Victoria fires live updates: Bushfire threatens homes and lives near Beaufort

Emergency services have warned a wind change means those in the Pyrenees Ranges need to remain vigilant into the night as a bushfire burns near Beaufort.

As of 11pm on Thursday, fire alerts include:

• Emergency warning – Leave immediately – active for Ballyrogan, Bayindeen, Beaufort, Ben Nevis, Brewster, Buangor, Buangor East, Chute, Cross Roads, Ercildoune, Eurambeen, Eversley, Glenbrae, Glenlogie, Lake Goldsmith, Langi Kal Kal, Lexton, Main Lead, Mena Park, Middle Creek, Mount Cole, Mount Cole Creek, Mount Lonarch, Nerring, Raglan, Shirley, Stockyard Hill, Trawalla, Warrak, Waterloo and Yalla-y-poora.
• Watch and act – Leave now – active for Addington, Brewster, Burrumbeet, Ercildoune, Glenbrae, Lexton, Trawalla, Waubra and Weatherboard.
• Watch and act – Leave now – active for Amphitheatre, Avoca, Burnbank, Caralulup, Chute, Crowlands, Elmhurst, Evansford, Eversley, Glenlofty, Glenlogie, Glenpatrick, Glenshee, Green Hill Creek, Lamplough, Landsborough, Lexton, Lillicur, Mount Cole, Mount Cole Creek, Mount Lonarch, Nowhere Creek, Percydale, Rosyth, Talbot, Warrenmang and Waubra.

Late on Thursday, CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan told 3AW the main towns now under threat were Lexton and Amphitheatre to the fire’s north, and Addington and Burrumbeet to the blaze’s east.

Wind gusts of up to 50 km/h were causing challenges for firefighters, he said.

“Thankfully, just before going on air here tonight, I’ve started to get some initial [intelligence that] those winds are dropping,” Heffernan said shortly after 10pm.

Authorities had expected conditions in the state’s west to abate between 10pm and midnight.

The CFA chief said next Wednesday already looked like it was becoming Victoria’s “next spike fire day” with more dangerous bushfire conditions.

Heffernan said wet weather earlier this summer had led to prolific grass growth, but there hadn’t been any substantial rain in February.

The CFA chief said about 1000 firefighters remained on the Pyrenees fire ground tonight. The blaze near Beaufort and Raglan now covers more than 7000 hectares.

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CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan has thanked firefighters for their efforts as a bushfire still rages out of control in Victoria’s west.

In a social media post just before 10pm, Heffernan thanked all emergency service personnel on the fire line today and tonight.

“It’s not over by far as many are putting their lives at risk, as I type, to fight for Beaufort, Lexton, Raglan and surrounding communities,” he wrote.

Firefighter may get some respite tomorrow. In the south-west district, which includes the Pyrenees Ranges where the main bushfire is burning, the fire danger rating is lower.

However, it is still graded as “high” on the CFA website, down from “extreme” today.

Images from Victoria’s west today showed farm sheds going up in flames as a bushfire headed towards Beaufort on the Western Highway.

However, authorities have not yet declared any homes lost. That may change tomorrow.

Watch how Nine News covered the chaos at 6pm below:

Premier Jacinta Allan has just shared a photo from the State Control Centre, warning those north and east of Beaufort that the expected wind change means the safest thing they can do now is leave.

The premier was photographed alongside Emergency Services Commissioner Rick Nugent and CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan.

“Just received another briefing from the State Control Centre,” Allan’s post on social media platform X said.

“The wind change we expected has happened – putting communities to the north and east of Beaufort on high alert. If you’re in these areas, the safest thing you can do is leave.”

The premier urged Victorians to keep informed via the VicEmergency app and website.

“[K]eep safe tonight,” she said.

Beaufort and Raglan residents have tonight been told it could be days before they can return to their homes, according to a CFA spokesperson who said the fire situation was “dynamic” and “dangerous” as flames burned through “very rough country” into the night.

