At least three homes have been confirmed destroyed by a bushfire in western Victoria, with fire authorities warning that some towns remain under threat.
There were fears that as many as 10 houses may have been claimed by the fire burning west of Ballarat, and “watch and act” warnings remain in place for Bayindeen, Chute, Elmhurst, Mount Lonarch and surrounds, Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) said.
“There is a bushfire in the Raglan, Mount Cole, Mount Lonarch and Bayindeen areas that is not yet under control,” EMV saidon Saturday.
“The bushfire is travelling in a northerly direction south of Elmhurst in a state forest. ”
An earlier emergency warning for the area was downgraded to a watch-and-act message by noon on Saturday.
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, travelled to the region on Saturday, and surveyed the firefront from the air.
“This remains a fire of grave concern, it’s a big and active fire,” Allan said in Beaufort.
“There is going to be a considerable amount of work that’s going to need to be done on this fire.
“Thankfully, blessedly, we haven’t had a report of a loss of life, we do know there’s three homes to date that have been lost … and that number may grow.”
Allan said she was concerned that the fire, which had already burned almost 16,000 hectares since starting on Thursday morning, could worsen.
“It is looking like Wednesday into Thursday is going to be a very dangerous and difficult day across Victoria,” she said.
The forecast maximum temperature for Elmhurst on Saturday was 28C.
About 500 firefighters were expected to attend the blaze on Saturday, along with water bombing aircraft, with conditions expected to ease by Tuesday.
Wednesday has been described as a potential “spike” day, with the temperature forecast to again soar above 40C.
The federal emergency management minister, Murray Watt, told the ABC on Friday that five to 10 houses were destroyed by the fire near the town of Beaufort, but the state’s Country Fire Authority (CFA) has only confirmed the loss of three houses and several outbuildings.
The CFA said the fire was moving in a northerly direction towards Elmhurst and Amphitheatre, about 70km north-west of Ballarat.
Assessment teams are set to survey the damage but can only do so once areas become safe to enter.
The cause of the blaze remained under investigation.
People from surrounding areas were earlier in the week asked to leave their homes immediately. They have been asked not to return until the CFA says it is safe to do so.
These suburbs include Avoca, Bayindeen, Chute, Elmhurst, Mount Lonarch and surrounds, Main Lead, Raglan, Middle Creek, Waterloo, Glenlofty, Glenpatrick, Glenshee, Green Hill Creek, Nowhere Creek, Amphitheatre, Crowlands, Eversley, Landsborough, Percydale and Warrenmang.
Three evacuation centres have been established in Ballarat, Maryborough and Ararat.
Six schools were closed or relocated on Friday and 1,365 power customers were left without electricity.
Almost 60 hospital patients and residents of aged care homes near the fire have been transferred to other facilities.
Road closures are also in place to prevent motorists straying into the fireground.
