Key Points
- A bushfire in Victoria’s Grampians National Park has razed 34,000 hectares and is continuing to grow.
- Authorities say it could take weeks to fully contain the fire.
- An emergency evacuation warning remains in place for several communities.
Millions of residents and travellers across the country are being warned to stay alert as the risk of Christmas week infernos intensifies.
Bushfires have burned across 41,000 hectares in the Grampians in Victoria’s west. Source: Supplied / Country Fire Authority
Several states entered Monday battling dangerous blazes or warning of potential outbreaks, including NSW, where hot, dry and windy conditions pose an extreme fire danger in the Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney, Northern Slopes and North Western regions.
“We did see some rain move across parts of the state overnight that hasn’t had a significant effect on most of our fires,” State Control Centre spokesman Luke Hegarty said.
A watch and act alert remains in place for fires in the Grampians National Park, and some residents have been told to prepare to leave if the situation worsens.
Grampians National Park is closed to visitors. Source: AAP / James Ross
Catastrophic conditions are forecast for the area on Boxing Day, with temperatures predicted to reach about 40C and fears private property could be impacted.
“A bit of support will be much appreciated by our crews, particularly given the time of the year,” Hegarty said.
Halls Gap Hotel, in the Grampians’ biggest tourist town, has shut its doors and tourism providers in the area say they face losing $1.9 million a day in bookings because of the emergency as residents fled to nearby Ararat
Large parts of Australia face higher bushfire risk over summer. Source: AAP / Supplied
Elsewhere, regional areas in South Australia are also expecting hot conditions on Boxing Day, with Adelaide facing a peak of 36C after a predicted 37C on Christmas Day.
In WA, firefighters were mopping up a blaze on Sunday that had threatened life and property on Perth’s northern outskirts.
High fire danger is again forecast for the region on Monday while extreme risk is predicted in inland parts of WA’s midwest and southwest.