1h agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 7:57pmLatest on the Victorian bushfires
Heatwave conditions have eased across Victoria with most areas, including the notoriously hot north-west, expecting temperature in the 20s and a sprinkling of low-30s.
There are no districts rated as at catastrophic or extreme fire danger.
But there are still three emergency-level fires across the state — two in central Victoria in Longwood and Ravenswood South, and one in Walwa in the north-east at the NSW border.
A fire in the Alpine National Park, east of Melbourne, has been downgraded to a Watch and Act after the fire spread slowed overnight.
There are four separate blazes at Watch and Act level in the state’s west and south-west.
(Supplied: VicEmergency)
In all, 19 emergency warnings remain in place, 16 Watch and Acts are still current and numerous advice messages remain issued as at 6am.
A statewide total fire ban continues today.
Thunderstorms swept in across the state overnight but they are bringing very few drops of rain.
Yesterday, lightning sparked dozens of new blazes and the lightning is continuing now.
10m agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 9:09pm
Great Ocean Road placed on alert
Strong winds are expected in the Otways and along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria’s south-west today.
There are two Watch and Acts for a fire burning in the Otways.
Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan says he is “very concerned” for communities around the Otways and right along the Surf Coast today.
“My sense is we’re going to be talking a lot about the Otways throughout the course of the day and communities right along the Great Ocean Road,” he says.
“I’m making a very strong recommendation to you to think about what you’re doing today, make sure you put your bushfire survival plan into action and be ready to take the direction of authorities.”
18m agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 9:02pmABC broadcasts go down during fire emergency
All ABC digital TV and radio services are still down around the Bendigo area in central Victoria.
Two out-of-control fires remain at emergency level in central Victoria.
The fault has been identified at the Mount Alexander transmission line.
The fires swept through Mount Alexander last night.
People in the affected area are advised to tune into 774 ABC Radio Melbourne or to access these services via the ABC Listen app.
ABC TV viewers in the area are also advised to use the ABC iview app in the interim.
22m agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 8:57pm
Evacuees at the Seymour Relief Centre
As dawn broke in Victoria, evacuees from the Longwood fire began emerging from the Seymour Relief Centre, many to take their pets out for a walk.
About 43 people are sheltering there.
Seymour is roughly 60 kms from Longwood, where a major bushfire remains active.
(ABC News: Tavleen Singh)
Andrew evacuated on Thursday and says he lost his home.
He says he doesn’t know what’s happened to 600 of his sheep and that he’s really worried about the animals on his farm in Molesworth.
He’s thanked those running the Seymour evacuation centre and nurses who’ve come to check on the evacuees.
“They’re such beautiful people and they’ve taken care of us”.
Andrew at the Seymour Relief Centre (ABC News: Benay Ozdemir)
Simon from Eildon left his cabin park when smoke surrounded the area.
“It was just the better decision,” he says.
Simon moved from South Australia a year and a half ago and says this is his third time escaping a fire.
“I just hope we can head back today,” he says.
“Hopefully we go back and it’s all the same and the fire just missed our town.”
Simon and his dog Bonnie (ABC News: Tavleen Singh)
36m agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 8:43pm
Dangerous wind change still to hit Walwa fire
Authorities say they’re still concerned about the Walwa fire on Victoria’s north-east border with NSW.
Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan says the cool change that swept across Victoria from late yesterday — causing winds to change direction and ramping up fire activity — is yet to arrive there.
“The situation will be dynamic for them in the next few hours as that frontal system comes through,” Heffernan tells ABC TV’s Weekend Breakfast.
41m agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 8:38pm
Property losses still to be assessed
Authorities are unable to give us a specific number for properties lost to Victorian bushfires as it’s still too dangerous to conduct proper assessments.
Yesterday we heard from a local CFA captain who believed he’d counted about 10 property losses in the small community of Ruffy from the Longwood fire in central Victoria.
Callers to ABC Radio and people our journalists out in the field have spoken to have told us about losing homes in Longwood, Avenel and Yarck to name just a few.
A CFA incident controller also confirmed “a number of houses” lost in Harcourt from the Ravenswood fire.
(Supplied: VicEmergency)
This morning, Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan says that remains a concern for authorities.
“It obviously spread very rapidly, very quickly yesterday.
“It obviously crossed the Calder Highway and impacted the community of Harcourt, through that community and up into Mount Alexander where we understand that we’ve got some critical communications infrastructure at threat.
