Australia: Bushfires burn out of control in Victoria

Bushfires raged in Australia's Victoria on Saturday, prompting an evacuation order at the highest rating for hundreds of people residing in the west of the state.

Authorities raised the alert for an area near the Grampians National Park, which is located about 241 kilometers (roughly 150 miles) from the state's capital Melbourne. Soon after, Victoria's emergency services agency upgraded the advice to "evacuate immediately" and widened the affected area. 

"This is an EMERGENCY WARNING - BUSHFIRE - Evacuate Immediately issued for Bellfield, Bellfield Settlement, Flat Rock Crossing, Fyans Creek, Grampians Junction, Halls Gap," the agency said online. 

"If you choose to stay, emergency services may not be able to help you."

Authorities advised people to ensure they remembered their mobile phones, chargers, and pets, and to check local traffic authorities websites for information on road closures.

Fire grown in size

The blaze is reported to have tripled in size in a day, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

It was approximately 30,000 hectares in size on Saturday morning as against 7,500 hectares on Friday, ABC reported.

Nearly 400 firefighters were battling the fires with over 100 tankers and 25 aircraft and other heavy machinery, the broadcaster added.

"The fire has stabilized since the wind has dropped," Country Fire Authority deputy chief officer Gary Cook told ABC.

Meanwhile, the fire is expected to burn over Christmans and the weeks after, the broadcaster cited an incident controller as telling a town hall meeting in the region.

Australian authorities have warned of a high-risk bushfireseason this summer.

The country had witnessed several quiet seasons after the 2019-2020 "Black Summer," during which infernos claimed 33 lives and razed an area roughly the size of Turkey.

dvv/msh (Reuters, open sources)