Victorian Firefighters on High Alert: Brace for Intense Heatwave Threat in Australia

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Firefighters are nervously preparing as a heatwave, windy conditions and lightning create a perfect storm for some of the worst bushfire conditions in years.

A major heatwave across Australia’s southeast is expected to continue pushing up the mercury with temperatures forecast to reach 41C in Melbourne and up to 47C in parts of inland Victoria on Friday.

Emergency warnings were issued for bushfires in northwest Victoria and Longwood overnight while fire warnings were elevated to catastrophic in the state’s Wimmera, northern country and southwest regions, while a total fire ban is in place across the entire state for Friday.

Peter Cookson, the captain of the Little Yarra Country Fire Authority, is currently battling a fierce blaze in Longwood, located in northern Victoria. Despite his extensive experience, Cookson admits that the challenging conditions still make him uneasy.

A cluster of trees on fire at night with smoke billowing upwards.

In Longwood, Victoria, a significant fire is raging on, posing a serious threat to the area. This image, credited to the Little Yarra CFA, depicts the severity of the situation.

“It’s shaping up to be a very bad day,” Cookson remarked to the Australian Associated Press (AAP), reflecting on the daunting task ahead.

Wind gusts of up to 90km/h and a severe thunderstorm risk could cause erratic fire behaviour, the Bureau of Meteorology warned.

A number of new fires have already sparked across the state due to dry lightning, State Control Centre spokesman David Nugent said.

“Under those catastrophic conditions, there is real potential for lives and homes to be lost,” he said.

The strong winds could also ground the firefighting air fleet.

“It’s every chance at some point the aircraft may not be able to fly,” CFA chief Jason Heffernan said.

“We can expect if a fire takes hold, and we see the fire spread the way they’re going, they’re going to be uncontrollable. They’re going to be unstoppable.”

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan wrote in a social media post on Thursday night: “Tomorrow is shaping up to be the most dangerous fire day we have faced in many years.”

Firefighting teams are engaged in a relentless effort to control two major fires that remain out of control. The fire in Longwood has already devastated over 28,000 hectares, while another blaze near the Victoria/New South Wales border, close to Walwa and Mount Lawson, has scorched more than 9,000 hectares.

“I want to say this bluntly. The conditions coming together right now are extremely serious. If the forecasts are right, tomorrow will be catastrophic,” she wrote.

“There is a perfect storm building across our state. These fires can create their own weather. Lightning is starting new fires. Strong winds are pushing existing fires closer and closer to communities.”

Paramedics and first responders in catastrophic fire danger areas will be withdrawn on Friday and will only be redeployed to these zones for serious or life-threatening illnesses, Ambulance Victoria said.

The heatwave is expected to affect the ACT and NSW, where a total fire ban has been declared in the eastern Riverina, southern Riverina, southern slopes and Monaro alpine regions for Friday.

Temperatures will not be quite as high in NSW, with Sydney set to reach a maximum of 33C and Canberra expected to hit a high of 39C.

But things are set to worsen on Saturday with the harbour city expected to reach 42C, with even warmer temperatures forecast for the western suburbs.

NSW Ambulance chief superintendent Steve Vaughan urged residents to begin preparing for the hot conditions and stay cool, hydrated, and indoors during the hottest part of the day.

“Heatwaves put real pressure on your body, with consecutive days of relentless heat causing stress that builds up over time,” he said.