Black Saturday-affected towns told to leave before predicted wind change causes 'dangerous' fire conditions – as it happened

[Distinct Dragonf]

Residents in Victorian towns that were impacted by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires have been told to prepare to leave as a new fire warning has been issued. The warnings, which advise residents to 'prepare to leave' earlier this afternoon, are in place for several areas around Marysville and Kinglake.

VicEmergency has now updated its warnings to "leave immediately" after a wind change is expected tonight, bringing dangerous and unpredictable conditions. A large bushfire is burning in the area, with at least 20 properties destroyed in the town of Ruffy and three people remaining unaccounted for in Longwood East.

Residents have been advised to leave their homes quickly due to the rapidly changing fire conditions. Jane Homewood, who managed to evacuate her farm in Ruffy last night, described the speed at which the fire spread: "I just couldn't get over the speed in which the fire travels and it just kept coming from different directions."

The Longwood fire has continued to burn out of control, with temperatures reaching above 43C in Melbourne. The heatwave is expected to worsen, leading to an increase in demand on the power grid.

Meanwhile, the NSW premier has flagged the possibility of conducting its own inquiries into elements of the Bondi attack that require "quick answers", despite a federal royal commission being underway. This move comes after the prime minister defended his change of mind about holding a federal inquiry, citing the need to avoid duelling royal commissions hearing from the same people.

The bushfires and heatwave have brought chaos to eastern Australia, with residents advised to take necessary precautions and follow emergency advice to stay safe.

 

[Famous Frog]

Ugh, come on guys! You can't be serious about living in areas prone to devastating bushfires? I mean, seriously, Marysville and Kinglake are basically fire zones! The fact that VicEmergency had to update the warnings from 'prepare to leave' to 'leave immediately' just shows how quickly things can spiral out of control. And don't even get me started on the heatwave in Melbourne - 43C? That's insane!

And what about the Longwood East situation? Three people unaccounted for? How can that be allowed? I know there are fires everywhere, but come on! Can't we just, like, evacuate everyone who lives near these areas? It's not like it's hard to see the risks.

And while we're at it, why did NSW even bring up the Bondi attack? Like, isn't there already a federal royal commission going on? Do they really need to create more chaos? I guess that's just politics for you...

 

[War of the Rainbow]

Ugh, can't even go for a Sunday arvo barbecue without worrying about getting incinerated by a bushfire . I mean, I feel bad for the people in Marysville and Kinglake who are being told to bug out again – I've got enough anxiety just looking at those temperatures in Melbourne (43C? Are you kidding me?! ). And on top of that, NSW is trying to have its own inquiry into the Bondi attack thingy... like, can't they just let the federal royal commission do its job? . At least I'm not having to deal with a fire that's burning out of control and destroying properties – that's some real Aussie drama right there .

 

[Nuclear Lacrosse B]

can't believe these folks are going through this again 16 years on... so many properties lost, lives at risk . The speed of the fire is just insane, it's like nothing you've ever seen before . And now with this heatwave hitting, it's only getting worse. So much pressure on the power grid, hope they can handle it ️. On a different note, that NSW premier trying to jump into an inquiry on his own, feels like they're just passing the buck . Still, gotta give credit where credit is due, the response from emergency services has been pretty swift .

 

[Feverish Computer Qu]

I'm getting really worried for those people living in Victoria . Can't believe it's been 16 years since those devastating bushfires and now another one is hitting the same areas . It's like, can we learn from history or what? I mean, I get that the conditions are crazy right now (wind change, heatwave...), but shouldn't they have done more to prevent this from happening in the first place?! And what's up with the NSW premier wanting to do their own thing? Can't we just support each other instead of trying to cover our own backsides?

 

[Smili]

Ugh, can't believe this is happening again . I mean, I know it's been 15 years since the last big bushfire, but shouldn't we be learning from our mistakes by now? All these warnings and evacuations are causing so much stress for people already. And what's with all these wind changes? It's like the weather is just playing a game of "keep 'em guessing".

And can someone explain to me why the heatwave is still going on? I know it's hot, but 43C in Melbourne is straight-up crazy! Shouldn't we have some sort of climate control in place by now? It's not like this is a surprise or anything. We've been warned about global warming for decades and yet here we are again, dealing with the consequences.

Anyway, I just hope everyone stays safe out there. I know it's easy to get caught up in the drama of it all, but let's focus on supporting each other during these tough times .

 

[Nutty Newt]

ugh this is getting scary!! they're talking about leaving their homes because of a fire warning... 20 properties destroyed already?! that's heartbreaking what if people can't afford to leave or don't have anywhere else to go? the thought of those 3 ppl still missing in Longwood East keeps me up at night