Tomorrow’s conditions in the Wimmera, Mallee and Northern Country will be hot and windy with temperatures reaching about 40 degrees, with northerly winds of about 40-50 kilometres an hour, km/h, before a gusty south-westerly wind change with wind speeds between 60-80 km/h.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said tomorrow’s conditions represented the worst fire-risk day Victoria had experienced since the 2019-20 fire season.
Mr Heffernan said the safest option for people in bushfire risk areas within the Wimmera region was to start planning to leave tonight or early in the morning.
“Tomorrow’s conditions will put you and your families lives at risk if a fire starts and takes hold,” he said.
“Do not plan to defend your home on catastrophic fire danger days – the safest place to be is away from high-risk areas such as campsites, parks and forests.
“Catastrophic conditions make it difficult for firefighters to control fires should one start.
“Be prepared for fire, monitor conditions and know where to get information so you can make good decisions about your safety.
“Don’t wait for an official warning before you leave, emergencies can start quickly and threaten lives and homes within minutes.
“If you are caught out and all other bushfire plans have failed, be aware of local last resort options such as Neighbourhood Safer Places and designated Community Fire Refuges.”
More information can be found at www.cfa.vic.gov.au, and Victorians should also make sure they have access to more than one source of information, including radio stations, the VicEmergency App, VicEmergency website www.emergency.vic.gov.au, VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226 and CFA or VicEmergency Twitter or Facebook.