Homes have been destroyed and urgent evacuation orders have been issued for numerous small communities near a major bushfire in southwest Victoria, as the state endures its most severe heatwave conditions in over a decade. The escalating fire situation at Carlisle River within the Otways Ranges is causing significant alarm after breaching critical containment lines, with authorities warning of extreme and erratic behaviour as weather conditions deteriorate.
Record-Breaking Heatwave Intensifies Fire Danger
Victoria is currently sweltering through its most intense heatwave period since 2009, with temperatures consistently soaring above 40 degrees Celsius and potentially breaking historical records. These extreme conditions are creating incredibly challenging circumstances for firefighters across the state, significantly hampering containment efforts and increasing the volatility of existing blazes.
Properties Lost and Immediate Evacuation Directives
At least three homes have been confirmed lost in the raging Otways fire, though authorities have not yet determined whether these were primary residences or holiday properties. The situation has prompted emergency services to issue immediate evacuation directives for the townships of Barongarook, Gellibrand, Kawarren and Lovat, with residents strongly advised to move to safer locations away from the fire front without delay.
For residents in Kariah, Larralea, Leslie Manor, Lismore and Taaraak, authorities have declared it is now too late to leave safely, urging them to shelter in place and implement their bushfire survival plans immediately.
Dangerous Wind Change Expected
Emergency services are preparing for a powerful south-southwesterly wind change forecast for Tuesday afternoon, which is expected to create extremely dangerous and unpredictable fire conditions throughout the Otways region. Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman warned that wind gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour from 5pm would cause the fire to develop significant energy and potentially form a dangerous plume.
'That fire will run. It will develop a plume and it will pick up really significant energy,' Mr Hardman stated, emphasising the seriousness of the approaching conditions. 'The heat conditions are making things incredibly difficult for firefighters in Victoria.'
Critical Infrastructure Under Threat
The Carlisle River fire is posing a direct threat to two major distribution powerlines that supply electricity to the region, prompting electricity distributor Powercor to activate its emergency response plan. Network emergency manager Ben Hallet explained that damage to the power network would affect supply to properties and impact essential equipment such as electric water pumps, which are crucial during fire emergencies.
Powercor is working closely with firefighting crews to dump fire retardant over extensive areas of powerlines in the region, while simultaneously deploying a backup generator to the coastal community of Apollo Bay to maintain essential services.
Multiple Fire Fronts and Total Fire Bans
Several watch and act warnings remain in place for the Walwa fire near the New South Wales border, which has been burning for multiple weeks. A total fire ban continues across Victoria on Tuesday, with additional bans declared for the Wimmera and North East districts on Wednesday as conditions are expected to remain challenging.
Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan cautioned that Wednesday's conditions would make suppressing new fire starts particularly difficult while presenting additional challenges for crews already working to contain existing blazes.
Emergency Support and Refuge Options
A community fire refuge has been established at the Otway CFA Fire Station as a last resort option for residents, though authorities stress there is no guarantee that routes to this location will remain safe as conditions change. Multiple relief centres have been opened across the region, including facilities at Colac Showgrounds, Colac Blue Water Leisure Centre and Grovedale Community Hub to support displaced residents.
The combination of extreme heat, strong winds and dry vegetation continues to create a volatile situation across Victoria, with emergency services urging all residents in affected areas to remain vigilant, monitor official warnings and follow evacuation instructions without hesitation.
