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The raging inferno in Longwood has already consumed over 48,000 hectares, engulfing the regions surrounding Ruffy, Tarcombe, Caveat, and Dropmore. This devastating fire presents the most hazardous conditions the state has faced since the infamous Black Summer bushfires.
In Ruffy, a small town positioned south of the blaze, at least ten residences have been reduced to ashes.
“It resembles the aftermath of an atomic bomb,” remarked CFA Captain George Noye in an interview with ABC earlier today.
“We’ve lost the old school building, the historic Ruffy produce store is gone, along with three homes on the main street,” he added.
“Numerous homes throughout the region have been destroyed. Among those affected, ten of my firefighters have lost their homes,” Noye lamented.
Noye told 9News this afternoon that the fire has cleared homes, buildings and livestock.
“There’s not much left. It’s just ash. If we go away to a lot of fires, and we see this happen with communities… It’s devastating,” he said, becoming visibly emotional.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill said firefighters had come across a man, woman and child near a home and advised them to take shelter because it was too late to evacuate.
Those firefighters later went back to the home and saw it had been destroyed by the fire.
“Those three people remain unaccounted for. Where that house has been destroyed is still a hot spot, and we are yet to be able to put the strike team from the fire services into that area to conduct an assessment for us,” Hill said.
The Longwood fire has been described as “incredibly dynamic” with emergency services warning it is spreading in multiple directions.
Residents in the impact zone have been told it is too late to leave and shelter now, while others in potential impact areas are urged to evacuate now.
Victoria is experiencing extreme fire conditions due to the peaking heatwave and strong, dry winds.
There are currently seven emergency bushfires burning across the state in Longwood, Walwa, Streatham, Natimuk, Harcourt and Ravenswood, Muckatah and Bamganie.
Temperatures reached 46.7 degrees in Walpeup and 42.9 degrees in Melbourne.
A total fire ban is in place for all of Victoria today.