According to Federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain, more than 400 homes have been lost to fires in Victoria alone.
“Over 400,000 hectares of land have been scorched in Victoria so far, and it is crucial for communities to continue following the advice of emergency services,” stated Ms. McBain on Wednesday.
“The assessments are ongoing, but the current losses in Victoria include over 1300 structures, with over 400 homes already counted.”
There are currently six major fires burning across the state, including three out of control fires in Walwa in northern Victoria, Dargo in Gippsland, and Carlisle River near Gellibrand.
Residents are being urged not to become complacent despite months of fire danger still looming ahead.
“We still have two months to go. Our peak fire risk usually falls in February and March,” explained National Emergency Management Agency coordinator-general Brendan Moon on Wednesday.
At least 16 structures have been destroyed by the Carlisle River fire in the Otways, which expanded after breaching containment lines on Saturday afternoon.
The fire is moving northeast towards the communities of Gellibrand and Kawarren.
During a severe heatwave, a grassfire in Larralea near Lismore destroyed eight structures before being contained.
As of Wednesday afternoon, about 5000 homes were still without power, down from a peak of over 100,000 overnight.
Gellibrand resident Rob Murphy shared that he evacuated to Colac at the last minute on Monday after an agreement with his partner.
He recounted that a friend who remained in the town mentioned it “smelled like death” after the fire claimed wildlife and livestock.
Mr. Murphy woke up to find a dead sheep at his doorstep and his farm strewn with deceased kangaroos, koalas, and cattle.
Since the beginning of the year, fires have charred more than 400,000 hectares of land, rivaling the estimated 450,000 hectares burned in the Black Saturday fires of 2009.
Gellibrand residents lost access to clean water after the fire damaged a local treatment plant.
“This means that there is no tap water available in Gellibrand – any remaining water remains unsafe to drink,” a Barwon Water alert stated.
Warning alerts have been reduced in some areas affected by the Carlisle River fire, but several warnings are still active.
Residents in Gellibrand, Barongarook, Barongarook West, Kawarren, Carlisle River, and Charleys Creek were advised to seek shelter immediately on Wednesday afternoon.
Watch and act alerts continued in place across the state as uncontained fires remained near Walwa in the northeast and Dargo-Wonnangatta in the east.
Officials remained on high alert as the state experienced its most severe heatwave in nearly two decades, with Mallee towns like Walpeup and Hopetoun recording Victoria’s highest-ever temperatures at 48.9C.
More than 400 personnel from outside Victoria, including 70 from Canada and 22 from New Zealand, were assisting emergency responders, according to Ms. McBain.
The Australian Defence Force provided food ration packs for support personnel, and the federal government deployed aerial assets such as a Black Hawk helicopter.
Since January 7, residents have filed over $A200 million in losses from 3123 claims, as reported by the Insurance Council of Australia.
These figures encompass property, motor, commercial, and business interruption claims, with nearly a third of property losses estimated to be total losses.
