The fire danger ratings from the Bureau of Meteorology were striking in their clarity.
Of all regions in Victoria, West and South Gippsland had the lowest Fire Behaviour Index at 65, already in the territory of “Extreme Danger”. North Central, Northern Country, South West and Wimmera showed on the scale at or above 100, a rating of “Catastrophic”. Central Victoria was rated at 99. It was in this region that a fire began south of the town of Longwood — 149km north of Melbourne — on January 8.