The ruins of a house near Lancefield, north of Melbourne, Wednesday, Wednesday, October 7.
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“It’s been a tough day for the people out there, and also the firefighters out there trying to combat the situation”, state response controller Peter Rau said.
The CFA said it was struggling to contain the 4000-hectare Lancefield fire because of the hard terrain in the area but hoped to bring it under control on Friday before an expected wind change and possible lightning on Saturday.
However, three helicopters, ten tankers, fire fighting crews and residents have managed to significantly decrease the threat homes faced.
A Country Fire Authority spokeswoman said while the house, located in the Otway Ranges, was destroyed, it has not been confirmed if anyone was inside at the time of the blaze.
About 200 firefighters are battling the Cobaw fire, which is still threatening homes north of Lancefield.
The tense community meeting at the Lancefield Mechanics Institute showed many residents have no idea whether or not they have lost their homes.
Residents in Baynton, Baynton East, Benloch, Emu Flat, Nulla Vale, Pastoria, Pastoria East and Sidonia were warned to stay vigilant.
The fire near Calder Park.
Meanwhile, a bushfire that threatened a Bluescope steel plant near Melbourne is being treated as suspicious.
“You don’t get conditions worse than this, we are at the catastrophic level”, he said. Unseasonal hot temperature and winds yesterday sparked dozens of bushfires across Victoria. “There’s no time to waste – this can not be put off under December”.
Mr Andrews urged Victorians to prepare for a “dangerous summer”, saying the fire season was “absolutely on us”.
Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary in Lancefield was thankful for a narrow escape after a wind change about 5pm turned the flames away from the not-for-profit animal shelter.
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“I’ll be writing to the Premier asking if they will review Victoria’s controlled burn practices to make sure it happens early in the season when it’s cool”, Australia’s Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt told Melbourne radio.
