Victoria Bushfire: Three Missing as Blaze Rages Out of Control
- Two adults and a child are missing in catastrophic bushfire conditions described by locals as worse than Black Saturday.
- Dozens of fires are burning across Victoria,including a concerning blaze around the town of Longwood,150km north of Melbourne,putting thousands of residents under threat.
- A major heatwave has swept across Australia's southeast, with temperatures forecast to reach 43C in Melbourne and up to 47C in parts of inland Victoria on Friday.
Two adults and a child are missing in catastrophic bushfire conditions described by locals as worse than Black Saturday.
Dozens of fires are burning across Victoria,including a concerning blaze around the town of Longwood,150km north of Melbourne,putting thousands of residents under threat.
A major heatwave has swept across Australia’s southeast, with temperatures forecast to reach 43C in Melbourne and up to 47C in parts of inland Victoria on Friday.
“It’s appalling, this is looking worse than Black Saturday,” Acting Mayor of Strathbogie Shire claire Ewart-Kennedy told AAP.
“As an individual, it scares the bejesus out of me, and as the acting mayor, it devastates me.”
Police have revealed three people, including one child, are unaccounted for after fire destroyed their house in Longwood East on Thursday afternoon.
The most hazardous bushfire conditions in years have brought the inevitable tragic outcomes across states. (Source: 1News)
Properties have been lost in Longwood and the nearby town of ruffy, including a destroyed school, while a separate fire in the border town of Walwa has ripped through a pine tree plantation.
Ruffy-based country Fire Authority captain George Noye gave a grim assessment of his town, with 10 properties destroyed including the school.
He said a member of his crew was hospitalised with third-degree burns to his hands.
“It’s like a bomb has gone off. We got smashed by the fire spots,” Noye told AAP.
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Mount Lawson State Park Fire Creates Own Thunderstorm
A bushfire burning at Mount Lawson State Park in New South wales, Australia, has generated a rare and dangerous weather phenomenon: a fire-induced thunderstorm, also known as a pyrocumulonimbus cloud. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) confirmed the event on January 9, 2026, warning of potential lightning strikes and strong winds near the fire ground.
Pyrocumulonimbus clouds form when intense heat from a fire rapidly heats the air above it, causing it to rise quickly and condense into a cloud. These clouds can produce lightning, even without rainfall, and can spread embers over long distances, exacerbating the fire’s spread.
As of 9:00 PM AEDT on January 9, 2026, the fire was uncontained.The NSW RFS reported that the fire is burning in a north-easterly direction. Residents in the surrounding areas have been advised to monitor conditions and follow the advice of emergency services.
The NSW RFS is actively working to contain the blaze, utilizing ground crews and aerial support. Further updates will be provided as the situation evolves.
