Raging floods and fires threaten to flare again
Ongoing windy conditions threaten to complicate efforts for fire crews tackling nearly a dozen bushfires in Victoria, while communities remain on high alert after “devastating” flooding.
Source: Richard Riordan MP / Facebook
More than 410,000 hectares have burned across the state after strong winds and high temperatures last week sparked widespread blazes, destroying almost 900 structures, including 259 homes.
Some relief is on its way, with widespread rainfall forecast for coming days alongside less-extreme fire conditions and easing winds.
But crucially, the key firegrounds of Walwa and Longwood in the state’s north-east are expected to receive up to only 10 millimetres of rain.
Meteorologist Angus Hines said it was more likely the regions would get just single-digit rainfall totals.
“In fact, gusty winds could cause those fires to flare up once again,” he said.
The Longwood fire has burned about 137,000 hectares, while the Walwa fire has burned 100,000.
Alistair Drayton from the State Emergency Service said easing conditions would help firefighters access the firegrounds.
“There’s no guarantee that these rains will put the fires out [but] the conditions will allow firefighters to build containers around the fires,” he said.
While rainfall will be welcomed by authorities fighting fires, State Control Centre spokesman David Nugent cautioned it also posed a hazard due to the increased possibility of trees falling from strong wind and storm activity.
Conversely, other parts of the state are only just beginning to recover after “off the charts” rainfall swelled a river to unexpectedly burst its banks, sweeping dozens of cars out to sea and forcing hundreds to seek shelter.
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Drayton described the conflicting conditions as “extraordinary”.
“I’ve come from a fire to a flood zone in one day,” he said.
A record-breaking 180 millimetres of rain fell across the Wye, Kennett and Cumberland rivers in the Lorne area of Victoria’s south-west coast on Thursday afternoon.
Dramatic video showed cars taken by raging currents at the popular tourist spot.
Wye River Country Fire Authority captain Andrew Hack told ABC Radio there was “very little warning” things would escalate after the region had only moderate rain in the morning.
Rescue crews were sent to assist people trapped in floodwaters, including a man stranded on a roof at Cumberland River who was winched to safety by police.
As of Thursday night, some people remain trapped in their caravans.
Communities remain on high alert with more rain expected in coming days.
The wild weather has stretched emergency services thin, prompting volunteer firefighters to demand an inquiry into bushfire preparedness.
The Victorian government has agreed to request a formal review, though maintains its focus is on recovery and support, with high-risk fire danger still days ahead.
“Once the risk is reduced, we will request a formal review into this bushfire season led by the Inspector General for Emergency Management, not politicians,” a government spokesperson said on Thursday.
The Victorian and federal governments have also announced $82 million in funding to restore and repair state roads and public transport infrastructure damaged by fires.
Bushfires inquiry call
Volunteer firefighters are demanding an inquiry into bushfire preparedness as Victoria agrees to request a formal review.
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More than 410,000 hectares have burned across Victoria after strong winds and high temperatures last week sparked widespread bushfires, destroying or damaging almost 900 structures.
Confirmed home losses have risen to 259, with 17 damaged significantly.
A group of volunteer and career firefighters gathered on the steps of Victorian parliament on Thursday to call for an urgent inquiry.
John Houston, a volunteer firefighter for his entire adult life who has been driving a 29-year-old truck, said workforce morale had never been lower.
Excessive red tape and outdated equipment had undermined the joy of their work, he said.
“We want people to be excited about going to fight fires, but when you’ve got gear that’s not right, people just get despondent,” Houston said.
According to the state firefighters’ union, 792 CFA tankers are out of date, unsafe and should be off the road, including 230 tankers more than 31 years old.
Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward said the Allan government had been “more than adequately funding the CFA” and dismissed the union-led inquiry call.
“Every season there is work done to understand these fires, to understand the response and that’s exactly what will happen,” she said.
Country Fire Service chief officer Jason Heffernan acknowledged firefighters were blaming themselves for the losses in the community, despite his view the blazes were “unstoppable” in catastrophic-rated conditions.
“The reality is there is nothing they could have done,” he said.
The CFA’s most recent publicly available annual report shows government grant funding fell from $351.6 million in 2020/21 to $339.5 million in 2023/24.
Treasurer Jaclyn Symes foreshadowed grants were expected to fall to $337.6 million in 2024/25, but the CFA board said its total budget had increased each year since 2020, including an additional $20.3 million this financial year.
Premier Jacinta Allan on Wednesday said the CFA’s 2024/25 annual report would be published as soon as possible and suggested the auditor-general’s office was partly responsible for the hold-up.
The auditor-general’s office subsequently released a statement to declare it was not responsible for the delay.
“We provided our final clearance on 11th November 2025,” it said.
“This was in line with the timelines requested by CFA.”
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson accused Allan of misleading Victorians and hiding the report.
Allan did not front the media on Thursday, with Ward doubling about “delays in the auditing process”.
Ward said she received the report in December after parliament had risen for 2025 and has since asked the department to table it in the next week.
-with AAP
