Burnt trees along the Great Alpine Road in an area devastated by bushfires in Sarsfield, Victoria on 3 January 2020. Photo: AFP / James Ross
A total fire ban is in place across the Australian state of Victoria as authorities urge people to avoid all non-essential travel through areas with an "extreme" level of bushfire risk on Boxing Day.
High temperatures and gusty winds are expected to elevate the bushfire risk in most parts of the state on Thursday, with some regions predicted to experience conditions similar to those of the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires.
An "extreme" fire danger rating is in place across the state, except in East Gippsland, where the risk has been deemed as "high".
These conditions could prove difficult for crews currently fighting an out-of-control bushfire at the Grampians National Park, which has burnt through more than 43,000 hectares.
Multiple communities in the area are at risk. Halls Gap was evacuated at the weekend, while residents of Moyston and Pomonal were ordered to leave immediately about 3pm on Christmas Day.
Other fires in Bullengarook, west of Gisborne, and The Gurdies in Gippsland were also not under control as of Wednesday afternoon.
While another blaze in Creswick, north of Ballarat, is under control as of Wednesday, fire crews fear it could spread under Thursday's conditions.
But authorities are also on high alert for new fires that might begin elsewhere in the state.
Temperatures on Thursday are expected to soar to between the high 30s and low 40s in the state's north, with gusty northerly winds over western and central districts anticipated.
This is ahead of a strong south-westerly change which may bring gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour.
Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan said these conditions would make it difficult to suppress a new bushfire.
"Follow the strict conditions associated with the total fire ban declaration and understand how the increased fire risk will impact you," he said on Tuesday.
"Ensure your fire plan covers all possible contingencies."
He said additional crews had arrived from other parts of Australia in preparation for the conditions.
Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said Victorians should only drive through areas with an extreme fire risk "if you absolutely have to".
Thursday's total fire ban means no fire can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight from 12:01am to 11:59pm anywhere in Victoria.
Authorities remind Victorians to take care in the heat
Aside from the bushfire risk, authorities are urging Victorians to check in on their friends, family and neighbours who might be affected by hot weather.
Dale Armstrong, the director of emergency management at Ambulance Victoria, said heat stroke could be "a life-threatening emergency".
He said vulnerable members of the community, such as the elderly, young children and people with medical conditions, were most at risk.
"If you see someone who's experiencing symptoms such as confusion, seizures, collapsing or loss of consciousness, call an ambulance by dialling triple-0," he said.
Armstrong also reminded Victorians to never leave children in parked cars.
"Even on mild summer days, the temperature inside a parked car can be 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the outside temperature," he said.
"The vast majority of children we see locked in cars is accidental, so just be really mindful of who's got the keys and where the children are as you're unloading cars or packing cars."
Armstrong said it was important that everybody stayed mindful of the situation in their local area, which might include being wary of things like smoke from possible bushfires.
"If it is smoky, close your windows, put your air conditioning on re-circ so don't be dragging air from the outside into the house," he said.
He said Victorians who required non-urgent medical care should contact the state's urgent care clinics, nurse-on-call or Victoria's virtual emergency department, rather than call triple-0.
Ambulance Victoria said it had rostered on additional resources in order to support other emergency services in preparation for the Boxing Day forecast.
- This article was first published by the ABC