“But it sends a clear message to those who have been advised to leave: if you can, you must.”
‘Not acceptable‘: Firies call out politicians
Meanwhile, a Victorian firefighter out in the field is claiming he and his colleagues don’t have adequate resources to battle the catastrophic blazes.
“We’ve just been out fighting the grass and scrub fire … it’s a total fire ban day 40-degree heat at the moment,” TikTok user Levy Busters said.
“This is not acceptable. How many politicians would be driving around in a 29-year-old vehicle, or driving around a vehicle without air-conditioning on a day like today?
“Yeah, those volunteers are expected to do that now.”
Following Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s declaration of a State of Disaster, she told ABC the key focus for the declaration is to give support to emergency services to protect lives.
“It provides additional support to the emergency services to evacuate people in places where the fire has become very dangerous and unsafe, but given the situation on the ground will remain dangerous once the front passes, it provides support for our emergency services for the movement of people in and out of fire-affected communities,” she said this morning.
“This is solely focused on protecting Victorian lives and also giving every support possible to our emergency services who are out there on the frontline.”
By Friday evening, hundreds of firefighters had been deployed to control the blaze, in addition to others southwest of Euroa, and Walwa, near Albury-Wodonga on the NSW border.
At least 20 buildings in Longwood have been destroyed.
George Noye, the Country Fire Authorities (CFA) captain for the town, said Longwood had been severely impacted.
“The main street looks like a bomb’s gone off,” he told ABC News Breakfast.
“We’ve lost a school. The CFA shed’s still standing.
“At the moment, even to get around the roads is … dangerous and hazardous.”
The catastrophic conditions have drawn comparisons to the devastating Black Summer bushfires over 2019-20 – but authorities warn the current models could be “worse”.
The state’s fire ban means no fire can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight from 12.01am to 11.59pm.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said the ban has been declared because of several fires in the landscape as a result of Friday’s catastrophic conditions.
“Firefighters are battling multiple fires across Victoria in difficult conditions today with extreme heat and strong winds,” he said.
“Crews have been working hard this week and today to protect their communities. We’re asking Victorians to follow the strict conditions associated with the total fire ban declaration.
“Understand how the increased fire risk will impact you and ensure your fire plan covers all possible contingencies.”
Tens of thousands of people have lost power because of the blaze.
A man, woman and child – who were last seen in front of a now-destroyed home in the Longwood fire – remain unaccounted for.
The trio had been advised on Thursday to take shelter as it was too late for them to leave.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said CFA representatives revisited the area to see the house where the trio had last been seen, finding it completely destroyed.
“Those three people, we do not know at this point of time where they may be,” Hill said on Friday.
“That particular area in Longwood East where that house has been destroyed is still a hot spot, and we’re yet to be able to put the strike teams from the fire service into that area to conduct an assessment for us.”
Authorities have been pleading for residents to resist any temptation to try to defend their homes.
One firefighter has been hospitalised with “significant” third-degree burns to their hand, suffered while fighting the Longwood blaze in Ruffy.
Catastrophic Fire Danger is forecast for the North Central, Northern Country, South West and Wimmera fire weather districts, while extreme Fire Danger is likely in the Central, East Gippsland, Mallee, North East and West and South Gippsland districts, the Bureau of Meteorology has stated.
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