A State of Disaster has been declared in Victoria ahead of a weekend of alarming fire danger, as another death in the state is confirmed and 17 are still missing.
The East Gippsland fires have claimed another life, it was confirmed on Thursday night, as looming horror conditions have prompted Victoria to declare a State of Disaster.
A man's body was discovered by family at a property in Maraningo Creek, near Genoa, about 8.30pm on Wednesday.
"It is believed the man suffered a medical episode while fighting the fires," police said.
It comes as Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews has declared a State of Disaster for six local government areas and Alpine resorts amid the state's bushfire crisis.
It's the first time the powers have been used in Victoria.
A second man has died during the East Gippsland fires, Victoria Police said.
Family found the man's body at a property in Maraningo Creek, near Genoa, about 8.30pm on Wednesday.
"It is believed the man suffered a medical episode while fighting the fires," police said.
The coroner will prepare a report.
Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews has declared a state of disaster for six local government areas and Alpine resorts amid the state's bushfire crisis.
It's the first time the powers have been used in Victoria.
"If you can leave then you must leave," Mr Andrews said tonight. "We cannot guarantee your safety and we don't want to see you in harm's way."
He said people who remained faced being cut off "for an extended period of time" as fires threatened to become out of control in the coming hours and days.
A woman has died in Canberra, reportedly going into respiratory distress after disembarking from a plane to the tarmac, thick with smoke from the bushfires.
The New Daily said tonight the Canberra woman was on a flight arriving from Brisbane.
Read more on this story HERE.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Gippsland has shared some terrifying images of the bushfires tearing through its districts.
The post warns: "There are extremely serious and dangerous fires across East Gippsland – and chances of more starting. If you do not need to be here – get out before this weekend. Please leave today, or at the latest tomorrow morning."
"Challenging weather is predicted tomorrow and Saturday. Conditions are expected to be worse than last Monday, it is expected to be extremely hot and windy. We cannot guarantee we will have fire trucks at every location due to the scale of the fire area. Phone reception, power and water supply cannot be guaranteed if impacted."
"There are new fire starts from lightning overnight to the south of Dinner Plain and Mt Hotham. These fires will run to the south east, putting pressure on the Swifts Creek area and surrounds. The Princes Highway is open both ways between Bairnsdale and Orbost. We currently have 24 isolated communities and are attempting to get into these communities as soon as we can to provide essential supplies (including satellite phones), however the current smoke is hindering conditions to enable aircraft to fly."
Community Meetings:
* Mount Taylor – 10am (3rd January) at the Mount Taylor Fire Station.
* Orbost – 10:30am, (3rd January) at Orbost Football Club, Lochiel Street Orbost.
* Mallacoota – The Australian defence force will relocate 800 people at 7am on the 3rd of January via an Australian Defence Force boat and return for more people in coming days.
Homes in Hobart’s northwest remain threatened by a bushfire despite a downgrade to the warning level for the blaze.
An emergency warning – the highest alert level – was issued on Thursday afternoon for the fire at Collinsvale Road in Glenlusk, before being downgraded to a watch and act level.
While the threat has eased, the fire is yet to be brought under control and residents have been warned their homes may still be at risk from from the uncontrolled blaze. “If you are going to leave, make sure you have a clear path to a safer place,” Tasmania Fire Service said.
Residents returning to Pelham, northwest of Hobart have been warned that the bushfire burning in the area for days for days has left road hazards including fallen trees and power lines.
An out-of-control and unpredictable bushfire in Western Australia’s south has been downgraded from an emergency warning to a watch and act alert.
There is no longer an immediate threat but people need to remain vigilant near the Balladonia Roadhouse in the Shire of Dundas, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services warns.
The NSW Rural Fire Service declared two “tourist leave zones” stretching almost 300 kilometres (186 miles) from the town of Nowra along the picturesque coast to neighbouring Victoria state, where people are also being urged to flee.
Residents and visitors in two inland areas – which include popular holiday resorts in the Snowy Mountains – were also told to leave, with people given less than 24 hours to evacuate before a heatwave brings gusting winds and temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
A hot air mass is moving across the country, with extremely hot and dangerous conditions for fires due to lash South Australia tomorrow then NSW and eastern Victoria on Saturday.
Sky News meteorologist Alison Osborne outlined the dangers of the weather pattern to news.com.au, saying the fires in these conditions will become "unpredictable, uncontrollable and fast moving".
FRIDAY:
"The southern regions of SA will experience very hot and windy conditions," she said.
"Temperatures well into the 40s and strong winds in a north to north westerly, shifting to a south-westerly from west to east with the passage of the front.
"The change won’t hit the fire-ravaged Mount Lofty Ranges until after sunset, making for another challenging day."
SATURDAY:
"Temperatures across the already stricken areas of Eastern Victoria, the NSW southern Ranges and the South coast will climb to the 40s in the north-westerly winds ahead of the cool change," she said.
"It’s a similar synoptic setup to New Year’s Eve.
"Winds will be strongest along the coastal fringe, resulting in erratic fire behaviour and shifting direction of fire fronts with the wind change, which should be over the Shoalhaven by early evening, and Sydney by midnight."
Wagga Wagga councillor Vanessa Keenan is going viral on Facebook after she penned a heartbreaking letter to Deputy PM Michael McCormack.
"When we sheltered in the fire bunker and desperately listened to hear if the fire sprinklers were still running I thought of you," she wrote.
"As we held our hands against the wall to feel the heat, again, you entered my thoughts.
"After the first front passed and we went out and took the chance to refuel the pump that was supplying the fire sprinklers I once again thought about you.
"As we raced back to the door of the bunker and watched the firestorm approach from a different direction, crowning 150 feet above the trees I thought about you."
You can read the full letter below.
A reporter on the ground at Mallacoota has attended a community meeting run by the ADF, which has explained its evacuation plans to the thousands of people stranded.
The ADF delivered supplies earlier today, transporting everything from food and water to medical and bathroom needs to the cut-off town.
A bushfire has also been upgraded to a watch and act in Mallacoota as the town prepares for worsening conditions.
This afternoon, Mallacoota was told HMAS Choules hopes to do two to three trips to get people out, A Current Affair reporter Mimi Becker tweeted.
People told they can only take carry on baggage. Everything else must be left behind. Family pets will be allowed on board. Evacuation is optional not compulsory.
— Mimi Becker (@MimiRoseBecker) January 2, 2020
Voyage expected to take 16-17 hours away if they travel Port Welshpool South Gippsland. Second option is to take around 20 hours if they travel to Western Port on the Mornington Peninsular. Dependant on weather conditions and numbers of evacuating.
— Mimi Becker (@MimiRoseBecker) January 2, 2020
The earliest HMAS Choules will leave with evacuees is tomorrow afternoon. ADF and Emergency Services to compile a list of names/numbers wishing to leave to coordinate rest of the operation.
— Mimi Becker (@MimiRoseBecker) January 2, 2020
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