Briefing around 100 residents gathered at the Wendouree CE Brown Reserve just before 9pm, CFA West’s community engagement coordinator Chris Carey told residents the wind change had now hit, and the Beaufort fire front was about 20 to 30 kilometres long and heading north-east.

Outside the evacuation centre at CE Brown Reserve in Wendouree on Thursday night.Credit: Rachael Dexter

The total fire size was around 6700 hectares and mainly burning in state forest, he said.

“So [it’s heading] down towards Beaufort [and] Raglan, but it’s also starting to move up towards Mt Cole, Mt Lonarch,” he said.

Carey said there were three particular spot fires of concern around the Beaufort area – visible on the VicEmergency map.

Three darkened spot fire zones to the bottom-right of the main fire body close to Beaufort can be seen on the VicEmergency map online.

“We’re still getting spot [fires] from it that are going probably eight to 10 kilometres [ahead of the fire front],” Carey said.

“And when they’re landing on the ground, they’re actually igniting, and they’re starting, and they’re growing fairly quickly.”

When asked if any properties had been lost, Carey said:“I haven’t heard of any, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been.”

When asked if it could be days before residents could return he said: “Possibly.”

The fire approaching Langi Kal Kal about 2.30pm on Thursday afternoon.Credit: Ken Pryor

Carey said the incident controllers would run 350 firefighters, 100 trucks and ten bulldozers overnight to work on the spot fires. He also said there were 20 aircraft still working on the fires this evening.

The fire was mainly burning in forest areas, but some spot fires had occurred in the township of Beaufort he said.

“[The fire is] going to stay fairly active through the night until the temperature drops a fair bit,” he said.

Carey told residents to “settle in” as roads to Beaufort and other nearby hamlets would remain closed.

“It’s still very dynamic, and it’s still very dangerous up there.”

In a late announcement, federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt and Victorian Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes have appointed a disaster recovery specialist to clean up fires and storms that smashed the state last week.

In a joint media release issued shortly before 9pm tonight, the pair said Hansen Yuncken, a construction company, will work with local subcontractors to rebuild properties damaged and lost in Victoria when extreme weather hit on Tuesday, February 13.

Fires claimed 46 homes and a business in Pomonal and Dadswells Bridge, near the Grampians, while the storms left 44 homes uninhabitable in the state’s east, mostly in Mirboo North.

Demolition of damaged houses, asbestos and other hazard removal will be included as part of the clean-up in the affected communities alongside tree removal.

The Victorian government will also establish a centralised green waste facility for the clean-up. It is still working with the federal government to finalise its location.

“This clean-up is a priority which will ensure the local community have safe access to homes and debris is removed – helping people get back on their feet,” Watt said in a statement.

The clean-up will be jointly funded through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, the statement said.

After today’s fires, it’s likely more clean-up help will be needed.

While the focus has been on a large blaze in the Pyrenees Ranges near Beaufort, two smaller fires have popped up closer to Melbourne.

However, both blazes are only at an advice-level and no homes or lives appear to be under threat.

On the Mornington Peninsula, a grass fire is burning near Tuerong close to the Devil Bend Reservoir.

“There is currently no threat to you, but you should stay informed and monitor conditions,” the alert says.

In Victoria’s central north, a bushfire is burning near Broadford close to the Hume Freeway.

The fire near Dabyminga Creek and Davis Road is not under control and smoke may be visible, but it currently remains in the thick trees of the Tallarook State Forest.

Smoke from the out-of-control fires in the state’s west has been pushed east by the winds that brought the cool change to Melbourne earlier this evening.

Readers have shared images of the smoke as it passed over regional Victoria and Melbourne’s outskirts.

Ken Pryor snapped this image of the smoke at Langi Kal Kal about 2.30pm this afternoon.

