Victorians urged to ‘act immediately to survive’ as bushfires rip through multiple regions in state’s west

Two blazes at different sections of the Grampians National Park have forced VicEmergency to issue separate “too late to leave” warnings.

A warning was issued to communities in Bellfield, Borough Huts and Pomonal with a bushfire “not yet under control” travelling in a south easterly direction and impacting private land in Pomonal as of 8:30pm on Tuesday.

Residents in Dadswells Bridge, Roses Gap, Glenorchy, Ledcourt, St Helens Plains and Wal Wal were also urged to take shelter and that they “need to act immediately to survive” due to a bushfire at Grampians National Park, Mt Stapylton.

“The bushfire is now impacting private property near Dadswells Bridge and is travelling in a easterly direction,” VicEmergency’s website said as of 8:30pm.

“The fire has crossed the Western Highway and is now near Mount William Creek north of Dadswells Bridge.”

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said on Facebook on Tuesday night that four air water bombers, 32 fire trucks and more than 120 firefighters “have been actively deployed to the Grampians Bellfield fire.

Scorching temperatures were around the 40-degree mark in western Victoria on Tuesday with precautionary actions taken throughout the day to protect communities from the conditions.

Conditions which included winds up to 100km/h, lightning and thunderstorms in addition to the heat, led to the closure of 38 schools and 17 early childhood centres for the day.

The Western Highway was closed before 3pm in the afternoon between the Henty Highway and Stawell-Warracknabeal Road due to the fires.

Another blaze is also ripping the bushland outside of Ballarat, 110km northwest of Melbourne, with an emergency warning being issued for residents of Newtown, Ross Creek, Scarsdale and Smythesdale.

A grassfire which started in Newtown quickly spread into the Ross Creek State Forest and is travelling in a northerly direction towards Scarsdale, Smythesdale and Woodland Drive including Skipper Road.

Emergency Services have not yet been able to get the blaze under control, urging residents: “Leaving immediately is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous”. 

A total fire ban was declared in Wimmera, Mallee, Northern County, Central, South West and North regions of the state.

Wild footage posted on social media has demonstrated the eerie scenes of thick smoke from the fires in regional areas.

One video in particular showed smoke billowing towards a property in a town south of Halls Gap.

The conditions are the worst the state has seen since the devastating 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, with the fire danger rating lifted to catastrophic for the first time since then.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took to social media to share a message of support to affected communities.

“Thinking of all Victorians as you again face extreme weather and bushfires,” he wrote on Facebook.

“At least two fires burning around the Grampians National Park are threatening homes and lives.