Uncontrolled bushfires are raging in different corners of Australia, with "leave immediately" warnings issued for more towns in what is shaping up to be difficult emergency season ahead.
A fast-growing fire in Victoria's Grampians National Park, about 241km west of state capital Melbourne, razed 28,000ha by Saturday morning despite firefighters best efforts to battle the blaze overnight.
Residents in the nearby towns of Bellfield, Halls Gap, Lake Fyans, Pomonal, Mafeking and Watgania have been told to leave immediately.
Emergency services said firefighters have been able to slow the spread of fire, but warned it won't be contained for weeks and the situation can change at any time.
Emergency warnings are also in place for residents in The Gurdies in South Gippsland as another fire northwest of Melbourne at Bullengarook in the Macedon region downgrades to watch-and-act.
Firefighters in Western Australia and New South Wales have brought scores of fires under control in recent days, but temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s are expected to hit the west coast over the weekend before pushing eastward.
Elevated fire dangers are forecast for the south of WA, with dry thunderstorms possible for western parts.
Heatwave conditions are also persisting across the state's midwest affecting Mingenew and Coral Bay as well as the Kimberley and Pilbara regions.
Above-average temperatures are predicted for the 2024-25 summer in many parts of the nation, according to long-range forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology, underscoring a grim outlook from emergency services.
With hot temperatures expected to persist into Christmas, Victoria's Country Fire Authority has urged people to plan ahead.
"We know people have a lot to think about this festive season but taking a few minutes to plan and prepare could save the lives of you and those you love," chief fire officer Jason Heffernan said.
"On hot, dry and windy days, have a back-up location to visit that is not in a high-risk bushfire area."
Authorities have warned of a high-risk bush fire season after several quiet seasons compared with the 2019-2020 "Black Summer" fires that destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people.
- Additional reporting by Reuters