The fire approaching Langi Kal Kal at about 2.30pm on Thursday afternoon.Credit: Ken Pryor

Michele Martin sent through this picture of one of the blackened gum leaves that she found on her backyard in Ballarat North.

A picture of one of the blackened gum leaves that one reader found in her backyard in Ballarat North on Thursday afternoon.Credit: Michele Martin

Diana Underwood said the sky in Daylesford this afternoon was the strangest she’d ever seen.

Smoke from the Beaufort fire as seen from Daylesford on Thursday afternoon.Credit: Diana Underwood

Adam sent us this snap of the smoke as seen from his place at Beaufort.

Smoke from the fires as viewed from Beaufort on Thursday afternoon.Credit: Adam

Joy Whelan shared this image of the smoke as seen from Bacchus Marsh train station.

Smoke viewed from Bacchus Marsh.Credit: Joy Whelan

Shannon Harvie sent us a picture from Melton and described the haze as eerie.

One reader snapped the “eerie” smoke from the Beaufort fire all the way from Melton in Melbourne’s west.Credit: Shannon Harvie

While Eliza sent us this photo of the smoke visible in the evening sky when looking west from Kensington.

The view from Kensington.Credit: Eliza Sum

If it is safe to do so, you can share your images of the smoke from where you are via the form below.

An updated emergency warning, which includes the towns Beaufort and Raglan, has just been issued confirming the out-of-control bushfire in Victoria’s west has changed direction and is now moving north-east.

For much of today, the fire raced down from the Mount Buangor State Park in a south-easterly direction toward Beaufort – official population 1712.

But at 8.35pm, a new alert confirmed the expected wind change from the south-west had arrived.

That could provide some welcome respite for firefighters trying to protect Beaufort, but the change has now turned the fire’s long north-eastern edge into a fire front, putting new towns in danger.

Raglan, population 223, appears to be in the firing line. Even before the wind change, it was particularly close to the fire front.

Rebecca Brunner and her partner Tina Koeleman left their home in the township of Beaufort around 3.30pm on Thursday with only their dog Chief, some important documents and medications for themselves.

The couple were among dozens uncertainly waiting at CE Brown Reserve in Wendouree on the northern outskirts of Ballarat on Thursday night, where Ballarat Council was co-ordinating food, beds and pet care for residents with no where else to spend the night.

Beaufort residents Tina Koeleman (right) and her partner Rebecca Brunner (left) and their dog Chief.Credit: Eddie Jim

Earlier in the day, the couple moved to an initial evacuation point at Beaufort Lake, but only stayed 30 minutes before police told them to move on to Wendouree as the fire was bearing down on the Beaufort township.

“They actually closed that evacuation centre,” said Koeleman. “Embers were landing everywhere and there were spot fires everywhere.”

The couple had to leave their pet cat back in Beaufort.

“We didn’t have anything to put her in,” said Brunner.

A smokey sunset viewed from Ballarat on Thursday.Credit: Eddie Jim

“We left her outside because we figured she’s got more of a chance [of survival] outside than locked in the house. If the house goes up she’s got no chance.”

Brunner described a terrifying scene back in the township of Beaufort before the couple left.

“From our place I looked outside and it was just black. It was unbelievable,” she said.

“So dark, it was, and it just kept moving through the town.”

The couple said if they couldn’t return home tonight they would travel 40 kilometres north-east to Daylesford to stay with a relative.

Chief enjoys a pat in Ballarat.Credit: Eddie Jim

But Evan King, the chief executive of the City of Ballarat, said many others might stay the night at the football oval.

“The fire is obviously in Pyrenees Shire, but obviously a relief centre here logistically is the best place,” he said, unloading dog food into the clubrooms.

“It’ll be open as long as it needs to be open to provide support.

“We’ve got food, water, pet foods. The Salvation Army is about to start cooking meals for people. We have Victoria Police here, the ambulance is here for any medical needs. So it’s really moved into full emergency management protocol.”