Firefighters battle bushfire as lifesavers rescue more than 140 people in weekend heatwave

Firefighters continued to battle out-of-control bushfires across Victoria’s west as lifesavers conducted more than 140 rescues amid a sweltering weekend in the state.

Crowds at Geelong’s Eastern Beach during the weekend heatwave. Picture: Mark Wilson

Amid a sweltering weekend heatwave, hundreds of Victorian firefighters continued to battle out-of-control bushfires across the state’s west while lifesavers conducted more than 140 rescues.

Scorching temperatures on Sunday that pushed as high as 40C created an extreme fire danger in parts of the state.

The Grampians bushfire continued to burn, nearly three weeks since it ignited, with more than 76,000ha, four homes and hundreds of dead livestock in its wake.

While many residents have since returned, they were warned about ongoing hazards from the bushfire, including unassessed and untreated trees, and urged to continue monitoring the conditions.

“The situation can change at any time. You must monitor conditions and be ready to act,” the CFA said.

More than 40 vehicles responded to another bushfire at Moliagul, near Bendigo. A watch-and-act warning was issued just after 5pm on Sunday, with firefighters not yet able to stop the fire.

Residents were warned that “the situation can change at any time. You must monitor conditions and be ready to act.”

A total fire ban was in place for the Mallee, Wimmera, Southwest, Central and North Central fire districts on Sunday as hot, dry and windy conditions threatened to spread the bushfires and make them difficult to suppress.

“Especially with fires in the landscape already, we’re asking people to follow the strict con­ditions associated with the Total Fire Ban declaration,” said Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan. “Understand how the increased fire risk will impact you and ensure your fire plan covers all possible contingencies.”

Many flocked to the beach as they sweated through the boiling weekend, which saw Lifesaving Victoria have one of its busiest weekends in the past 20 years.

On Saturday alone, lifesavers made 145 rescues across the state. Only 110 rescues had been conducted for the entire season up until that point.

People trying to keep cool at Port Melbourne beach Picture: Luis Enrique Ascuia/NewsWire

The weekend also saw two separate jet ski incidents, one at Gunnamatta Beach where one person sustained serious injuries and another in Rye, where a man died after being pulled from the ocean unresponsive.

“My advice to swimmers is that everyone has a responsibility to take care of each other and make sure everyone comes home safe,” state agency commander Kane Treloar told NewsWire. “The best way to do that is head to the Beach Safe website so you can find a safe place to swim, and where possible always swim between the flags.”

Surf Life Saving Australia chair Chris Jacobson said “since the start of summer, we’ve seen over 30 fatalities occur across the Australian coastline” and with Australia Day coming up and the ongoing school holiday period, it’s important beachgoers heed the advice of lifesavers.

“Make sure that water safety is front of mind and at the priority of everyone’s mind,” he said.

Halls Gap and the Grampians National Park remain closed to visitors, with no access to the park permitted.

Firefighters are holding out hope for some decent rainfall that will help with the dry fuel load. Temperatures are forecast to drop for the rest of the week, with showers expected on Monday.

Smoke from the bushfires and back-burning operations were still affecting areas in the Grampians as fire crews worked to strengthen their containment lines around the fire.