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Victoria fires live: 10 emergency warnings in place for Victorian bushfires – latest Victoria fires live: 10 emergency warnings in place for Victorian bushfires – latest
(32 minutes later)
Vic Emergency has ordered the mass evacuation of a vast area, with catastrophic conditions also forecast for South Australia. Follow latest news and live updates An emergency warning is current for Bundoora in the northern suburbs of Melbourne as fires spread across East Gippsland, where Vic Emergency has ordered a mass evacuation
There is an emergency alert for a bushfire in Tasmania.
An uncontrolled fire has broken out at Pelham with fire authorities warning it will put lives in danger and may destroy homes.
“This fire will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast moving,” the alert says.
“Thick smoke and thousands of embers will cause fires all around you. Fires will move quickly and may come from many directions.”
The Tasmanian Fire Service (TFS) says the safest course of action is to evacuate now, but if you don’t have a safe route to a safer place, shelter inside your home until the fire passes.
Bairnsdale incident controller Ben Rankin updates reporters on bushfires in Victoria’s East Gippsland area. Rankin says the area is facing extreme fire danger.
“We will get big column development today and quite significant runs of fire if anything breaks out of the control lines we’ve currently got,” Rankin says.
He says a cool change expected around midnight will present its own challenges and may lead to new runs of fire.
Hello, this is Helen Davidson with you again, for the rest of the day’s live coverage of the bushfire situation across multiple states.
A quick couple of stats via AAP on the Victorian fires.
There are more than 10 burning in East Gippsland, including three that have been going for more than a month.
Overnight 16 fires in the state were started by lightning strikes.
One of them, which started between Cann River and Mallacoota, travelled 24km in six hours overnight, creating a 14km high plume and its own dry lightning.
Water bombers have been deployed in Bundoora in Melbourne.Water bombers have been deployed in Bundoora in Melbourne.
An emergency warning has been issued for Bundoora, Greensborough and Mill Park in the suburbs of MelbourneAn emergency warning has been issued for Bundoora, Greensborough and Mill Park in the suburbs of Melbourne
The fire is threatening homes and lives.The fire is threatening homes and lives.
“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive”, the CFA says. “The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave”.“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive”, the CFA says. “The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave”.
“This message is for people at North of Metropolitan Ring Road between Scholar Drive And Booyan Court. There is a bushfire at Jubilee Cr, Mill Park that is not yet under control.“This message is for people at North of Metropolitan Ring Road between Scholar Drive And Booyan Court. There is a bushfire at Jubilee Cr, Mill Park that is not yet under control.
“The bushfire is travelling from Jubilee Crescent in a southerly direction towards Cloverton Way. The fire started near Cloverton Way in Bundoora.”“The bushfire is travelling from Jubilee Crescent in a southerly direction towards Cloverton Way. The fire started near Cloverton Way in Bundoora.”
Andrew Crisp, the Victorian emergency management commissioner, says a “lot of people” stayed at Lakes Entrance.Andrew Crisp, the Victorian emergency management commissioner, says a “lot of people” stayed at Lakes Entrance.
“On the other hand, we know there was quite long streams of traffic leaving East Gippsland yesterday afternoon and into the evening,” he adds.“On the other hand, we know there was quite long streams of traffic leaving East Gippsland yesterday afternoon and into the evening,” he adds.
He also says “these aren’t the last of the warnings we’ll see today. There’ll be more coming out.”He also says “these aren’t the last of the warnings we’ll see today. There’ll be more coming out.”
Outside of East Gippsland, the major concerns for authorities are the fire at Lexton, west of Avoca, and the two in the Plenty Gorge, he says.Outside of East Gippsland, the major concerns for authorities are the fire at Lexton, west of Avoca, and the two in the Plenty Gorge, he says.
Victorian emergency services minister Lisa Neville says it is likely that the Princes Highway “will fully close at some point to Bairnsdale right through to Mallacoota”.Victorian emergency services minister Lisa Neville says it is likely that the Princes Highway “will fully close at some point to Bairnsdale right through to Mallacoota”.
