This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/19/firefighters-combat-bushfires-amid-south-australia-and-victoria-heatwave
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Victoria bushfires: Dandenong residents told it's too late to leave | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Residents in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria have been told it’s too late to leave as a fire rages through the area. | |
| The Country Fire Authority has issued an emergency warning for Wandin North and Wandin East. | |
| “There is a fast moving, out-of-control grassfire travelling in a southerly direction from Rodger Road, Wandin North towards Warburton Highway,” the CFA said. “You are in danger, act now to protect yourself. It is too late to leave. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately.” | |
| The state’s emergency management commissioner, Craig Lapsley, said the fire was burning above Montrose and plenty of crews were on their way to battle the blaze. | |
| “That’s in difficult country, helicopters and fire trucks are on their way now,” he told 3AW on Saturday. | |
| “I think that’s going to be our afternoon, it’s hot, windy, everything that was predicted.” | |
| Victoria is facing one of its worst fire days of summer, with temperatures reaching 40C before noon. | |
| Wandin North resident Brenny Cullen said he could see waterbombers fighting the fire from his home. | |
| “We’re about 500 metres from the fire and I can see exactly where it is,” Mr Cullen said. “There is a lot of smoke, it’s a grass fire, but lots of firefighters are around.” | |
| Strong wind gusts up to 80km/h are also expected to make firefighters’ jobs difficult in dry conditions. | |
| Lapsley said while conditions weren’t the same as Black Saturday, it had been dry for months and drought-like conditions were visible across most of the state. | |
| A total fire ban has been declared for Victoria on Saturday and Sunday. | |
| A fast-moving, out-of-control fire has reportedly destroyed at least one shed and is threatening homes and businesses on Melbourne’s outskirts. | A fast-moving, out-of-control fire has reportedly destroyed at least one shed and is threatening homes and businesses on Melbourne’s outskirts. |
| Related: Melbourne braces for heatwave as temperatures could hit 40C on Saturday | Related: Melbourne braces for heatwave as temperatures could hit 40C on Saturday |
| The CFA issued a watch and act message for the Epping area on Saturday morning. | |
| “There is a medium 5ha grassfire travelling fast in a southerly direction from Harvest Home Road towards O’Hearns Road, Epping,” the CFA said in a statement. | “There is a medium 5ha grassfire travelling fast in a southerly direction from Harvest Home Road towards O’Hearns Road, Epping,” the CFA said in a statement. |
| A spokesperson from the State Control Centre said there was a lot of smoke in the area and five firefighting aircraft are helping fire crews on the ground douse the flames. | |
| Residents were warned that conditions were changing and were told to enact their fire plans. | |
| Firefighters were unable to stop the fire and it has now crossed O’Hearns Road and is travelling in a southerly direction and is impacting on Cooper Street. The area is close to factories and a hospital. | |
| Seven News reported one property structure had been destroyed. | Seven News reported one property structure had been destroyed. |
| The Hume Freeway and Cooper Street have been closed due to the fire. | The Hume Freeway and Cooper Street have been closed due to the fire. |
| Out of control fires were also keeping South Australian firefighters busy as they braced for more extreme temperatures on Saturday. | Out of control fires were also keeping South Australian firefighters busy as they braced for more extreme temperatures on Saturday. |
| The CFS issued advice warnings for Waltowa and Campoona. | The CFS issued advice warnings for Waltowa and Campoona. |
| Smoke is visible in nearby areas and residents were advised to close all doors and windows and enact their fire plans. | Smoke is visible in nearby areas and residents were advised to close all doors and windows and enact their fire plans. |
| South Australia remains in the grip of a week-long heatwave. | South Australia remains in the grip of a week-long heatwave. |
| Maximum temperatures in Adelaide have topped 40C for the past three days and the extreme conditions were forecast to peak on Saturday with the city tipped to have a top temperature of 44C. | Maximum temperatures in Adelaide have topped 40C for the past three days and the extreme conditions were forecast to peak on Saturday with the city tipped to have a top temperature of 44C. |
| The bushfire risk is also rising as winds increase ahead of a cooler change on Saturday night. | The bushfire risk is also rising as winds increase ahead of a cooler change on Saturday night. |
| Strike teams of firefighters have been deployed to high-risk hot spots across Tasmania after authorities imposed fire bans across the state. | Strike teams of firefighters have been deployed to high-risk hot spots across Tasmania after authorities imposed fire bans across the state. |
| North and south regions of the island are subject to the bans for both Saturday and Sunday with hot and dry conditions forecast. | North and south regions of the island are subject to the bans for both Saturday and Sunday with hot and dry conditions forecast. |
| “There’s some hot weather coming over the weekend with some accompanying winds and the fire danger in some areas is going to be very high to severe,” Tasmania Fire Service chief Gavin Freeman told reporters on Friday. | “There’s some hot weather coming over the weekend with some accompanying winds and the fire danger in some areas is going to be very high to severe,” Tasmania Fire Service chief Gavin Freeman told reporters on Friday. |
| Temperatures in some parts of Tasmania are expected to reach more than 30C on Saturday, with the heat pushing past 40C on Sunday in the north of the state. | Temperatures in some parts of Tasmania are expected to reach more than 30C on Saturday, with the heat pushing past 40C on Sunday in the north of the state. |
| Related: How to cope with a heatwave | Related: How to cope with a heatwave |
| “The grass and fire fuels are curing fairly rapidly so those conditions will carry fire,” Freeman said. “Under the weather that we’ve got available this weekend fire will develop quickly and spread rapidly.” | “The grass and fire fuels are curing fairly rapidly so those conditions will carry fire,” Freeman said. “Under the weather that we’ve got available this weekend fire will develop quickly and spread rapidly.” |
| A bushfire burning near the state’s central Arthurs Lake district since Wednesday was stopped by crews on Friday and Freeman said a couple of other small blazes were expected be extinguished quickly. | A bushfire burning near the state’s central Arthurs Lake district since Wednesday was stopped by crews on Friday and Freeman said a couple of other small blazes were expected be extinguished quickly. |
| As a precaution, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service has closed walking tracks for the weekend in some national parks, including at Freycinet and Douglas-Apsley on the east coast. | As a precaution, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service has closed walking tracks for the weekend in some national parks, including at Freycinet and Douglas-Apsley on the east coast. |