“That fire continues to spread in an easterly direction.
“It has certainly done some significant damage to the local communities there.”
47m agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 8:33pmNo updates on three people missing from Longwood fire
Yesterday we heard three people were unaccounted for from the Longwood fire in central Victoria.
A CFA supervisory crew came across a man, woman and child at a property at a stage when it was too late to leave the area.
When a fire crew made it back to the home, they found the home had been destroyed.
I’ve spoken to police this morning and the trio still have not been found.
“At this stage, emergency services are not in a position to access the property due to the intensity of the fire,” a spokesperson said.
“An update will be provided when it is available.
“Victoria Police is supporting the CFA during this time and we are continuing to door knock in affected areas, establish relief centres and coordinate traffic management points.”
49m agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 8:31pm
Stay updated with the latest warnings from emergency services
In an emergency, the ABCÂ will broadcast regular warnings on ABC Radio.
You can find your local frequency here.
For more information, including a map of all the warnings, visit ABC Emergency.
State authorities also have their own alerts and incidents pages.
For warnings in Victoria, visit VicEmergency.For South Australia, visit the SA Country Fire Service.For NSW, visit the Rural Fire Service.
51m agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 8:28pm
Longwood fire ‘devastating’ for community
Deputy Mayor of Strathbogie Shire Claire Ewart-Kennedy says she has never seen the type of disruption and displacement of people from bushfires as she did yesterday.
Emergency warnings remain in place for a fire in Longwood, which has grown to 145,000 hectares in size.
“I spent all day at the Seymour Relief Centre just processing people, finding accommodation, looking after dogs, making sure people had medication that they left home without,” she tells ABC’s News Channel.
“It’s devastating. “
She urges people not to come to the area if they don’t need to.
“We do not need extra people. We will need your money and support later on, but not at the moment,” she says.
Ewart-Kennedy says today is set to be another challenging day.
“The wind is very, very bad this morning.
“Thankfully the conditions are a little better but only a little bit. It’s still incredibly windy and very dangerous for what is happening ahead.”
She says critical infrastructure, including drinking water, power and telecommunications, have been impacted.
“People couldn’t communicate with each other while they were trying to fight fires,” she says.
“I had incidences of people who didn’t know if their husband and father were alive, and yet they were 5km from them fighting a fire.
“That’s the reality of what we had to face in the last few days. It’s only going to get worse for the next few days.”
1h agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 8:18pm
Victorian fires are still growing
Despite the easing of conditions today, authorities warn the emergency is not over.
Forest Fire Management Victoria State Agency Commander Steve Pellicano says the fires are still growing larger and communities are still being impacted.
He says the Longwood fire in central Victoria remains erratic and has grown to 145,000 hectares in size, with “hundreds of personnel” fighting that fire.
He says the Walwa fire is over 100 hectares and has drawn around 300 firefighter personnel.
He remained concerned about what he called the “Dargo complex” — a series of fires that broke out in the Alpine National Park that have joined together.
It was at emergency level last night as the fire burned in a southerly direction from the Wonnangatta Track but is at Watch and Act this morning.
(Supplied: VicEmergency)1h agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 8:05pmVictorian premier declares state of disaster
In the very early hours of this morning, the Victorian government declared a state of disaster for 18 local government areas and one alpine resort.
That means the government believes there’s an emergency that constitutes, or is likely to constitute, a significant and widespread danger to life or property.Â
These are the areas covered:
Alpine ShireArarat Rural CityColac Otway ShireCorangamite ShireEast Gippsland ShireGolden Plains ShireGreater Bendigo CityHorsham Rural CityLake Mountain Alpine Resort (Unincorporated)Mansfield ShireMildura Rural CityMitchell ShireMoira ShireMount Alexander ShireMurrindindi ShirePyrenees ShireStrathbogie ShireTowong ShireWellington Shire
The declaration allows the state government to direct authorities to posses a private property to respond to the disaster, control movement in the area, and compel the evacuation of people from the region.
Premier Jacinta Allen said the fires “are widespread, fast-moving and devastating”.
“Taking this step is about one thing: protecting Victorian lives,” she said.
“And it sends one clear message: if you have been told to leave – go.”
1h agoFri 9 Jan 2026 at 7:45pm
Good morning
Good morning,
A state of disaster has been declared in Victorian as dozens of bushfires rage across the state, leaving three people missing and fears dozens of properties have been lost.
We will bring you the latest updates as they come to hand.