Hundreds of people have evacuated parts of Victoria’s south‑west as the Carlisle River bushfire in the Otways flares again, while the state braces for a dangerous heatwave expected to push temperatures into the high 40s. Thick smoke from the fire has drifted across Geelong and Melbourne, sending air quality downhill and prompting health warnings.
Bushfire threat in the Otways
The Carlisle River blaze, which started on 10 January, had been under control before it jumped containment lines on Saturday afternoon in hot, gusty conditions. An Emergency Warning on the VicEmergency site told residents in Barongarook West, Carlisle River, Gellibrand, Irrewillipe and Irrewillipe East: “There is a bushfire at Carlisle River that is not yet under control. The bushfire is travelling from the west of Gellibrand in an easterly direction towards Gellibrand.”
A separate alert warned that “the fire has grown overnight and is now within 1 kilometre of Gellibrand. This fire may impact homes and lives in Gellibrand at any time”. Authorities later downgraded the alert to Watch and Act as conditions eased slightly, but the blaze remained out of control and continued to burn in steep forest and private land.
Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman told the ABC that rapid impact assessment teams were working to confirm whether there had been any property losses. “We’re less likely to see that fire sweep through Gellibrand today, but we can’t be certain and we may have already had some losses,” he said.
Evacuations and a community on edge
Locals from Gellibrand and nearby communities left ahead of the worst conditions, with many heading to an emergency relief centre in Colac or staying with friends and family. Colac Otway Shire Mayor Jason Schram told the publication “a lot of people had left their homes and were sheltering at an emergency relief centre in Colac, or with family or friends”.
“There were certainly houses that were under immediate threat,” he said, adding “those that are in the areas of [the emergency take shelter warning] should certainly heed those warnings. We’re not out of the woods”.
Residents who did evacuate have been told it is still not safe to return, with Watch and Act warnings remaining in place for more than a dozen nearby communities. Firefighters from surrounding CFA brigades have been carrying out active property protection around Gellibrand as spot fires continue to break out.
Smoke, air quality and who’s most at risk
Smoke from the Otways fire has spread across southern Victoria, including the Otways, Geelong, Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and Phillip Island, with air qualoty being labelled “very poor”. Community information from the Environment Protection Authority and health authorities warns that smoke “may irritate eyes and aggravate existing heart and lung conditions and cause coughing and wheezing”, urging people to limit time outdoors in the worst‑affected areas.
People aged over 65, children under 14, pregnant people and anyone with existing heart or lung conditions have been advised to reduce heavy physical activity while the haze lingers. The EPA says people should head indoors, close windows and doors where possible and seek medical help if they develop breathing difficulties or chest tightness.
Heatwave turning up the risk
The fire threat is being made worse by a severe heatwave expected to bring multiple days above 40 degrees to northern and inland parts of the state. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kevin Parkin said “a dome of heat is expected to sit over Victoria, not just this weekend but persisting well into next week”. “We’re looking at many centres cracking 40 degrees, including Ouyen with 48 degrees on Tuesday,” he said, per SBS.
Parkin also told the ABC we could see four to seven consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 40 degrees inland, warning that hot, dry winds will increase fire danger across Victoria. Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said, “We have not seen severe to extreme intensity heat wave conditions like we are going to experience over the next seven days since 2009,” per 9 News.
He urged people to stay hydrated, seek refuge in libraries or shopping centres to avoid the heat, and exercise caution while swimming in Victoria’s beaches, lakes, and rivers.
Total fire bans are in place across several northern and eastern districts, and authorities are asking Victorians to keep across updates on the VicEmergency website and app over the coming days.
Lead image: NINE
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