If you'd like to follow what's happening in NSW, The Sydney Morning Herald is also running live coverage here.
As with all our bushfires coverage The Herald's live blog, being run by Laura Chung this morning, is available to all readers whether or not they are subscribers.
The key developments today are:
- Three people are confirmed to have died with grave fears for a fourth;
- Surf clubs sheltering hundreds of people on the state's south coast report they are running out of gas, first aid, blankets and water;
- The town of Conjola has been "heavily impacted" with RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons saying there had been "significant damage and destruction to property"; and
Conditions are expected to worsen on the weekend.
Emergency Victoria has just updated the warning for the fire near Corryong reflecting some of what Andrew Crisp told Nine not long ago about the new fires sparked by lightning overnight.
The full warning is here:
This Emergency Warning is being issued for Beetoomba, Benambra, Berringama, Biggara, Bringenbrong, Brumby, Bungil, Burrowye, Cobberas, Colac Colac, Corryong, Crawford Crossing, Cudgewa, Cudgewa North, Dartmouth, Greg Greg, Guys Forest, Hodgson Crossing, Khancoban, Koetong, Lucyvale, McNamara Crossing, Mount Alfred, Mount Alfred Gap, Nariel Creek, Nariel Gap, Nariel Valley, Pine Mountain, Shelley, Staceys Bridge, Suggan Buggan, The Lightwood, Thologolong, Thowgla, Thowgla Upper, Thowgla Valley, Tintaldra, Tom Groggin, Towong, Towong Upper, Walwa, Willow Crossing.
- This Emergency Warning replaces the Emergency Warning issued at 6.33pm.
- The large bushfire that started West South West of Walwa that is not yet under control
- The bushfire travelled in a south-easterly direction on a large front
- This fire is threatening homes and lives.
- There will be continued fire activity on the western flank.
- A number of new fires have been identified in Jibb range, Mt Sassafras and Mt Pinnibar areas due to dry lightning over the past 24 hours. There is a likelihood that further fires may be identified throughout the day.
- There is a significant fire activity in NSW, the fire column will visible from Victoria.
- You must continue to remain vigilant as conditions may change.
You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive.
The safest option is to take shelter indoors immediately. It is too late to leave.
These remarkable pictures were taken by Brett Dawson who defended his and his neighbour's homes in Gippsland on New Year's Eve.
Pictures by Brett Dawson who defended his and his neighbour's homes in Gippsland on New Year's Eve.
Pictures by Brett Dawson who defended his and his neighbour's homes in Gippsland on New Year's Eve.
Pictures by Brett Dawson who defended his and his neighbour's homes in Gippsland on New Year's Eve.
Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp has just been speaking on on Nine's Today show. He had no update on the four missing people but did say that the number of people who are not accounted for hasn't increased.
This is more of what he had to say: "We had more dry lightning come through last night and started a new fire. So we have 45 fires going across the state, that is on top of the existing large fires in East Gippsland and the east near Corryong.
"So a lot of these fires through the Great Dividing Range, which has the potential on a hot day with a northerly wind to push down into the East Gippsland fires.
"[We are] very focused on prioritising those fires and rounding those up as quickly as we can and very focused on working with and supporting our communities in East Gippsland and the Corryong area that have been isolated and impacted by fires."
He said the emergency warnings remained in place, despite the milder weather conditions.
"We don't want to overly concern community because our message to community is very much about we want you to keep an eye on those messages and if it's an emergency warning all the time when it doesn't need to be when it can create some undue angst in the community.
"So we continually review those. I am confident that we've got the right warning on at that point in time."
Columnist Ross Gittins has written this thought-provoking comment piece today arguing that the drive to provide donations to volunteer firefighting organisations - as well as others - is blurring the line on government responsibility.
Here's some of what he had to say:
"No one believes every worthy cause should be funded by the government so that private charity becomes redundant. And it’s true the federal government partially subsidises donations by making them tax-deductible. But where do you draw the line between what the government should cover and what can be left to the generosity – or otherwise – of private citizens?
"The more I think about it, the more I realise that, as part of their commitment to Smaller Government and lower taxes, governments have been quietly shifting the dividing line between what the government pays for and what should depend on charity."
There are about 7000 homes now without power in East Gippsland and it sounds like it could be a while before it's fixed as conditions remain difficult and dangerous.
"On the basis of CFA advice, and the safety of our crews, we're just unable to get in there," John Preston, from network company Ausnet, told ABC Gippsland not long ago.
Ausnet is telling customers in affected areas that power could be back up by 7pm tonight but with this qualification: "Estimated restoration times for East Gippsland, Corryong and surrounding bushfire areas will be updated when we can safely enter and assess the repairs required."
You can keep track of outages at Ausnet's website: https://www.outagetracker.com.au/
Of course bushfires are not only affecting Victoria. There was tragic news from NSW yesterday where a father and son were killed defending their property.
Patrick Salway, who died at a property outside Cobargo on Tuesday, and his wife Renee. Credit:Patrick Salway / Facebook
Nick Bonyhady wrote about it here, this is some of the article:
Renee Salway, who lost her husband Patrick to the bushfires ravaging the South Coast overnight on Monday, has written of her devastation.
"I love you now, I love you still, I always have and I always will," said Mrs Salway, who is pregnant with the couple's second child. "I will see you again Patrick, my best friend. Hope you are up there 'fixing things in the stars tonight'."
"Thank you everyone for your concern. We are broken. Goodnight," Mrs Salway said.
Nine News reporter Jayde Vincent has posted this video to social media showing the scene in Mallacoota this morning.
This remarkable footage was shot by India Macdonell as she and her father fought the fire at Goongerah.
The pair have told the ABC that they were prepared with pumps, water and an underground fire shelter to face the blaze. They saved the house, but only just, and lost several other buildings.
An updated warning this morning was issued for the fires north of Bairnsdale that caused substantial damage to towns including Sarsfield and Clifton Creek.
The full warning is below:
This Emergency Warning is being issued for Boggy Creek, Bruthen, Bullumwaal, Clifton Creek, Johnsonville, Mount Taylor, Nicholson, Sarsfield and surrounding communities.
- The bushfires north of Bairnsdale remain out of control.
- The fires remain active and there is still a risk of embers and spot fires in forest and bushland areas.
- At the present time it is extremely difficult to access some areas using ground crews as there has been significant damage to road networks. Many roads are inaccessible.
- Many roads in the area have been crossed by fire and are now blocked by fallen trees. Burnt trees will continue to fall across these roads for the coming days.
- Crews are assessing the condition of roads to ensure the safety of road users. This may take some time due to the scale of the fires.
- It is extremely dangerous to enter forest areas.
- There is no power to communities east of Lakes Entrance including Bruthen.
- Power to communication towers east of Bairnsdale has been cut and back-up batteries will soon be exhausted. Mobile and landline services will be severely disrupted. Satellite phones and trunk radios will continue to operate.
- We will continue to provide you with updates as more information comes to hand.
You are in danger and need to act immediately.
You should enact your bushfire survival plan now.
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