergency response.
Infrastructure across the state is buckling under the strain. At least 20,000 homes remain without power, mostly in eastern Victoria, as fire crews struggle to repair lines fanned by hot, erratic winds. The critical Bendigo railway line has also been shuttered after fire damaged the tracks and signaling equipment.
In a cruel twist of geography, while the south burns, the north is bracing for a water-borne disaster. Tropical Cyclone Koji, a category two storm, has formed off the North Queensland coast. It is expected to make landfall near Ayr on Sunday morning, bringing wind gusts of 130 kph and the threat of widespread flash flooding to already saturated catchments.
Back in Victoria, the fire risk remains “extreme” to “catastrophic.” A total fire ban has been extended into Sunday as a record-breaking heatwave continues to bake the landscape. Temperatures have repeatedly soared past 40°C this week, creating the most dangerous fire conditions the state has seen since the devastating “Black Summer” of 2019-2020.
For many rural communities, the fight is far from over. Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch warned that several major fire fronts will likely continue to burn for days, if not weeks. With lightning strikes sparking fresh outbreaks overnight, the priority remains the safety of those still in the line of fire.
