Victoria wildfires kill one and scorch nearly 900,000 acres

Wildfires in the Australian state of Victoria have killed at least one person, destroyed dozens of homes and burned nearly 900,000 acres since last week, the authorities said on Sunday. The blazes were sparked by a searing heat wave that brought record-breaking temperatures and, officials said, created the worst fire conditions since Australia’s Black Summer of 2019–2020.

Most of the fires were started by lightning strikes last Thursday, and more than 30 wildfires were burning across Victoria on Sunday, the state premier Jacinta Allan said. Fires were reported near the state’s northeast border with New South Wales, in Great Otway National Park near the Great Ocean Road, and outside towns north of Melbourne.

One of the largest fires, near Longwood — a town of fewer than 300 people about 70 miles northeast of Melbourne — had a perimeter of about 250 miles and destroyed about 150 structures, Victoria’s emergency management commissioner, Tim Wiebusch, said. Authorities said one person’s remains were found in the area around the Longwood fire and had not been formally identified.

Another fire razed buildings in Harcourt, where officials said 47 homes and three businesses were lost; that fire was 80 percent contained. Officials also said dozens of the hundreds of structures destroyed across Victoria were homes, and three firefighters were injured.

Key Topics

World, Victoria, Longwood, Harcourt, Great Ocean Road, Jacinta Allan