“This is a warning to all Victorians,” she says. “This is not yet over ... we’re really only halfway through what is ahead of us here today.”“This is a warning to all Victorians,” she says. “This is not yet over ... we’re really only halfway through what is ahead of us here today.”
“We’re seeing a different kind of thunderstorm,” says Andrew Tupper from the Bureau of Meteorology. These are known as pyro-cumulonimbus – which basically means a fire-generated thunderstorm.“We’re seeing a different kind of thunderstorm,” says Andrew Tupper from the Bureau of Meteorology. These are known as pyro-cumulonimbus – which basically means a fire-generated thunderstorm.
“The way that they work is basically the fires give them an extra push in conditions that would normally be suitable, or marginally suitable, for thunderstorms. As they give them that push, the thunderstorms can develop more rapidly than they normally would.“The way that they work is basically the fires give them an extra push in conditions that would normally be suitable, or marginally suitable, for thunderstorms. As they give them that push, the thunderstorms can develop more rapidly than they normally would.
“They carry fire embers aloft, which can help the spread of those fires, accelerate the spread of those fires, they can push those embers down with the severe wind gusts that the thunderstorms generate. And overall they can greatly contribute to unexpected fire spread in unexpected directions.”“They carry fire embers aloft, which can help the spread of those fires, accelerate the spread of those fires, they can push those embers down with the severe wind gusts that the thunderstorms generate. And overall they can greatly contribute to unexpected fire spread in unexpected directions.”
Conditions are so dangerous, the fires are generating lightning, the CFA says.
“The fire that started yesterday afternoon near Mallacoota is an excellent example about the fire behaviour that we’ve seen.
“So a fire that started mid to late afternoon, started to move towards the Princes Highway. The wind changed direction and, within four or five hours, that fire travelled all the way to the coast – about 24km.
“It put up a column, punching into the atmosphere 14km high. We recently looked at the columns, and they’re generating their own weather. There’s lightning coming out of these columns. It is unpredictable, it’s dangerous out there.”
Another press conference in Victoria.
“You should not be on the roads” in East Gippsland, authorities say.
“We have the W Tree fire running towards the coast and we believe it could impact on the Princes Highway between 5pm and 7pm this evening.
“We have been telling people for more than 24 hours East Gippsland is at significant risk in relation to fire. Earlier today, we changed our messaging to say that you should not be on the roads.
“You need to follow, very, very closely, the instructions in those warnings. With those emergency warnings, a lot will say “Shelter in place” but, at times, they will give you options of how you might be able to get out of that particular area.”
Another emergency warning has been issued for Burrowye, Cudgewa, Cudgewa North, Guys Forest, Mount Alfred, Pine Mountain, Tintaldra, Walwa.
This fire is further away from the other eight fires in East Gippsland.
The fire is 13km west-north-west of Walwa, travelling in a south-easterly direction towards Walwa.
This bushfire could impact Walwa and surrounding towns any time in the next one hour.
Murray River will be closed between Walwa and Burrowye.
“Leaving now is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous,” the CFA says. “Emergency Services may not be able to help you if you decide to stay.”
And an update on the emergency warning for Goongerah, Martins Creek, Nurran, Sardine Creek and Errinundra.
The fire is now impacting private property, according to the CFA.
Meanwhile in NSW.
Another emergency fire in Victoria – taking the count to eight right now.
The new warning is for Bruthen, Bullumwaal, Clifton Creek, Deptford, Fairhope, Fairy Dell, Granite Rock, Mossiface, Mount Taylor, Sarsfield, Waterholes.
“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave.”
At the same time, in NSW, an emergency warning has been issued for Dunns Road.
From Tasmania:
“There is another lightning storm forecast to come across today. It has a very serious, very serious risk of starting fires. We are concerned that the lightning ignitions will give us a lot of problems going forward.”
New fires should be reported via 000.
Tasmanian fire authorities are also speaking now.
In Strathgordon, an emergency alert has been issued for travellers and tourists, but not for residents.
The fire remains at watch and act for residents. The two should not be confused, the TFS says.
During that press conference, an emergency warning was also issued in South Australia for an area near the Playford Highway on Kangaroo Island. But that was downgraded to watch and act a few minutes ago.