Residents of the Victorian town of Beaufort and the surrounding areas have been warned to leave immediately. Photo: Supplied/Vic Emergency
Fires are affecting regional communities in Victoria and Tasmania, with firefighters battling multiple fronts in both states.
In Victoria, an emergency warning was on Thursday afternoon issued for a fire burning near the town of Beaufort, west of Ballarat.
Residents in the town and surrounding areas, including Bayindeen, Buangor, Glenlogie, Middle Creek and Mount Cole, have been warned to leave immediately.
"Leaving immediately is the safest option ... please heed this advice, please act now to save your own life," Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said during a press conference.
Two Watch and Act warnings had also been issued for residents in communities near Lexton and Amphitheatre, and in communities around Weatherboard and Addington.
The fire ignited about 10am and rapidly took off in the dry, hot conditions.
On Thursday afternoon there were at least 100 vehicles with about 1000 firefighters on the ground, supported by 24 aircraft.
A late cool change dropped temperatures into the low 20s and teens, but also saw strong and gusty winds across the state.
On Thursday evening, Forest Fire Management Victoria chief Chris Hardman said the blaze had tripled in size and was 15km wide due to the change in wind.
Firefighters were working in surrounding communities to protect properties and homes, but Hardman said it was too dangerous for them to be in front of the fire now.
"The fire behaviour is extreme at the moment, we're seeing big columns of smoke and embers," he said.
View from Glen Park this afternoon. Kids stayed inside. Long way from Beaufort but we could smell the fires. pic.twitter.com/tY4ZSOMmRV
— Tony Shaw (@Maynardgcrabbs) February 22, 2024
Although Melbourne saw heavy showers in the afternoon, there were no significant falls over the fires, and the Bureau of Meteorology warned not to expect any rainfall over 1mm in Victoria's west.
Two relief centres have been established, one at Wendouree and the other at Ararat.
Several roads were closed and the Ballarat train line was also suspended as a result of the fire.
Dry lightning possible with cool change
State Control Centre spokesperson Luke Hegarty told ABC Melbourne the intensity of the blaze was exacerbated by extreme weather conditions across the state.
"That fire is certainly building up a bit of steam based on the very hot weather and the strong winds that we're experiencing at the moment," he said.
Hegarty warned that a forecast of storms and strong winds into the evening would also carry a risk of igniting further fires.
"There's a risk of some dry lightning coming through with those storms," he said.
"That wind change is definitely on its way, and it's a pretty strong wind change, which means that any new fires that have started are potentially going to be impacted."
Hegarty said authorities were concerned with the number of spot fires surrounding the main blaze.
There were multiple other fires burning around Victoria, but all were at advice level or below.
Smoke haze from the Beaufort fires makes for an ominous picture at dusk. Happy the wind is favouring us. Stay safe those in the path of the fire front and CFA crews battling to contain. pic.twitter.com/dMfZfuHBQ6
— Matt Dalgleish (@Meat_Watcher) February 22, 2024
The hot weather came as several hundred Victorian households remained without power, after storm damage last week.
Thousands more Victorians lost power on Thursday afternoon but most had been restored by the evening.
Fires burn in Tasmania's Central Highlands
In Tasmania, an emergency warning was issued on Thursday for the small community of Dee in the state's Central Highlands region.
The state's emergency authorities said the bushfire was expected to "put lives in danger" and possibly destroy homes.
"If you don't have a safe route to a safer place, shelter inside the nearest building, regularly checking your surroundings and putting out any fires near the building until the fire passes," the warning read.
Southern regional fire chief Phil Smith told ABC that the location of the blaze made it difficult to battle.
"With the way the wind is, it could go in any direction given the nature of that area, because it's in a gully," Smith said.
Smith said all available aircraft and crews were working to contain the blaze.
There were also watch and act warnings for nearby communities.
Other fires around the state were at or below advice level.
This story was first published by the ABC.
